Thank you, everyone, for the supportive comments on the last post. I just needed to vent, and if you can't vent on your blog, then where can you? I have decided to go back to my original plan of dieting via Weight Watchers. And on a side note, it ticks me off when their commercials say "Stop dieting, start living. Try Weight Watchers today!" because it IS a diet. Jeez louise, who do they think they are fooling? Any program that doesn't say, "Eat whatever the hell you want, any time you want!" IS A DIET.
Duh.
Where was I? Oh yes. Back to the old diet regime. I feel thinner already, actually. I have been super good for.......well, 48 hours. It's a start, right? And according to my scale this morning (I swear on carrot sticks I have not weighed myself since Saturday) I have lost a pound.
And I did a kick-ass workout last night at the gym. My trainer rocks. He somehow knows where the line between "push yourself so hard that you impress yourself" and "ok, this is just human torture" lies. I always leave his workouts proud of myself.
Then I ran two miles. YESSSSS.
Now that I am totally off-topic, I will discuss what I meant to discuss when I wrote that title above.
I am going to (hopefully) start volunteering for Big Brothers Big Sisters. I have been wanting to volunteer for a while now, because I'm starting to feel like my life is so self-absorbed and I'm really blessed. Now that I've lived in the Columbia area for 6 years, I'm really starting to feel like this is my community, so I want to give back. I have the time in my schedule. I knew that I wanted something really hands-on. Fundraising isn't really my thing. I toyed around with the idea of being a foster parent for a Boston Terrier Rescue. But I have enough pee on my carpet, and the closest organization is in NC. Then I thought about maybe working with recovering alcoholics, but I think that will be too real for me. Since I never went through a 12 Step Program and don't need to go to meetings, I don't know if I can relate to someone who has lost their spouse, job, house and kids to the bottle. I don't know if I have the ability to deal with a 3am phone call and talk someone down from going out and getting drunk. That is something I don't know if I can handle. But maybe one day, I will try that. For now, I want to start off small.
I'm never going to be one of those people who changes the world in a major way and has streets named after them or makes it into the history books, but I think I can be the person who will affect ONE person in a great way. That sounds like something I can do. I can't put a lot of good into the world, but I think I can put a lot of good into one person's life.
Plus, I love kids. Of any age, really.
And coloring. (From what I gather, there's a lot of coloring going on. WOOT)
So now, I am waiting for them to do the background check and talk to my references. Then I will have an interview, and then they will match me up with my "little". I didn't know this, but they try to match women up with girls and men with boys. They also try to match you with someone of the same race, which I think is interesting. I don't really see why those things matter. But whatever. I guess they know what they are doing.
Once I get matched (the parents of the child and I both have to agree to the match), I am supposed to spend a minimum of 4 hours per month with the child, for one year. Totally do-able.
I'm just worried that they will set me up with some kid who comes from a really crappy situation, and I will just burst into tears every time I look at her! I have a hard time dealing with crappy kid stories. I can picture it now--
Little Girl: Dude, you're crying again???
Me: *sniff* Yeah! I *sob* just can't believe *sniff* what you've been through!! For someone to do that to a child--
LG: It's not a big deal. I told you, I have been in this situation my whole life. It's not even a big deal to me anymore, although the shrink says that I'm permanently scarred, but what the hell does he know? The courts are working it all out. I'm gonna go to foster care and a ton of therapy. There's already a restraining order against --
Me: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! Ok! Ok! I have an idea!! Why don't you just come and live at my house with me?? Huh? Isn't that a great idea???
LG: Ok, Virginia, we have already talked about this. No can do. I'm sorry.
Me: But...but....
LG: Ugh, I can't take this anymore. I'm going to ask for a re-assignment. You're an absurd person. What kind of role model are you, anyway? All you do is cry and ask me to live with you. I just want to color and watch Dora the Explorer. Why don't you just go steal a baby or something? Jeez lady, get a grip!
*she storms out*
*more crying on my part*
*LG gets restraining order against me for caring too much. BBBS reprimands me for becoming "unhealthily attached to child, to the point that the child experienced stress and needed even more therapy" and "recommends that I volunteer for another organization" due to my "extreme emotionality". *
Oh boy. There goes my overactive imagination...
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Well, I have been trying to exercise and eat better for 3 months now. Let's do a quick assessment.
The Good:
1. I can run 2 miles straight, without stopping. Sometimes I can even run faster than 5mph. (Shut up, I am a slow runner.)
2. I can do push-ups on my toes. About 12. Before, I could only do one.
3. CN makes comments about my "man arms" now, since my arms are bigger than his. Not that this was a major feat -- he's built like a 12 year old. But really, my arms don't even flap in the breeze much at all anymore. WOOT
4. Everything on my whole body is generally firmer and less jiggly. I have even noticed a difference in the amount of cellulite. CN has noticed my slightly firmer butt, too. YESSSS
5. I have gone up in all of my weights. In some cases, I have made huge jumps in my strength training.
6. My posture is better.
7. I have crazy energy and stamina now. And I sleep like a rock.
8. Warmer weather means I will want to go for lots of outside runs and eat more fruits and veggies -- warm weather makes me want lighter foods and more exercise, for some reason.
9. I have been going to the gym at LEAST 3 times a week, every week. Sometimes, as much as 5 or 6 times. This is far, far better than last fall, when I was going zero times. LOL
The Bad:
1. Not doing so hot on the diet front. I have good days....and I have bad days. Usually, the weekends are where I screw up.
2. While I am buying a higher percentage of healthy foods (hello, produce department!) and far fewer sweets, my portion control needs some work. And if something yummy happens to enter my house? Forget it -- I'll eat the whole thing in 2 days. There was a bad incident last week concerning some animal crackers....oops.
3. I am so starving after I work out that I basically eat all the calories I just burned off! Yeah, a lot of good that does!
4. I have been going to the gym about 4-5 times a week, which is great. But it's starting to feel like a job. I feel like I live there. Which pretty much zaps all the fun out of it. This always leads to me quitting the gym for several months, so I have GOT to find some exercise variety--and soon.
5. I am currently in the middle of a diet battle: Weight Watchers (which always works for me) vs. My Trainer, who thinks I should eat nothing but salmon, egg whites, protein shakes and broccoli. (WW, in case you are unfamiliar with it, is a low fat, low calorie, high fiber diet that doesn't give a rat's ass how much protein you eat. In fact, it can be difficult to eat a lot of protein on WW.)
