One of my favorite sites...

I know...it proves I'm a cat geek, but this website has the funniest cat pictures. I love this one...the kitty looks like my Trumie.

moar funny pictures

There's a Fungus Among Us

So for anyone that has not yet been bored to tears with long-winded recitations of my kittie's horrible illess, the good news is that the vet listened to kitty's lungs today and said they sounded "good." Jake (AKA Shakey Jake) has a fungal infection in his chest...poor little baby. It is actually quite a nasty bug with the most expensive drugs on the planet. Let's just put it this way...I could lease a Prius for what I'm paying for his meds.

He has been on the fluconazole for about 4 weeks and just started a 2-week run of amphotericin last Friday. Today was his second amphotericin dose (which has to be done at the vet's office...of course! Nothing easy about my life!), so Jake and I are just really hoping things will start looking up soon. Even after he is clear of the fungus he will stay on the fluconazole for three more months...Prius anyone? Not me!!!

What else is new? I am killing it in Microbiology, though I must admit I got Bs on both of my lab practicals. They were totally trying to trick us with some of those questions...but whatever. I am cleaning up with all my other exams and projects, so an A is pretty much assured, as long as I don't choke on the next exam or the final. And tomorrow I sign up for A&P...woo-weee! Keep your fingers crossed that I get the class I want. I am trying to talk my current Micro lab partner into taking the same class so she can be the one to skin and cut into our dissection kitty. I can't even think about it.

Toot! Toot!

That's me...tooting my own horn again. I got a 98.8% on my last Microbiology exam. Whooo-hooooo! OK, I know it's not cool to brag but I can't help it! I am so darn amazed at how this whole school thing is turning out. Is this a sign that I am finally looking in the right direction? Science is just so fun (that's the school nerd in me talking....the same school nerd that has an Excel spreadsheet so I can keep track of my A!). And now we're finally to the section of the class where we learn all about nasty diseases. I am a walking encyclopedia of nastiness right now...a word to the wise: get your tetanus booster. You do not want tetanus. Period.
Happy Thanksgiving!

I have a New Identity!

I kinda feel like Jason Bourne as I now have in my possession a driver's license that says Maureen Nicole Osuna. I guess I'll eventually get used to it, but it feels kind of make-believe-ish at this point. Like maybe I could travel "off the grid" under this assumed identity.

Yoga Etiquette Tips from an Almost-Ex Yoga Teacher

After months and months of being exhausted, depleted and all around cranky I have finally decided to lighten the load a bit and take a break from teaching yoga. There are LOTS of reasons for this, the main one being that I simply need to give to ME for awhile and get my Yoga MoJo back. For me it is hard to immerse myself into yoga student-ness when I approach every practice like a prelude to teaching. I'm constantly breaking down the sequences, thinking about how I would teach them, etc... Plus, it's the time commitment. The Saturday class has kept me from being able to totally unplug on the weekends, and I think that little battery-recharge is one I so desperately need.

So, with that said I present the Top Ten Yoga Etiquette Tips or Top Ten Things That Interrupt My Yoga Mojo. If you ever take a yoga class, keep this Top Ten in mind to ensure a happy teacher and happy fellow students!

1- BE ON TIME. I can't tell you how basic this is. I am a perpetually on-time/early person and feel that it is a show of respect to the activity you are partaking in and the people you are joining to be there on time. When you show up late, you throw off the teacher's meditation or pranayama session...THE most important part of the class as it sets the tone and intention for the class. You also disrupt all the other people as you open the door, close the door, drop your keys, take off your shoes, turn off your cell phone, go to the bathroom, unroll your very noisy mat and finally have a seat. If you are new to the class or instructor, this counts as doubly rude since you now do not have a chance to let the instructor know of any injuries, limitations or concerns.

2- GO TO THE CLASS THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR LEVEL. If the description says it is for intermediate students and the only yoga you've done is bending over to tie your shoes, PLEASE do not attend that class. if you are BRAND NEW to yoga, even if you are physically fit and really smart, you still need to attend a beginning level class. The reason is that the teacher in a beginning class will explain all the basics of the poses and go at a slower pace to account for all the instruction-giving. Showing up to a more advanced class forces the teacher to either A) slow the pacing for everyone in the class so you don't hurt yourself, or B) risk letting you hurt yourself and feel like a doof as you try to flow into and out of poses that you should have learned in a more basic class. VERY beginning students who are new to yoga AND physical activity should plan on spending 6-8 months in a beginning level class. Beginning students who are pretty fit could probably get by with 3-4 months of basic instruction before moving on. There is NOTHING wrong or embarassing about being a beginner...it is the best part of your yoga journey....enjoy it!

