I think the key to my weight loss is/was fiber.

A friend of mine is beginning a diet, and I am trying to be helpful. When I first decided to lose weight, my friends (and wonderful spouse) were/are very supportive.

Some examples:

Like the time I *really* wanted a HUGE bowl of queso (Velveeta & Rotel) with a BAG of chips. E. talked me out of it and found me a more healthy alternative. She also kept saying … “That ‘cheese’ is plastic!! Don’t eat plastic!!”

Or the time I was having a MAJOR salt craving (I was ready to drink a glass of soy sauce or find a salt lick … whichever I came across first). E. talked me into having 3 olives instead. Salt craving satisfied. And! no water-retained puffiness.

Or the time I wanted a BUCKET of french onion dip with Ruffles chips. E. told me about the french onion Laughing Cow light cheese. A wedge spread high-fiber crackers — poof! Got the flavor I craved and didn’t set myself back.

I think we all need support when entering new territory.

Just got reminded of some past shit. It’s nothing new. But, it’s still going on, but to someone else. It really sucks.

Certainly, I’m not going to go into details.

Let’s see … good things …

I got my reading pillow for my iPad today.

Knitting.

Enjoying the second Lisbeth Salander book. (I keep making up silly names for the Swedish towns I cannot pronounce.)

Guac tonight for dinner.

Right about now, I’d physically harm someone if it meant I could sleep through the night. I have not had a whole night’s sleep in 3 days (nights?).

Grrrr …

So long little fridge.

Also, in hopes of resuscitating the old fridge, I cleaned the f*cker. The big box store will take away the cleanest dead fridge EVER! (grrrrr … and OK — cleaning the f*cker helped me work out stress.)

We are replacing you with your twin — your IDENTICAL twin. We’re lucky we found her hiding at a big box store that can deliver it tomorrow.

BTW, coolers. We love you. You have saved quite a few of our cold-sensitive groceries. (We trashed a lot. But, we *needed* to trash a lot.)

(I *finally* convinced hubs to rely on block ice, rather than cubed to keep our stuff cold. Block ice lasts SO much longer.)

***

We’re headed out tonight to have dinner w/ friends. I am going to dress up a bit. Nails done, a bit of makeup, linen pants — I need this.)

Please don’t fail. We need you.

I could bribe you with ice, but I don’t think you’d appreciate the irony.

I submitted my book chapter yesterday. I hope the editors can make heads or tails of it. In some ways it says what I want it to, in other ways not so much. I’m looking forward to feedback.

Today, I am doing as little as possible. Maybe some laundry, maybe not. I am tired.

Enjoy your weekend.

We off in a few hours to a casino. Craps. Video poker. Drinks. Delicious dinner. Craps.

One night in a casino is all we can take, but it sure is fun to play!

Send luck. There’s beer and wine in the fridge.

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Read

Last 60 seconds of True Blood last night really bothered me. Beal or Lorena should be staked (preferably Lorena); I’m trying really hard to forgive Beal, but … damn.

Somehow, I think Sookie’s not going to take this news very well.

**

Back to my writing.

I’m back at the drawing board. I have until Friday.

ACK!!

I have an article that I’m writing. It’s about online teaching.

Here’s the deal — it takes up less time (in minutes) to teach an online class than it does to teach the same class face-to-face (based on the data I collected). But! The online class *feels* like it takes more time. I think this perception comes from the fact that the online class is 24/7.

I have data about the increase in online education, about best practices, about pedagogy, about student perceptions, about faculty acceptance/rejection.

My draft right now is seven pages; I need about three more (I think). I need to send it off next Friday.

If you have thoughts, sources, opinions, lemme know. If you have encouragement, I’d love to hear it. I’m feeling vulnerable (impostor syndrome).

Cats are doing well. Dougthecat is peeing and pooping in the little box (yay). ‘Lissa takes her meds, and she’s looking well. No little sores cropping up on her little face.