6. WW kind of sucks if you like to cook, because it's difficult to know how well you are doing. WW is the perfect diet for someone who hates to cook -- it's super easy to do if you eat nothing but sandwiches and pre-made meals. I get tired of eating like that, and I love to cook, so sticking to WW has been hard lately. Especially when my trainer is pushing me to eat more meat, which is difficult to do on WW.
7. My trainer's diet sucks because it assumes the following:
A) I crave meat. Lots and lots of meat. In reality, I rarely crave meat at all.
B) I have an unlimited food budget -- hello! Salmon and protein powder are uber-expensive!!! C) I love eggs for breakfast and have gobs of time to cook them in the morning -- NOT! I don't even like eggs that much!
D) Protein shakes will take the place of meals for me. Yeah, right. Keep dreaming, buddy. It's just a fancier version of milk, as far as my appetite is concerned.
E) I have no concern for mercury poisoning from all of the salmon, tuna and other seafoods he's telling me to eat by the pound.
The Ugly:
I. Have. Not. Lost. A. Pound. (And yes, the optimists reading this are saying, "But you haven't gained! That's good!" To which I reply, "Thanks, but if you saw the SAME number on the scale EVERY week, after killing yourself at the gym, you'd be pretty annoyed, too.") I am not doing this for my health! Well, ok, yeah, I guess I am, but what I really want is to fit into my clothes! And lose this dumb belly pooch!! Aaaarrrgh.
This is really REALLY killing my motivation at this point. I will be the first to admit that I'm not the best at dieting, but I have been making a lot of progress: I have majorly cut back on my sugar intake and I limit my bad foods to the weekends -- I usually have about one or two "bad" things every weekend, which usually means dessert. I don't remember the last time I ate something fried. I have been eating more salads. I don't have a single full-fat dairy product in the house. I snack on fruit. I eat whole grains. I even stopped buying ice cream.
Yadda yadda.
Every time I step on the scale, and it shows the SAME stupid number it always does, I lose a little motivation. So after three months of it, I am rapidly approaching the "I just don't give a shit anymore" stage. Especially for the last 2 weeks. The word "frustrated" doesn't even begin to explain how I feel lately. I am thisclose to just completely throwing in the towel, and resigning myself to remaining overweight for the rest of my life.
It sure would help if I had some overweight friends. They are all skinny. (You'd think it would rub off on me, but it doesn't.) So I don't even have anyone to commiserate with. My fat ass and I stand alone. Argh.
I don't know if it's because I'm getting older and my metabolism has slowed to a snail's pace. Or if it's because I have illusions of grandeur when it comes to how well I'm doing in the diet/exercise department. I read an article the other day that said you cannot diet OR exercise. You have to do both to lose weight and keep it off.
I wouldn't mind turning into a total gym rat, because when it comes down to it, I enjoy exercising. But I refuse to be one of those diet robots like my mom, whose diet consists of a grand total of 5 foods, and she's starving all the time. I enjoy food, I always will. I'm not going to be one of those "salad with the fat free dressing on the side, please" women. That's not me. It never will be, because living like that would make me miserable. Being thin just isn't worth that to me.
To sum up:
My motivation is in the shitter. I am feeling hopeless at this point.
My budget is all screwed up, thanks to the expense of hiring a trainer and buying his trainer-approved foods. Which have yet to help me lose weight.
And my waistline is all screwed up, thanks to my average-at-best self control when it comes to food. And lack of cravings for anything outside of the Carb Family.
But I can beat you to a bloody pulp, so go leave me some kind, supportive and motivating comments right now. Do it! Or I will kick your ass!!!
Thanks for letting me bitch and whine. I think I'm just mad at myself for going to Wendy's yesterday and getting a frosty. I'm sure I'll be full of optimism tomorrow.
The Good:
1. I can run 2 miles straight, without stopping. Sometimes I can even run faster than 5mph. (Shut up, I am a slow runner.)
2. I can do push-ups on my toes. About 12. Before, I could only do one.
3. CN makes comments about my "man arms" now, since my arms are bigger than his. Not that this was a major feat -- he's built like a 12 year old. But really, my arms don't even flap in the breeze much at all anymore. WOOT
4. Everything on my whole body is generally firmer and less jiggly. I have even noticed a difference in the amount of cellulite. CN has noticed my slightly firmer butt, too. YESSSS
5. I have gone up in all of my weights. In some cases, I have made huge jumps in my strength training.
6. My posture is better.
7. I have crazy energy and stamina now. And I sleep like a rock.
8. Warmer weather means I will want to go for lots of outside runs and eat more fruits and veggies -- warm weather makes me want lighter foods and more exercise, for some reason.
9. I have been going to the gym at LEAST 3 times a week, every week. Sometimes, as much as 5 or 6 times. This is far, far better than last fall, when I was going zero times. LOL
The Bad:
1. Not doing so hot on the diet front. I have good days....and I have bad days. Usually, the weekends are where I screw up.
2. While I am buying a higher percentage of healthy foods (hello, produce department!) and far fewer sweets, my portion control needs some work. And if something yummy happens to enter my house? Forget it -- I'll eat the whole thing in 2 days. There was a bad incident last week concerning some animal crackers....oops.
3. I am so starving after I work out that I basically eat all the calories I just burned off! Yeah, a lot of good that does!
4. I have been going to the gym about 4-5 times a week, which is great. But it's starting to feel like a job. I feel like I live there. Which pretty much zaps all the fun out of it. This always leads to me quitting the gym for several months, so I have GOT to find some exercise variety--and soon.
5. I am currently in the middle of a diet battle: Weight Watchers (which always works for me) vs. My Trainer, who thinks I should eat nothing but salmon, egg whites, protein shakes and broccoli. (WW, in case you are unfamiliar with it, is a low fat, low calorie, high fiber diet that doesn't give a rat's ass how much protein you eat. In fact, it can be difficult to eat a lot of protein on WW.)
6. WW kind of sucks if you like to cook, because it's difficult to know how well you are doing. WW is the perfect diet for someone who hates to cook -- it's super easy to do if you eat nothing but sandwiches and pre-made meals. I get tired of eating like that, and I love to cook, so sticking to WW has been hard lately. Especially when my trainer is pushing me to eat more meat, which is difficult to do on WW.