3- WHEN THE TEACHER TELLS YOU NOT TO JUMP UP INTO YOUR HEADSTAND, LISTEN TO HER! I finally had to stop teaching headstand because people were scaring the shit out of me. I would patienty demonstrate how to do a partial headstand (with one or two feet still on the ground) and then the option of gently lifting up into a headstand...all the while admonishing students to AVOID JUMPING and putting strain on their necks. Lo and behold....what always happens? Because people cannot listen, I decided to cut my losses and avoid the whole enterprise all together. PLEASE DO NOT JUMP INTO HEADSTAND...what part of that do you not understand? Geez!

4- WATCH THE DEMONSTRATIONS. The teacher demonstrates poses and sequences for a reason. Watch. Especially if you are new. Even if you are not new, watch anyway...you might learn something new. I have been taking yoga for years and always stop to watch the demo...even if it's something I've done a hundred times in my sleep. It is always inspiring to learn how someone else approaches an asana, and it gives me a moment to appreciate the beauty of the yoga asana in action. Occasionally the instructor will tell advanced students to continue without the demo, and advice newer students to watch the demo. If you are new, watch the demo and ignor the other students. Watch the demo. Got it?

5- DON'T BE A LOOKIE-LOO. Frankly, I do not attend yoga class so other students (and guys in particular) can stare at my ass or watch me do my yoga. If you are taking a break from an asana, look straight ahead and meditate, assume child's pose or tadasana, or just sit quietly with your eyes closed as you visualize YOURSELF doing the asana.

6- DON'T TELL THE TEACHER HOW TO TEACH THE CLASS. She (or he) is not your bitch. If it is too hot for you, chances are the teacher has the heat on for a reason. If you are too cold, amp up your practice and your breath to generate some heat. Bring layers. No one likes a complainer. Get it? Got it? Good.

7- TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN PRACTICE. You do not have to do everything the teacher covers in the class. If it is going to make you miserable, exhausted, injured or cranky leave it out. If you need modifications DO THEM! One of my biggest pet peeves is students NOT doing modifications when they know they need them. If you know backbends tweak your back and the teacher has given you a modifciation three weeks ago, IT STILL APPLIES TODAY! If you are ever in pain in yoga class, it is always and only always your own fault. BE YOUR OWN GUIDE!

8- WITH THAT SAID, QUIT BEING SUCH A WUSS. Yes, yoga is hard. And yes, there are times when it can be immensely uncomfortable. Learn the difference between being uncomfortable and being in pain. Attending beginning level classes for many months will give you the body awareness you need to understand this distinction. Just becaue you are feeling your muscles stretch does not mean "it huuuuuuurts." If you are really that suseptible to injury then you need private lessons for awhile, or the assistance of a physical therapist.

9- DO NOT WEAR PERFUMES OR COLOGNES TO CLASS. Contrary to what the full-page ads in Vogue magazine say, your cologe or perfume stinks. Really really bad. I don't care how expensive it is, it stinks. Plain and simple.

10- COME TO CLASS CLEAN AND FRESH. And please let that cleanliness extend to your feet. I have seen some scary feet in my day and they usually (but not always) belong to men. Also, this may sound basic but you'd be surpirsed...please shower before class and wear clean clothing. If you tend to sweat a lot, use a towel to mop up the sweat you drip on the floor....ewwww....nothing worse than walking through somebody else's sweat drops. Nasty.

Ok, with all that said and done you can consider yourself ready to attend any yoga class with confidence and good manners intact! If you have thought of something I left out, please comment!

May I Introduce...The Incredible Shrinking Boom-Boom

Well, after years and years of poo-pooing low carb lifestyles, I have finally become a believer. For the past two weeks I cut out ALL sugar and ALL refined carbohydrates plus all grains, wheat, pastries, cereal, pasta, donuts, pizza, etc.... I am now in the 120's again! I seriously cannot believe it...and the best part is, it wasn't hard at all. I felt crappy around days 2-4, but have felt amazing ever since. I am slowly adding more carbs back into my diet because I seriously do not want to lose weight THIS fast as I want it to stay off forever! I do think I will be done with sugar...I haven't had a single headache in two weeks AND my blemishes are clearing up...my skin looks great! PLUS, my husband agreed a while back to give me $50 for every pound lost...I've already made $350! I'll end up with a total of $1200 to go shopping...happy dance happy dance!