Maxx (the bird) has been a PITA, but I think it’s because of the weather. We’ve had a very long cold snap, after a rather short warm spell. I just don’t think her little birdie body is handling the changes (or long spells of cloudiness). Since it’s starting to warm up (again), she’s doing better (behavior-wise).

Molly is wonderful (as usual). She comes on walks with me, and makes me giggle while we walk.

I cannot express how happy I am that the “summer season” has started. I’ve been watching True Blood, and been quite entertaining. Last night’s episode had this brilliant scene with Sookie: (She’s missing Beal and says “I just keep lookin’ for him to come through the door and say … ‘Sookie’”). I had a sip of wine in my mouth and almost did a spit-take. (You have to watch the show to get why this was so funny, but trust me … it was!!)

Ordered new walking shoes. They are purple.

I think I make have to walk the track today. I need a level surface to give my knee and back a break.

The thyroid medication creates lesions on ‘Lissa little kitty face. It breaks my heart to see her this way.

Scott emailed the vet, and he called just a few minutes ago. She’s back on antibiotics (perhaps for the duration).

Luckily, she’s acting normal (unlike I am), and the lesions do not seem to bother her (overly).

You’ve seen the commercials. These shoes work. I’ve walked 3+ miles for 3 days straight, and my calves, thighs, and butt can CERtainly attest to the workout.

***

I’m walking along and there is a dog in the middle of the sidewalk. Me being me begins a conversation. “Well, hey! How are you? Yeah … you’re a good dog. **pats his head**

I continue on my walk. Very soon I notice the yellow dog healing on my right side, walking next to me like he belongs there.

“Oh, no. You have to go home. You can’t follow me.

Go home.”

And, I continue to walk down the street, across an intersection. **click, click, click** I turn around and there’s yellow dog.

“Oh honey, no, no. You can’t follow me. Where’s your home? Come on, let’s go find your home. Where’s home?” (I retrace my steps, all the while asking yellow dog “Where’s home? Is this home?”)

Finally, yellow dog walks up to the front door of a house: “Good boy. Is this home?”

knockknockknockknock

A woman answers the door, with two youngsters (one clad only in a diaper), and yellow dog walks right in the house. “OK, so I guess this is home. Here’s your dog.”

Woman: “Oh dear! I had no idea he’d gotten out.”
Me: “He decided to follow me, and I didn’t want him to get lost.”
Woman: “Oh, thank you. Stupid dog.”
Me: “No, actually, he knew ‘home.’”

***

Dougthecat is having pee issues today. Boo.

A view from Mammoth.

I’m re-watching some LOST eps. No real order or anything, just picked a disc from season 2.

Dave.

Watch. Re-watch.

Get ready for a roller-coaster tomorrow!!

I only got a little sunburned. The back of my neck, while we were waiting on Old Faithful. My face got a little burned, but tried to use sunscreen at every opportunity. The one day I wore short sleeves, I slathered myself in sunscreen. My lily-white arms remain lily-white.

On another note, I somehow only managed to gain a pound while on vacation. One. Uno. Eins.

So, yay!

Pics still forthcoming.

I think that Scott and I have decided to take a vacation each May. (I even found a yarn store!!!)

We enjoyed Yellowstone so much (even with the sulfer-smelly geysers). Geysers are smooth pools, gently bubbling pits, continuously spouty holes, and/or spectacularly violent eruptions.

We got to see the biggies: Old Faithful, Mammoth, Yellowstone Canyon. But, there are so many more hikes we could have taken. We did not really touch the southern part of the park, nor the eastern part.

The people were so wonderful. Since the season is just starting, they are not yet jaded by the hoards that will surely come to the park in June and July.

I’ll post some pics after I recover.

Glad to be back. Hope all is well with you.

Woke up feeling puny. Not really sick, but fatigued and cough-y (not coffee).

I think it’s time for some chicken soup.

‘Lissa is doing better. We leave for vacation Saturday, and we’ll board her. That way the wonderful Dr. Vet will be able to keep an eye on her.