7. My trainer's diet sucks because it assumes the following:
A) I crave meat. Lots and lots of meat. In reality, I rarely crave meat at all.
B) I have an unlimited food budget -- hello! Salmon and protein powder are uber-expensive!!! C) I love eggs for breakfast and have gobs of time to cook them in the morning -- NOT! I don't even like eggs that much!
D) Protein shakes will take the place of meals for me. Yeah, right. Keep dreaming, buddy. It's just a fancier version of milk, as far as my appetite is concerned.
E) I have no concern for mercury poisoning from all of the salmon, tuna and other seafoods he's telling me to eat by the pound.
The Ugly:
I. Have. Not. Lost. A. Pound. (And yes, the optimists reading this are saying, "But you haven't gained! That's good!" To which I reply, "Thanks, but if you saw the SAME number on the scale EVERY week, after killing yourself at the gym, you'd be pretty annoyed, too.") I am not doing this for my health! Well, ok, yeah, I guess I am, but what I really want is to fit into my clothes! And lose this dumb belly pooch!! Aaaarrrgh.
This is really REALLY killing my motivation at this point. I will be the first to admit that I'm not the best at dieting, but I have been making a lot of progress: I have majorly cut back on my sugar intake and I limit my bad foods to the weekends -- I usually have about one or two "bad" things every weekend, which usually means dessert. I don't remember the last time I ate something fried. I have been eating more salads. I don't have a single full-fat dairy product in the house. I snack on fruit. I eat whole grains. I even stopped buying ice cream.
Yadda yadda.
Every time I step on the scale, and it shows the SAME stupid number it always does, I lose a little motivation. So after three months of it, I am rapidly approaching the "I just don't give a shit anymore" stage. Especially for the last 2 weeks. The word "frustrated" doesn't even begin to explain how I feel lately. I am thisclose to just completely throwing in the towel, and resigning myself to remaining overweight for the rest of my life.
It sure would help if I had some overweight friends. They are all skinny. (You'd think it would rub off on me, but it doesn't.) So I don't even have anyone to commiserate with. My fat ass and I stand alone. Argh.
I don't know if it's because I'm getting older and my metabolism has slowed to a snail's pace. Or if it's because I have illusions of grandeur when it comes to how well I'm doing in the diet/exercise department. I read an article the other day that said you cannot diet OR exercise. You have to do both to lose weight and keep it off.
I wouldn't mind turning into a total gym rat, because when it comes down to it, I enjoy exercising. But I refuse to be one of those diet robots like my mom, whose diet consists of a grand total of 5 foods, and she's starving all the time. I enjoy food, I always will. I'm not going to be one of those "salad with the fat free dressing on the side, please" women. That's not me. It never will be, because living like that would make me miserable. Being thin just isn't worth that to me.
To sum up:
My motivation is in the shitter. I am feeling hopeless at this point.
My budget is all screwed up, thanks to the expense of hiring a trainer and buying his trainer-approved foods. Which have yet to help me lose weight.
And my waistline is all screwed up, thanks to my average-at-best self control when it comes to food. And lack of cravings for anything outside of the Carb Family.
But I can beat you to a bloody pulp, so go leave me some kind, supportive and motivating comments right now. Do it! Or I will kick your ass!!!
Thanks for letting me bitch and whine. I think I'm just mad at myself for going to Wendy's yesterday and getting a frosty. I'm sure I'll be full of optimism tomorrow.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Another Fun Friday
Ok, I have been saving up for this one. (I've been having a hard time finding FF stuff lately...)
How awesome is this blog??? Gotta love analytical people with a sense of humor. And I love that you can buy the tshirts. All the Boolean logic and Venn diagrams appeal to the librarian in me. And unless you're a librarian, you might be lost right now. Venn diagrams are something that librarians geek out on. I can totally explain them to you. No? Fine, suit yourself.
And for the record, I understand everything in the Boolean entry linked just now. Everything. It's crystal clear to me. As long as you take all the numbers out.
Do you remember typewriters? Cameras with flash bulbs that would burn out? How about floppy disks that were actually floppy? Or car phones? Have you ever wondered when things we use now will be only a distant memory? (I personally think compact discs are soon to be on the chopping block.) The Extinction Timeline predicts when things will become obsolete in our society. Tip: To get a better view of the graph image, you need to click on it. (My boss sent it to me because it predicts that libraries will be obsolete in the next 20 years. WTF?! As if!)
CN had a job interview on Wednesday. I sent him this Tony Little/Geico video, because it cracks me up, and I'm always yelling, "You can dooooowit!!!!!" So all week, I have been telling him the he can "doooowit!"
I found this website, Married to the Sea, through Toothpaste for Dinner. Both are great websites full of wacky comics. Some of them leave me scratching my head, but some of them leave me in stitches. Enjoy!
Have a great weekend, everyone! Happy Easter!
How awesome is this blog??? Gotta love analytical people with a sense of humor. And I love that you can buy the tshirts. All the Boolean logic and Venn diagrams appeal to the librarian in me. And unless you're a librarian, you might be lost right now. Venn diagrams are something that librarians geek out on. I can totally explain them to you. No? Fine, suit yourself.
And for the record, I understand everything in the Boolean entry linked just now. Everything. It's crystal clear to me. As long as you take all the numbers out.
Do you remember typewriters? Cameras with flash bulbs that would burn out? How about floppy disks that were actually floppy? Or car phones? Have you ever wondered when things we use now will be only a distant memory? (I personally think compact discs are soon to be on the chopping block.) The Extinction Timeline predicts when things will become obsolete in our society. Tip: To get a better view of the graph image, you need to click on it. (My boss sent it to me because it predicts that libraries will be obsolete in the next 20 years. WTF?! As if!)
CN had a job interview on Wednesday. I sent him this Tony Little/Geico video, because it cracks me up, and I'm always yelling, "You can dooooowit!!!!!" So all week, I have been telling him the he can "doooowit!"
I found this website, Married to the Sea, through Toothpaste for Dinner. Both are great websites full of wacky comics. Some of them leave me scratching my head, but some of them leave me in stitches. Enjoy!