So, if anyone is interested, here is what I've been eating: LOTS of veggies...as in TONS AND TONS of veggies. Eggs for breakfast, salads for lunch and either salad for dinner, a vegetarian entree of some kind or fish and veggies. Did I mention the veggies?

The website that totally inspired me and has kep me on track is www.sugarfreesheila.com. Not only is she cute as a button, but extremely helpful and motivating. If you are interested in exploring a sugar free life, please check it out!

It's a Microbiology Miracle!

Who knew I would end up being a Microbiology Genius? I scored a 95.5% on the first test, and the class average was 75%...AND, this is even with me SKIPPING FOUR QUESTIONS. Not sure how those questions escaped my careful scrutiny, but I somehow managed to skip right over them in a rush to get to the essay questions. Assuming I had answered all four correctly, I could have had a 99.5%. So needless to say, I am feeling pretty good right about now. Let's hope the genius-ness continues!

I Survived my first microbiology test!!!!!!!

...AND I have it on good authority that Microbiology gets much better after all that icky metabolism stuff. So YAY! I counted up all the questions I totally guessed on, and that totalled about 9, so I figured I might, MIGHT get an A if I slam-dunked my essay questions AND my bonus question. Stay tuned!

Microbiology is kicking my Macro-Booty

I am lame...I haven't posted in almost TWO MONTHS...which is really pathetic. I started school at the end of August (which only partially explains my lameness) and have been a complete whack-job ever since. I have class Monday-Thursday nights and the rest of the time I am trying to get my freelance business up and running, help Tom with his business, take care of the house and three cats + one child (oops, I mean + one husband), and maybe squeeze in time to shave my legs once in a while.

Microbiology is kicking my butt. It makes Chemistry look like a walk in the park...and I studied my butt off for my A in Chem. I have my first test tomorrow night, so we'll see....but from where I stand it does not look so bueno. Not so bueno at all. I am hoping that the semester will get easier now that we have Microbial Metabolism behind us, but the chapters ahead (Recombinant DNA Technology, Microbial Genetics and other exciting topics) do not bode well. If anyone has taken Micro please let me know if it gets better!!!! I am mainly looking forward to the section of the book where we see what kinds of nasty disesase people get from bacteria and viruses...icky pictures and all!

My lab though, is FUN! It's really neat to see what kinds of disgusting things grow from our cultures. Plus my lab partner is really nice and every day I thank GOD that I do not have Annoying Guy as my lab partner. Annoying Guy is this major science geek that smirks all the way through class and corrects the teacher's pronunciation and every little thing under his breath (and sometimes out loud to the whole class). I had the joy and pleasure of sitting near him for the first three weeks until I had HAD IT! I soooo wanted to tell him off, but instead took the path of least resistance and just sat on the opposite side of the room...."Take that you science geek!"

In other news, I am no longer working in the office...did I post about that already? I got "released" from employee status back to my independent contractor status (another thing I am thankful for every day), and am now back to my insane self-employed-ness. The kittens all got exceptional homes, my hair is long enough to put in hot rollers and I am still as fat as ever. I'm working on it though...I promise I am going to get on a schedule and start taking my morning walks again. PROMISE!

I'll also promise to try to not be so lame and to update my blog more regularly. At the very least I have to let you know how easy my Micro test is...ha!

Kitten Update

So it's been about a week and the kittens are coming along nicely in their socialization process. So far, Pearl (Nathan if a boy) is the bravest...she and Midge (aka Marvin) are at a friend's house getting socialized to kids AND big dogs. Fun! They are doing great and no longer hiss when you approach or reach for them. Pearl may get adopted today...she's got a potential mommy coming over to see her!

William (or Wilma) is now sitting on laps, purring and letting himself be petted. He hissed at me this morning, but I expect that to stop in a day or so. He has a potential home already! Keep your fingers crossed.

Quincy went to the SPCA this morning to get spayed/neutered...guess I'll find out soon enough if I need to rename him. He was soooo scared and meowing up a storm. I was in tears after I dropped him off. Poor little baby. He let me pet him through the wires of the cage yesterday, and we'll work on picking him up and holding him in the next day or so after he feels a little better from his surgery.

