March 16th, 2010

Lemon cake and a birthday wish


I turned 39 today.

Normally, I don’t give much thought to birthdays. Just another day. Truly.

But this year is a little different. 40 is coming. My carefree 30s are about to end. And I feel like I need to do something this year.

After much thought, I decided I’m going to make this a year of trying new things. And I don’t mean taste-testing grubs or skydiving. I really mean just stepping away from the status quo and trying to do some things differently.

I’m aiming for a new “thing” every week. We’ll see how that goes. Usually, time and circumstance don’t allow for much more than: get up, go to work, go home, take care of kid/house/hubs, go to bed. So squeezing in time for extras is hard. But I have a few things on a list, and I’ll write about them as I conquer them.

Now I shall recap the happiest moments of this birthday:

  • My beautiful youngest daughter stirred when I went in to cover her up at 6 a.m., and her first words were, “Mommy, you’re 39. I love you.”
  • My husband presented me with a perfect on-the-go breakfast of turkey sausages and Diet Coke.
  • I arrived at work, and on my desk sat a pan of Rice Krispies treats and new red pens, gifts from my best friend.
  • My parents, who I was missing very much, called me from the warm hug of Arizona to sing to me via cellphone.
  • A huge bouquet of spring flowers arrived mid-morning, sent by my husband.
  • I enjoyed lunch with my big brother (he paid — even better!) and my best friend.
  • I got to take a cat nap after work while my husband held down the fort.
  • I went shopping for jeans and found two pairs that fit perfectly and were on sale!
  • I was presented with a lovely lemon cake with whipped topping frosting, and my husband sang to me while my daughter played the harmonica.
  • I made a real wish when I blew out my candles, one that I’m pretty sure will come true in the next 12 months.


    • It was a good day.

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February 21st, 2010

Painting #2


I’m not a gifted painter. But I love to paint nonetheless. My best friend asked for a painting for her new office, and here’s what she’s getting. This is the second acrylic painting I’ve ever made. Something about it really, really bothers me. It could just be that I’m not a gifted painter.


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February 18th, 2010

19 days


Wow. It’s been 19 days since I last posted. And I’ve had my site offline under the guise that I was doing maintenance. By looking at the site, it’s clear no maintenance has been done. Same look, same content.


I really just needed some time to collect my thoughts. Deal with some stress. Decide if I’m brave enough to be a blogger.


I am.


Sometimes, life is painful. And the natural instinct is to go underground and hide out when pain hits. And that’s what I did in a sense. I just had to stop writing and let my brain function in a “freestyle” mode of sorts, rather than one that was always translating experiences into blog fodder. I also deleted my Twitter account (which is permanent folks — don’t do it if you don’t mean it!). Because (among a slew of other reasons) 140-character thinking was driving me nuts.


I needed to step back, take a deep breath, decide what to do.


So here’s a recap of the past 19 days:


I got a job offer. For a pretty good job — not in my field — that I’m certain I will like a lot. The demand for writers in my area is exceptionally low, so I feel lucky to have any job at this point. The compensation is good, and I will be working with my best friend — instant bonus.


I’ve been to six roller derby practices, and with each one I can feel myself improving. Other skaters are even seeing it. That helps me so much, and motivates me to work out on non-practice days. I am trying things I couldn’t do in the first couple of practices, and I’m about to buy my own skates. Rental skates are the devil, and they carry a special aroma we like to call “rink stink.”


Weight Watchers has been … interesting. I lost 3ish pounds my first week, and then found it all again my second week. But I’m blaming PMS and expect great results this coming Saturday. I’m doing surprisingly well with the “points system” and really like that I can eat the foods I like, as long as I count them and control portions. The exercise is an added bonus. I can feel the shape of my body changing — my husband even said last night that he can see it — so I suspect some muscle is replacing fat. ::crossing fingers::


Oh, and my kids are still amazing, as if you had to ask! My older daughter has joined derby with me, which is so special. We get to beat people up together. And my little one got suspended a couple of weeks ago for smacking her teacher across the face. That was challenging. But we’re dealing with the little hooligan. It’s hard not to laugh, just because she’s such a little badass. Derby-girl-in-training!


Anything else? Oh yeah. Costco’s dog food prices are amazing.


Later skaters!
Mimi

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January 30th, 2010

Rehab


I started rehab today.

OK, Weight Watchers. Same difference.

The only things missing are the chain smoking, and Dr. Drew.

Otherwise, it’s rehab. Think about it. My drug of choice is being restricted. (Of course, I can’t go cold turkey because of the pesky need for food to … well … live. It would be easier if I could say, “Screw you, delicious taco pizza! Never again!” But no. I must sup to survive.) And there’s that element of therapy. (Is your hunger physical, or emotional? Listen to your body AND mind.) And there are the leaders … cheerleaders … in snappy little suits, showing the crowd their “before” and “after” pictures, and offering bits of sage advice. Yep. Rehab.

I chose Weight Watchers because it’s realistic. Real food. Real personal responsibility. Real support. And the last thing is something I’ve been sorely missing on my “Lap-Band Journey,” as the experts like to call it. Like there will someday be an end to this battle. Doubt it.

In a conversation with my husband this morning, I was explaining to him why I chose to join Weight Watchers. He kind of didn’t get it, considering the restrictive device I had surgically implanted in my gut. He thinks it should be kind of magical when they wheel you out of surgery. Believe me, it’s not.

And so I explained to him that — at least with my surgeon’s program — there’s a real lack of a plan and support once surgery has happened. There are monthly support group meetings and a dietician on staff to help with food issues. But there’s no outlined plan that says, “eat this; don’t eat that.” (Hey … great book title!). There’s no website (OK, there’s this site called www.ObesityHelp.com, but it’s a lot of forums and marketing of gastric surgery, IMHO). And there’s no regular (weekly) meeting in which I get on a scale and stand there, accountable for my actions.

I need a no-excuses plan of action.

I joined with my best friend. That makes me feel hopeful. I believe just having someone else there is imperative. We have already texted a handful of times today. “I’m hungry,” I said. “I swear I smell barbecue,” she said. I love her.

I also worry about her. She will probably kill me for saying this, but her blood pressure is an issue. Her doctor yelled at her the other day about it. She comes from a family of big girls, just like me, and I don’t want her to die. Her mom died way too young. So did her grandfather.

So there we sat, newbies in a sea of old pros. One woman at the meeting today had lost 75 pounds on the program. Wow. I would be really close to liking my body if I could do that. And wearing clothes I’ve purchased for just such an occasion. Yeah. I do that. I buy clothes that don’t fit yet. It’s dumb, but it makes me feel hopeful.

So rehab should be fun. I’ve always approached such things with skepticism. I’m not the Weight Watchers type. I don’t like the catchy little sayings … “Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels” … I don’t like the phony leaders that are paid to pretend they think I’m funny (which I am) … I don’t like the balls-out marketing of Weight Watchers products I must endure in my meeting place. Uh-nnoying.

But I would like to feel better. I would like to have more energy. And look better. I would like to wear that sweet shirt with skulls and crossbones all over it that I can squeeze into right now, but that totally gives me back-boobs. Yikes. I want to be able to skate faster at roller derby, and have more endurance, and look hot in fishnets when I compete. Cause I’m wearing fishnets come hell or high water. Not negotiable. Hopefully, my legs won’t look like a Thanksgiving ham.

So begins rehab. Wish me luck.

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