Have a great weekend, everyone! Happy Easter!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Mr. Safety
If you were to hang out with my boyfriend for a day, you would know why I call him "Mr. Safety". I have to say, I tease him about his overly-cautious lifestyle quite a bit.
Some of his own self-imposed rules include:
1. All doors shall remain locked at all times, unless you are going in or out of them. Once the passage is complete, any and all locks shall be re-locked. The same goes for windows, cars, sliding doors, gates and anything else with a lock on it. (I, on the other hand, have been known to make a "quick run" to the grocery store and leave my entire house wide open, including the front door, sometimes literally.)
2. All foods, unless individually wrapped or sealed, must be stored in the refrigerator. A "use by" date is just that. After the Constitution, this is the highest law of the land. Anything not consumed or used by then will automatically be thrown away. Anything without a "use by date" -- for example, homemade foods or restaurant takeout -- shall be thrown away in a 24-48 hour period. (I, on the other hand, have been known to say, "Food poisoning, schmood poisoning!" as I scrape the mold off of the strawberry jam and spread it onto the restaurant roll I've had for a week.)
Our differences in opinion on this topic came to a head one day, when I pointed out that sour cream cannot get any more sour, and therefore, the "use by" dates on the cartons are simply a conspiracy cooked up by dairy farmers in order to get us to buy more sour cream. (Yeah, I won that battle!)
3. Anyone who does not follow all traffic laws at all times and in all conditions is deemed an "asshole" and "law breaker". This includes: speed limits, turn signals, the wearing of seat belts, obeying "no right on red" signs, merging politely, stopping at yellow lights and proper use of headlights. I don't think it's any surprise that I have fallen into the "asshole" category many times, according to Mr. Safety.
In my defense, that stupid "no right on red" sign by our house is absurd, since one can clearly see if there's any oncoming traffic. And at some intersections here in town, if you don't turn left on a yellow light, you will be sitting at that intersection, trying to turn left, until you die.
4. Hand-washing or the use of hand sanitizer is obligatory in any of the following situations: everything. I, on the other hand, only think about washing my hands when I'm in a bathroom. (I like to think that the constant exposure to my own germy hands strengthens my immune system, and since Mr. Safety gets sick all the time whereas I never seem to catch anything but a cold, I rest my case.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So you can imagine my surprise about a week ago, when he came over to my house. We had talked about grabbing some dinner and going shopping, so when I opened my door, I asked him if he was ready to go grab some food.
"Yeah, but I've gotta take a shower," he replied.
"Ok, well, you can come in for a sec. I'm sure you don't stink too much."
"No, I've been doing yard work all afternoon," he explained. He held up his hands -- they were black as soot. He pointed to his shoes -- they were covered in dirt.
"Oh. Ok, yeah, please, just stay outside. You're filthy. Are you starving? I was thinking we could shop first and then get dinner," I said.
"Nah, I'm ok for right now. I had a snack," he replied.
"Yeah? What'd you have?" I asked.
"Oh, just some wild onions that were growing in my yard."
*Thirty second silence as I stare at him and blink.*
"I'm sorry," I said, "did you say 'wild onions'?"
"Yeah. You know, the ones that always grow in your yard. The little white ones, with the long green stems," he explained.
"I know what you mean. Just trying to clarify.........So, you got them from your backyard?"
"Yes."
"The same backyard that Sammy pees in when I bring him over?" I asked.
"Oh. I didn't think about that...." he trailed off.
"You eating anything else back there? Wild tomatoes? Wild carrots? I mean, maybe we could have a Wild Salad for dinner," I said, sarcastically.
"No, nothing else. Just the wild onions."
"Um.........ew, babe. Seriously, who does that? Tell me you at least washed the dirt off before you ate them," I said.
"Nah. Just sort of brushed the dirt off of them," he replied. Seeing the look on my face, he continued, "They're from the ground! They are natural! It's from the earth!"
"Well, so is Sammy's poop, but you don't go around munching away on it! Besides! Hello! Pesticides! This, from the man who won't eat restaurant leftovers???" I exclaimed, utterly confused.
"Well, I was covered in dirt, so I didn't want to go inside to get something, and I was hungry, and they were there, and they smelled good, so..." he tried to explain.
"Wait wait wait. So, you were hungry, and you thought, 'Hmmm. What would be a good snack? I know! Onions! Raw, wild onions!' ?" I said, laughing hysterically at this point.
He was growing indignant and defensive at this point, so I let it go after one final question:
"Tell me the neighbors didn't see you doing this," I said pleadingly.
"No, they didn't. But I do have onion breath."
Mr. Safety, indeed.
Some of his own self-imposed rules include:
1. All doors shall remain locked at all times, unless you are going in or out of them. Once the passage is complete, any and all locks shall be re-locked. The same goes for windows, cars, sliding doors, gates and anything else with a lock on it. (I, on the other hand, have been known to make a "quick run" to the grocery store and leave my entire house wide open, including the front door, sometimes literally.)
2. All foods, unless individually wrapped or sealed, must be stored in the refrigerator. A "use by" date is just that. After the Constitution, this is the highest law of the land. Anything not consumed or used by then will automatically be thrown away. Anything without a "use by date" -- for example, homemade foods or restaurant takeout -- shall be thrown away in a 24-48 hour period. (I, on the other hand, have been known to say, "Food poisoning, schmood poisoning!" as I scrape the mold off of the strawberry jam and spread it onto the restaurant roll I've had for a week.)
Our differences in opinion on this topic came to a head one day, when I pointed out that sour cream cannot get any more sour, and therefore, the "use by" dates on the cartons are simply a conspiracy cooked up by dairy farmers in order to get us to buy more sour cream. (Yeah, I won that battle!)
3. Anyone who does not follow all traffic laws at all times and in all conditions is deemed an "asshole" and "law breaker". This includes: speed limits, turn signals, the wearing of seat belts, obeying "no right on red" signs, merging politely, stopping at yellow lights and proper use of headlights. I don't think it's any surprise that I have fallen into the "asshole" category many times, according to Mr. Safety.
In my defense, that stupid "no right on red" sign by our house is absurd, since one can clearly see if there's any oncoming traffic. And at some intersections here in town, if you don't turn left on a yellow light, you will be sitting at that intersection, trying to turn left, until you die.
