31 Random Things

In celebration of my birthday, I always have to make a "list" of things. Usually it's what I'm grateful for but today I wanted to go with random facts. Not that I'm not grateful but I'd rather have a humorous post versus a mushy one. So - here are 31 random facts about me:

1) I hate mayonnaise. And Eggs. And Sour Cream. And Cottage Cheese. Seeing a pattern here? They all make me gag.

2) I only buy Levi's jeans anymore. No other brand fits me right.

3) I have no ass. It's like Nebraska - flat and wide. No badonka donk here. No junk in the trunk. I'm constantly hiking up my drawers.

4) Spam is tight. That's right - I love fried Spam. My mom breads it and fries it and it's good. Not diet friendly so I haven't had any in a long time, but boy do I crave it.

5) White Castles is an awesome restaurant. Nothing like sliders at 2 am.

6) I don't drink alcohol. Don't care for the taste and I prefer to be in control because if I DO drink too much - it's instant slut.

7) My favorite cartoon is Tom & Jerry

8) I was once in a local commercial. A friend of mine's grandfather owned a furniture store and I was in the background.

9) I scrapbooked my non-professional wedding photos in 1998 and can't find the album now. Probably a good thing because the last I remember, it involved deco scissors and some francis meyer stickers.

10) My iTunes is full of boy bands and teeny bopper music. Yes - it's my guilty pleasure. I just downloaded Tiffany's Greatest Hits. Don't judge me.

11) I DON'T care for John Mayer or Dave Matthews. Gasp! I know...

12) My house was built in 1957 - the same year my parents got married.

13) I had a cousin that was on Jerry Springer. I disowned her. So, I'm one cousin less. Ha! (She probably doesn't even know I don't claim her)

14) My first car was a 1985 Chevy Celebrity Eurosport. I was a studette.

15) I change my license plate every year and decorate my basement with the old ones. My goal is to make it look like a sports bar one day.

16) My parents bought their first house off of my husband's great aunt and uncle. We didn't find that out until 2 years ago when I was looking at their old papers from that closing.

17) The movie Poltergeist FREAKS me out. I love to watch it but then I don't sleep for two weeks because I'm afraid my closet will open and suck me in.

18) Feet gross me out. I can't get over everyone at Tae Kwon Do with their bare feet. I feel the need to santize whenever I watch Scott or Maggie because it grosses me out so bad.

19) I think farting is funny. Cracks me up. Admit it. Farts are funny.

20) Some of my dearest friends are ones I met through scrapbooking and I am SO thankful for that. (There is my grateful comment!)

21) Scott proposed to me over the phone. We were 19 and 20. It was more like "Hey - wanna get married?"

22) I met him through a blind date that his DAD set up. I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar...No seriously - I was a waitress and waited on his family and they thought we would be a good match. I thought they were crazy...

23) I'm still close with my ex-boyfriend's mom. She's a dear friend of mine - and always will be. She's like a 2nd mom. She adores my husband and we adore her.

24) I can speak ghetto and hillbilly. Seriously. Ask my friends. They've seen me do it.

25) I graduated high school 3rd in my class ONLY because I lost by like a tenth of a point and was pretty pissed about it. Am I still bitter? Eh...

26) My feet are a size 10. They have been since the 5th grade. Do you know what it's like when your feet get there 5 minutes before you do?

27) I know a TON of useless pop culture facts. I was watching VH1's "Superbowl of Pop Culture" or whatever and I was spankin' the contestants. Schweddy Balls were on Delicious Dish. Duh! (SNL reference there for those of you not in the know)

28) Addison's name was going to be Reese Addison but our families nixed it when they came into the room to meet her. It was a resounding "NO". So, we switched it. I should have stood my ground.

29) I like melted ice cream. I've microwaved a pint before. (Just enough to soften it pretty good)

30) I taught myself how to use Illustrator when I was designing papers. No formal training. My undergrad degree is in LAW.

31) I'm PETRIFIED of balloons. HATE them. I get really upset and jittery when I'm around them. No kidding. Kids parties have NO balloons at my house.

Well, that's it. I'm a total freak. You know 31 random/odd facts about me. Hopefully, it's not enough to scare off my friends!

I think I'm finally there...