4. Hand-washing or the use of hand sanitizer is obligatory in any of the following situations: everything. I, on the other hand, only think about washing my hands when I'm in a bathroom. (I like to think that the constant exposure to my own germy hands strengthens my immune system, and since Mr. Safety gets sick all the time whereas I never seem to catch anything but a cold, I rest my case.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So you can imagine my surprise about a week ago, when he came over to my house. We had talked about grabbing some dinner and going shopping, so when I opened my door, I asked him if he was ready to go grab some food.
"Yeah, but I've gotta take a shower," he replied.
"Ok, well, you can come in for a sec. I'm sure you don't stink too much."
"No, I've been doing yard work all afternoon," he explained. He held up his hands -- they were black as soot. He pointed to his shoes -- they were covered in dirt.
"Oh. Ok, yeah, please, just stay outside. You're filthy. Are you starving? I was thinking we could shop first and then get dinner," I said.
"Nah, I'm ok for right now. I had a snack," he replied.
"Yeah? What'd you have?" I asked.
"Oh, just some wild onions that were growing in my yard."
*Thirty second silence as I stare at him and blink.*
"I'm sorry," I said, "did you say 'wild onions'?"
"Yeah. You know, the ones that always grow in your yard. The little white ones, with the long green stems," he explained.
"I know what you mean. Just trying to clarify.........So, you got them from your backyard?"
"Yes."
"The same backyard that Sammy pees in when I bring him over?" I asked.
"Oh. I didn't think about that...." he trailed off.
"You eating anything else back there? Wild tomatoes? Wild carrots? I mean, maybe we could have a Wild Salad for dinner," I said, sarcastically.
"No, nothing else. Just the wild onions."
"Um.........ew, babe. Seriously, who does that? Tell me you at least washed the dirt off before you ate them," I said.
"Nah. Just sort of brushed the dirt off of them," he replied. Seeing the look on my face, he continued, "They're from the ground! They are natural! It's from the earth!"
"Well, so is Sammy's poop, but you don't go around munching away on it! Besides! Hello! Pesticides! This, from the man who won't eat restaurant leftovers???" I exclaimed, utterly confused.
"Well, I was covered in dirt, so I didn't want to go inside to get something, and I was hungry, and they were there, and they smelled good, so..." he tried to explain.
"Wait wait wait. So, you were hungry, and you thought, 'Hmmm. What would be a good snack? I know! Onions! Raw, wild onions!' ?" I said, laughing hysterically at this point.
He was growing indignant and defensive at this point, so I let it go after one final question:
"Tell me the neighbors didn't see you doing this," I said pleadingly.
"No, they didn't. But I do have onion breath."
Mr. Safety, indeed.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Ironic Ending
Thank you, everyone, for all the nice comments on the last post. CN was bummed about his cousin. On Thursday night, he asked me to come over, because he didn't feel well. He had a fever and was dizzy and his tummy was upset. He told me he had just called his mom to tell her that he would not be able to go to Alabama for the funeral because he was sick. I pointed out that whenever he gets stressed out, he feels sick, and that he would probably feel fine in the morning. But he was convinced he was sick, so he stuck to his guns.
The next morning, he felt fine. But it was too late -- his mom had already left for Alabama. I had to bite my tongue in order to stop myself from saying, "I told you so!" He's so funny -- whenever he's stressed out, his body just reacts like that -- he just gets sick for one day. It's very odd. Anyway, he felt really badly about not going to the funeral, but I told him everyone would understand.
So he and I ended up hanging out most of the weekend. Nothing really exciting, just the usual: errands, the gym, watching tv, lunch with MJ, yardwork...wow, we are an exciting couple, huh??
I have to say, the real highlight of my weekend was last night. I had coffee with Repo's ex, the girl he cheated on. With me. Yeah, file that under "Things I Never Thought Would Happen".
It all started last week, when I got an email from her on myspace. She apologized to me for everything that happened and wanted to meet for coffee. You could have knocked me over with a feather! I don't think I would've been more shocked if Princess Diana emailed me!
I thought this was very big of her, and I realized it probably took a lot of guts, so I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and agree to meet her for coffee. More than anything, I was curious to see what she had to say.
All weekend, I had my doubts. What if she was going to beat me up? What if I showed up, and Repo was with her? What if she is working as a double agent for Repo? What if she's just a huge bitch? Why is she doing this???
For those of you who may not know, ever since all the crap went down over a year ago, and I found out I was the "other woman", Repo has been making my life hell -- he has stalked me online, harassed me, left me mean comments and emails, and even tried to break me and CN apart (I won't go into details here). Repo is the main reason this blog is private. And every time I run into Repo, he retaliates. So to make a long story short, I almost live in fear of Repo, because he will stop at nothing to harass me, and I'm tired of it. So yesterday, I was a little worried that I would be inviting all of this crap back into my life.
By the time I got to Starbuck's, the last thing I needed was coffee! I was a bundle of nerves. I got in line and made my order. That's when I heard a tiny voice behind me:
"Virginia?"
I turned around to find a tiny, young girl. My first thought was that she's much prettier in person. And she smelled really good. (Is that a weird thing to say? I dunno.)
"Barbie?" I replied. (Not her real name -- I'll explain in a sec.)
We said hello, and then she proceeded to buy my coffee for me. I thought this was a nice gesture, and thanked her, but it didn't really break the ice. We had about 5 minutes of a very awkward silence as we waited on our coffees.
We grabbed a table and started off with small talk. She told me how the last time she came to Starbuck's, the girl thought her name was Barbie, and we had a good laugh, because her name sounds nothing like "Barbie". We talked about our jobs, our families, our friends and how we have both considered moving away from Columbia at certain points.
I began to relax and realize that she didn't have an agenda. She was not hostile or bitter or bitchy. She was just a naive 23 year old, recent college grad, trying to figure out life after college.
To say I could relate is an understatement. I was sitting across a small table from a 23 year old version of myself. Then, I saw that her hands were shaking, and I have to say, that kind of made my heart melt -- this girl was terrified of me! Of ME! It was so preposterous, I almost laughed about it. All this time, I was worried that she was going to rag me out for "ruining" her relationship with her boyfriend! Or show up with a posse of her friends to beat me up!
After we got to know each other a little bit, she finally opened up to me and gave me the dirt on the good stuff: what happened on her end of things when all the shit hit the fan. It turns out that she and Repo just broke up -- for good, this time -- only a week ago. She wanted to apologize to me about how he behaved and for not believing me when I tried to tell her what was going on. She said that she finally sees him for what he really is and can't believe how stupid she was.
I told her that she's not the first girl he's done this to, and then I proceeded to list off all the crap Repo had put me through, both during and after our relationship. She lit up like a firefly -- she had no idea he was like this to all girls. She thought that it was just her, and I could see the relief on her face. After that, we just compared notes and kept saying, "You too?!" -- because he made us both feel the same way during our relationships, and he did the same things to both of us. She even caught MRSA from him, just like I did.
Then we analyzed his behavior and his life, trying to figure out why he behaves the way he does. She thinks he's bi-polar, and I think he's got some serious narcissism going on. She also told me that his health is not very good -- he's gained a lot of weight, and he sleeps too much and eats nothing but fast food. She said he's been really down lately. We agreed that he had no one to blame but himself, because all he does is hurt people who care about him.
She informed me that he still goes to my gym (CRAP!) and told me he has a new car. She described it to me so that I can keep my eyes peeled. I informed her that assholes like this only make you appreciate the nice guys who do eventually come along -- she's pretty bitter and cynical about love right now, to say the least. I told her that having CN makes it all worthwhile in the end, and that everything is going to be ok. (She is still upset about the break-up. She had tears in her eyes when she was listing all the mean things Repo did to her. So I have to admit, I felt pretty sympathetic towards her. Poor thing.)
I also told her to hold on to her hat, because Repo is probably about to start harassing the bejeezus out of her. She said he'd already started. Oh dear. "No, it's ok, really. This is just karma, getting me. I have had this coming for a long time." -- This launched us into a big discussion about karma and ex-boyfriends, of course.
FOUR hours later, she and I were STILL talking. And I have to admit, I really like her! She's funny and independent and gutsy. It took a lot for her to approach me and apologize to me. She just wanted to make things right, and that meant a lot to me. Of course, now I feel badly about all the things I said about her, but she told me the same thing, so it's all water under the bridge.
You're not going to believe this, but I think I just made a new girlfriend! She even invited me to go shopping with her in Charlotte in a couple of weeks-- I think I will take her up on it. And apparently, we share more than the same taste in ex-boyfriends -- right before we parted, we realized we were wearing the same shoes.
I don't really know how to explain the emotions I am feeling about all of this. Have you ever gone to a funeral and met up with a long-lost relative or friend? It kind of felt like that. Your gut instinct is to be all happy and excited to talk to a nice person, but under the circumstances, you don't really feel like it's appropriate, because the situation that brought you together is sad and serious. And you feel kind of weird talking about anything other than that serious topic.
It was very surreal...but good. I feel really good about all of it.
The next morning, he felt fine. But it was too late -- his mom had already left for Alabama. I had to bite my tongue in order to stop myself from saying, "I told you so!" He's so funny -- whenever he's stressed out, his body just reacts like that -- he just gets sick for one day. It's very odd. Anyway, he felt really badly about not going to the funeral, but I told him everyone would understand.
So he and I ended up hanging out most of the weekend. Nothing really exciting, just the usual: errands, the gym, watching tv, lunch with MJ, yardwork...wow, we are an exciting couple, huh??
I have to say, the real highlight of my weekend was last night. I had coffee with Repo's ex, the girl he cheated on. With me. Yeah, file that under "Things I Never Thought Would Happen".
It all started last week, when I got an email from her on myspace. She apologized to me for everything that happened and wanted to meet for coffee. You could have knocked me over with a feather! I don't think I would've been more shocked if Princess Diana emailed me!
I thought this was very big of her, and I realized it probably took a lot of guts, so I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and agree to meet her for coffee. More than anything, I was curious to see what she had to say.
All weekend, I had my doubts. What if she was going to beat me up? What if I showed up, and Repo was with her? What if she is working as a double agent for Repo? What if she's just a huge bitch? Why is she doing this???
For those of you who may not know, ever since all the crap went down over a year ago, and I found out I was the "other woman", Repo has been making my life hell -- he has stalked me online, harassed me, left me mean comments and emails, and even tried to break me and CN apart (I won't go into details here). Repo is the main reason this blog is private. And every time I run into Repo, he retaliates. So to make a long story short, I almost live in fear of Repo, because he will stop at nothing to harass me, and I'm tired of it. So yesterday, I was a little worried that I would be inviting all of this crap back into my life.
By the time I got to Starbuck's, the last thing I needed was coffee! I was a bundle of nerves. I got in line and made my order. That's when I heard a tiny voice behind me:
"Virginia?"
I turned around to find a tiny, young girl. My first thought was that she's much prettier in person. And she smelled really good. (Is that a weird thing to say? I dunno.)
"Barbie?" I replied. (Not her real name -- I'll explain in a sec.)
We said hello, and then she proceeded to buy my coffee for me. I thought this was a nice gesture, and thanked her, but it didn't really break the ice. We had about 5 minutes of a very awkward silence as we waited on our coffees.
We grabbed a table and started off with small talk. She told me how the last time she came to Starbuck's, the girl thought her name was Barbie, and we had a good laugh, because her name sounds nothing like "Barbie". We talked about our jobs, our families, our friends and how we have both considered moving away from Columbia at certain points.
I began to relax and realize that she didn't have an agenda. She was not hostile or bitter or bitchy. She was just a naive 23 year old, recent college grad, trying to figure out life after college.
To say I could relate is an understatement. I was sitting across a small table from a 23 year old version of myself. Then, I saw that her hands were shaking, and I have to say, that kind of made my heart melt -- this girl was terrified of me! Of ME! It was so preposterous, I almost laughed about it. All this time, I was worried that she was going to rag me out for "ruining" her relationship with her boyfriend! Or show up with a posse of her friends to beat me up!
After we got to know each other a little bit, she finally opened up to me and gave me the dirt on the good stuff: what happened on her end of things when all the shit hit the fan. It turns out that she and Repo just broke up -- for good, this time -- only a week ago. She wanted to apologize to me about how he behaved and for not believing me when I tried to tell her what was going on. She said that she finally sees him for what he really is and can't believe how stupid she was.