Back in 2001 I joined Weight Watchers and lost almost 40 lbs within 4 months. It was a long process simply because I had just had Maggie and most of my weight was NOT baby weight but rather the type you gain from eating bad things. I drastically cut what I was eating and the weight came off with a lot of exercise. Fast forward six years, infertility drugs, PCOS, depression, and another baby and there you have it - the weight is back plus it brought some friends along. (To the tune of about 15 lbs)

When I started my new job a few weeks ago, they told me they had Weight Watchers at work. That was perfect because in those six years, I tried it again probably 3 times but never committed. Things always seemed to interfere - no childcare to go to meetings, too tired to go after work, too stressed to eat healthy, etc. But, now I have a support group right here. My weigh-ins are during lunch on Wednesdays and I have people to talk to and it's like we're all in the boat together. Plus, Scott is doing it with me and it's nice that he's not enjoying a cheeseburger while I'm picking at grilled chicken. He's eating the chicken right beside me.

We've started to add a pretty good exercise routine to our schedule which involves the entire family so not only am I benefitting, but they are, too. Each night we take walks around the local track at the high school and we add about 1/4 mile each time. Plus, Maggie and I are going to have a dance-off tonight. I've burned a CD of some of my favorite booty shakin' tunes and she and I are going to sweat. (More importantly, I'll wear her out so that she goes to bed early!)

I guess the point is - I finally feel like I'm mentally there. Before - I was in denial. But now - I know that I need to make changes and I'm actually MAKING them. There were a few milestones for me this weekend and I hurdled them with ease. My cart at the grocery was filled with fresh fruits and veggies and whole grain products and fat free milks, etc. The biggest change? No box of Little Debbies and I didn't even take a 2nd glance at the aisle.

My third weigh-in is on Wednesday. So far, I'm down 7.4 pounds in two weeks - which I consider to be a fairly decent start. It's not "Ranch Loss" like on The Biggest Loser, but it's a start and it's better than where I was 2 weeks ago. I'm taking it 5 pounds at a time, so my next goal is 2.6 pounds for an even 10. Then, the next five pounds and so on. If I stay dedicated, I could be back down to my high school weight by next year. I can't even imagine!

Confessions of a picky eater...

Ok - here's where things get rough whenever I meet new people. (Or, have a new job)I'm a picky eater. To the point of embarrassment sometimes because on any given day I don't eat most things - eggs, mayo, salad, seafood, sour cream, etc., etc. I have a very basic palette and although I'll venture every once in a while, right now I'm just not that into it because I'm doing weight watchers and most stuff I eat is pretty bland. I don't want to go off or over my points.

Today we had lunch scheduled at work. The entire team is going out and they want to do Thai.



Guess what? I don't do Thai. It's not my cup of tea. Nor Sushi (which is their other offering). They ask if I like Thai. Of course, what do I do? I say "no". So, they switched lunch. Do I feel like a jerk now? Yes.

Ok, so let me get this straight...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070614/ap_on_he_me/kids_food

Kellogg's has to change their ENTIRE marketing campaign and food formulations because parents can't simply tell their kids "no"? There are child obesity lawsuits because a cereal maker puts a toucan on the front?

Here's the deal people - WE ALL KNOW WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO EAT. WE ALL KNOW what choices we're supposed to make. The last time I checked, my 7 year old didn't have any money to go into Kroger and buy a box of Fruit Loops. I don't buy her Pop Tarts because of the sugar, fat, etc. Now, I'm a big girl. Always have been for the most part, always will be. (Thanks Mom for the genetics) I've made bad food choices in life and I'm trying to change that. BUT - as a parent, I am the one making decisions as to what comes into the house that my daughter can choose from. I buy her Fruit Loops. (The reduced sugar style) I don't think it's going to kill her to have a bowl of Fruit Loops every now and then. I also bought her a swingset and she has to go outside and play every day. It's a matter of the PARENT taking the RESPONSIBILITY.

This is why our world is screwed up. It's always someone else's fault.

Oh and for the record - I lost 4.8 lbs on weight watchers this week.

Yes, I'm still alive...

It's been a busy week. I've started my new job and LOVE it - it's stressful but fun. I'm learning about so many new areas of crafting and it's an exciting time for me. The great thing is - I get home earlier now - yesterday I ran to buy some stuff for Maggie's birthday and still managed to get home by 6:00. That would have NEVER happened before. Most days, I'm home by 5:20.

Anyway - random thought of the day: Why is it that I love Mountain Dew but hate Orange Juice? I was just reading the "ingredients" of the Dew and one is concentrated orange juice. That's like the raisin paste in A1. (That's right people - read your ingredient labels. WTH is Raisin Paste???)

Oh well, next to concentrated orange juice is caffeine. Now, that's the good stuff! (Note: Normally, I don't drink soda, but I'm tired. I'm adjusting to a new schedule. Had to have one this morning. Cost me 3 points on weight watchers. Damn Dew.)