I told her that she's not the first girl he's done this to, and then I proceeded to list off all the crap Repo had put me through, both during and after our relationship. She lit up like a firefly -- she had no idea he was like this to all girls. She thought that it was just her, and I could see the relief on her face. After that, we just compared notes and kept saying, "You too?!" -- because he made us both feel the same way during our relationships, and he did the same things to both of us. She even caught MRSA from him, just like I did.
Then we analyzed his behavior and his life, trying to figure out why he behaves the way he does. She thinks he's bi-polar, and I think he's got some serious narcissism going on. She also told me that his health is not very good -- he's gained a lot of weight, and he sleeps too much and eats nothing but fast food. She said he's been really down lately. We agreed that he had no one to blame but himself, because all he does is hurt people who care about him.
She informed me that he still goes to my gym (CRAP!) and told me he has a new car. She described it to me so that I can keep my eyes peeled. I informed her that assholes like this only make you appreciate the nice guys who do eventually come along -- she's pretty bitter and cynical about love right now, to say the least. I told her that having CN makes it all worthwhile in the end, and that everything is going to be ok. (She is still upset about the break-up. She had tears in her eyes when she was listing all the mean things Repo did to her. So I have to admit, I felt pretty sympathetic towards her. Poor thing.)
I also told her to hold on to her hat, because Repo is probably about to start harassing the bejeezus out of her. She said he'd already started. Oh dear. "No, it's ok, really. This is just karma, getting me. I have had this coming for a long time." -- This launched us into a big discussion about karma and ex-boyfriends, of course.
FOUR hours later, she and I were STILL talking. And I have to admit, I really like her! She's funny and independent and gutsy. It took a lot for her to approach me and apologize to me. She just wanted to make things right, and that meant a lot to me. Of course, now I feel badly about all the things I said about her, but she told me the same thing, so it's all water under the bridge.
You're not going to believe this, but I think I just made a new girlfriend! She even invited me to go shopping with her in Charlotte in a couple of weeks-- I think I will take her up on it. And apparently, we share more than the same taste in ex-boyfriends -- right before we parted, we realized we were wearing the same shoes.
I don't really know how to explain the emotions I am feeling about all of this. Have you ever gone to a funeral and met up with a long-lost relative or friend? It kind of felt like that. Your gut instinct is to be all happy and excited to talk to a nice person, but under the circumstances, you don't really feel like it's appropriate, because the situation that brought you together is sad and serious. And you feel kind of weird talking about anything other than that serious topic.
It was very surreal...but good. I feel really good about all of it.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Thirteen is the Loneliest Number
One of CN's cousins passed away yesterday. :( He was about my age. The autopsy results are still pending, but it looks like it was similar to what happened to Heath Ledger. I guess he had the flu and took a whole bunch of stuff. CN will leave tomorrow (Friday) morning for the funeral in Alabama (that's where his mother's family is from) and won't be back until Sunday. I haven't talked to CN about it a whole lot, because you know, sometimes people don't want to talk about stuff like that. But he did say he's bummed about it. So I made him some cookies to cheer him up.
Meanwhile, MJ's battening down the hatches in preparation for her mother's visit. So she will be tied up with that this weekend.
KT has moved to New York state, so she is gone now.
That leaves me on my own this weekend. So let's think of some fun/productive ways to spend the Weekend of Me.
1. Clean my house! Ugh, it has been gravely neglected.
2. Organize papers, finances, recipes, photographs, etc.
3. Paint my coffee table (a pale, metallic blue color), which I have been meaning to do since JULY.
4. Hang my curtains (lightweight, sheer white cotton) -- another project left over from July's major house decorating binge with The Czarina. She cannot believe I haven't finished these projects, but I tell her that she is my muse and inspiration and I lose all passion when she is not near. *snort!* But seriously, she gets me all excited about decorating, but when she leaves, it's like the air is let out of a balloon. Or whatever. You know what I mean. She makes it sound fun.
5. Speaking of home decorating, CN has gotten me hooked on this home makeover show called Clean House. Have you seen it? It's kind of cheesy, but somehow, I am addicted. I love the hostess, Niecy! I just saw this one episode where they re-did this woman's bedroom. They painted the walls this color (only slightly more purple-y) and then everything else -- and I mean everything else -- was white. It looked amazing. I can't wait to watch more episodes this weekend!
6. That reminds me....I have almost 2 weeks' worth of stuff on my DVR to watch....
7. And a Netflix movie to watch. It's a horror movie...I think it's about a girl who is possessed by the devil...I can't remember. And no, it's not The Exorcist.
8. Sammy needs a bath, BIG time. And a thorough brushing of the teeth. His breath could stun an ox right now. I'm not kidding. He woke me out of a dead sleep the other day. It is truly heinous.
9. My backyard? Totally disgusting. Weeds, pine straw strewn everywhere... not to mention untold amounts of dog poop. I am currently in denial about the abysmal state of my back yard. I really should get to that this weekend at some point. Shoot....E has my gardening gloves....note to self........
10. There is an IU game on this weekend, too. (Like how I keep coming up with excuses to watch tv? LOL) I should kill two birds with one stone and watch it while I run on a treadmill at the gym. On an unrelated note, I kicked ASS at the gym on Monday -- 2.5 miles of running, sometimes getting as fast as 6.5 mph!!! Go me! Oh, and that was after my hour-long weight lifting class. I paid for it with a quarter-sized blister on each foot. Ouch!
11. Finish reading the books I checked out about The Bahamas!!! 34 days until the cruise...we got our tickets in the mail this week! Woo Hoo!!
12. My friend Super and I have been talking about having a doggy play date. She has a Jack Russell terrier. I should give her a call. She and I have never really hung out on our own before.
13. Go for coffee with Repo's (now) ex-girlfriend. Yup. You read that correctly...Is your jaw dropping? Because it should be. If you need the back story because you're lost or have fuzzy recollections about all the old drama, look at my post from 2/1/07.
Tee hee, aren't I mean for not divulging juicy details? Ha ha!
Meanwhile, MJ's battening down the hatches in preparation for her mother's visit. So she will be tied up with that this weekend.
KT has moved to New York state, so she is gone now.
That leaves me on my own this weekend. So let's think of some fun/productive ways to spend the Weekend of Me.
Thirteen Things to Do Alone This Weekend
1. Clean my house! Ugh, it has been gravely neglected.
2. Organize papers, finances, recipes, photographs, etc.
3. Paint my coffee table (a pale, metallic blue color), which I have been meaning to do since JULY.
4. Hang my curtains (lightweight, sheer white cotton) -- another project left over from July's major house decorating binge with The Czarina. She cannot believe I haven't finished these projects, but I tell her that she is my muse and inspiration and I lose all passion when she is not near. *snort!* But seriously, she gets me all excited about decorating, but when she leaves, it's like the air is let out of a balloon. Or whatever. You know what I mean. She makes it sound fun.
5. Speaking of home decorating, CN has gotten me hooked on this home makeover show called Clean House. Have you seen it? It's kind of cheesy, but somehow, I am addicted. I love the hostess, Niecy! I just saw this one episode where they re-did this woman's bedroom. They painted the walls this color (only slightly more purple-y) and then everything else -- and I mean everything else -- was white. It looked amazing. I can't wait to watch more episodes this weekend!
6. That reminds me....I have almost 2 weeks' worth of stuff on my DVR to watch....
7. And a Netflix movie to watch. It's a horror movie...I think it's about a girl who is possessed by the devil...I can't remember. And no, it's not The Exorcist.
8. Sammy needs a bath, BIG time. And a thorough brushing of the teeth. His breath could stun an ox right now. I'm not kidding. He woke me out of a dead sleep the other day. It is truly heinous.
9. My backyard? Totally disgusting. Weeds, pine straw strewn everywhere... not to mention untold amounts of dog poop. I am currently in denial about the abysmal state of my back yard. I really should get to that this weekend at some point. Shoot....E has my gardening gloves....note to self........
10. There is an IU game on this weekend, too. (Like how I keep coming up with excuses to watch tv? LOL) I should kill two birds with one stone and watch it while I run on a treadmill at the gym. On an unrelated note, I kicked ASS at the gym on Monday -- 2.5 miles of running, sometimes getting as fast as 6.5 mph!!! Go me! Oh, and that was after my hour-long weight lifting class. I paid for it with a quarter-sized blister on each foot. Ouch!
11. Finish reading the books I checked out about The Bahamas!!! 34 days until the cruise...we got our tickets in the mail this week! Woo Hoo!!
12. My friend Super and I have been talking about having a doggy play date. She has a Jack Russell terrier. I should give her a call. She and I have never really hung out on our own before.
13. Go for coffee with Repo's (now) ex-girlfriend. Yup. You read that correctly...Is your jaw dropping? Because it should be. If you need the back story because you're lost or have fuzzy recollections about all the old drama, look at my post from 2/1/07.
Tee hee, aren't I mean for not divulging juicy details? Ha ha!
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Tuesday 13
Thirteen Things My Boyfriend Cannot or Will Not Do
1. Swim -- I am not kidding. He'd drop like a block of cement. He can't even float or do the doggy-paddle. When we go on the cruise, I'm going to make him wear Water Wings.
2. Turn left -- Yup, just like Zoolander. He wanted to be in marching band in high school, but when it came to marching around, he would always turn right when he was supposed to turn left. And turn left when he was supposed to turn right. He had to stick to just playing the saxophone sitting down.
3. Cook -- He made mashed potatoes the other day. You'd think that he had climbed Mt. Everest, the way he was talking about it. I was proud. Well, as proud as you can be for someone who only made mashed potatoes.
4. Dust -- CN's house is very clean and tidy. Except for the layers of dust coating everything. He says that real men don't dust. And I sort of agree, so I don't bug him about it. But neither do I dust his house for him! I just ignore the dust bunnies.
5. Listen to the radio -- He won't leave the house without his Sirius radio. I should start calling it his "lifeline". Even if he's only running a ten minute errand -- it's got to come along! Actually, the same can be said about his GPS. It doesn't matter if he already knows how to get there, or if he's only driving across the street. He wants his GPS. Men and their gadgets, I guess.
6. Floss -- Yeah. You read that correctly. I try not to nag him about this, although it kind of grosses me out. So I just remind myself that his teeth are pretty good, and I try not to think about it.
7. Tan-- If his skin were any paler, he would be transparent. He is like one of those cave-dwelling animals you see in National Geographic. If I stare at his chest long enough, I swear I can see his internal organs. Kind of like how you can see E.T.'s beating and glowing red heart. But since I believe that real men don't go to tanning salons, he remains pale, if only under protest.
8. Break traffic laws -- He never speeds. He obeys all signs, even if there isn't a cop within sight. He comes to a complete stop at all stop signs. He never runs red lights. He uses his turn signal 100% of the time. He makes me look like Evel Knievel.
9. Stop watching WWF wrestling -- Oh yeah. He got hooked in 6th grade, and he's still watching it. He records all the shows so that he can have a wrestling marathon. He says it's like a "soap opera for men". You have no idea how much I am biting my tongue to not tease him about this incessantly. I guess the little boy in him is too cute for me to say anything. I am sorry to say that the phrase "Stone Cold Steve Austin" has entered my vocabulary.
10. Limit himself to one computer -- As of today, I believe he has three. Who has three computers?? Oh yeah. I know. His dad. He is turning into his dad: when his computer gets a virus or starts to run slowly, he just buys another one. CN is the same way. He doesn't try to buy more hard drive, see what's wrong, look for a cheaper alternative or defrag or anything! This blows my mind! I had to talk him out of buying computer #4 this past weekend!
11. Raise his voice -- I have never heard him do it. I like to think this says a lot for how well we get along. It's a good thing he is so patient and understanding, because I can be a butthead. And a basketcase. I also do not tolerate boyfriends who yell. I really appreciate that he leaves all the screaming to me. Because I enjoy a good temper tantrum now and then.
12. Enjoy Mexican food -- This almost breaks my heart, because Mexican food is probably my favorite cuisine. But because his stomach is a little on the sensitive side, he can eat Mexican food, but he always ends up paying for it later. I started to feel so badly for dragging him to the Mexican places, I told him he won't ever have to eat there again. So now, I stick to hitting San Jose's with my girls instead.
13. Eat normal food combinations -- Grits? He wants sardines and mustard in them. (Um, EW!!!) Turkey sandwich? Yeah, he wants his with grape jelly. Bananas? He'd like that in a mayonnaise/banana sandwich combo, please. The man is a freak.
My boyfriend is so weird.
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