Wish them luck!

Kittens!!!

So here are three of the four kittens I've rescued so far. Though I wasn't going to give them names, I couldn't help myself. Without knowing their gender I just guessed....the little black and white one is William, the little beige one is Pearl and the black one is Midge.

Want one? ;-)

Operation Kitten Rescue!

Well I've gone and done it. I have become an Animal Activist...whoo hooo! Last night I trapped three feral kittens from our neighborhood shopping center and have two more to capture tonight. Next I'll go after Big Mamma, but that will strictly be a "fix and release" scenario. Frankly she scares the shit out of me. I am hoping to be able to socialize the kittens so they can be placed in homes. I already have several potential mommies/daddies:

1-Friend's neighbor whose cat just died. May take two!
2-Same friend's other neighbor whose cat went missing :-(
3-Guy from the shopping center who watched me trap 'em
4-Girl at work
5-Another girl at work (a very tentative maybe...she may have just been humoring me)
6-Nurse that came over today to take hubby's blood and tinkle for insurance screening

Hmmm....seems I have more potential mommies and daddies than I do kittens...I may have to auction them off on ebay! Anyway, they are soooooo cute, but they won't yet let me get close enough to pet. They hiss and act all fierce...it would be funny if I didn't know how sharp their little teeth and claws are. So far I have snagged a tuxedo kitty, an all-black kitty and a cream colored kitty with darker colored points. Super duper cute.

I will snap some pics as soon as I can...they're pretty wiley.

Reason #432 why I shouldn't breed

I had lunch yesterday with a friend of mine who brought along her really super super cute 2-year old boy. He was basically really good throughout the whole meal, but when things got sticky and borderline cranky I just kept passing the kid animal crackers. I mean I seriously had aboslutely *no idea* how to placate a bored 2-year old. The little guy ended up eating something like 15 animal crackers for lunch...he was pretty happy though! Given my own enjoyment of food we then had a rousing conversation of "Do you like...(insert food item here)." What else do you talk to a toddler about?

Then the subject came up of how to discipline children. My friend said the little guy had recently embarked on a hitting phase and that she had to turn to the trusty "Internets" to figure out what to do. I realized as we were talking about it that I too was at a loss for discipline tactics, namely since my best (and only) idea involves duct tape. I think if I were a parent I would probably get reported to CPS on a regular basis...there are just so many wonderful and necessary uses for duct tape. Is your child hitting people? Duct tape his little arms to his sides! Does your kid squirm to get out of his high chair? Duct tape him to the chair! Does he do that annoying "Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom" thing while you're talking to another adult? Duct tape his little mouth shut! I would be a horrible parent.

Hats off to all my friends who do it and make it look so easy. Your kiddos are lucky to have you (and not me) as their mother!
Signed,
Auntie Mo

Cool Jellyfish Picture

I don't really have any excitement to share, just this really cool picture that I took all by myself at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Hubby and I went to Monterey for my birthday. NOTE TO READERS...do NOT go to the Aquarium on a weekend during the summer, unless you enjoy chaos and loud children.

5 inches in 2 weeks!

Ta da! As promised, I measured today and I am officially 5-inchess less fat than I was two weeks ago. Did you catch that? 5 Inches!!!!! For the first week I did Chicometrics but honestly, that got pretty dull, so I switched it up in the second week to The Bar Method, which goes by lots lots faster. I measured after 4 of these workouts and have lost a total of 5 inches throughout the bod...a litle bit here and a little bit there...amazing!

So, stay tuned as I shrink back into all my adorable clothes. In case you care, which you probably don't.

Mermaid Hair

OK, last post for the day...I PROMISE! I have mentioned several times that I am attempting to achieve "Mermaid Hair." For those of you who need a visual...here it is (in wig form at a Halloween party and in a color totally different from my natural hair color...but you get the idea).

Get. Me. Out. Of. Here. NOW!

Today is a two-fer...mainly because I am so freakin' bored at work I could pull my hair out, scream, start a small fire...ANYTHING to releive the monotony of cube land. What the F*#%@! was I thinking when I said, "Sure, I'll ditch the freelance life and get a job in corporate America? Oh, and I'll also take on a 45 minute commute every day, uphill, in the snow, both ways."(OK, I'm kidding about the snow and the hill). I was lured in by the promise of a steady paycheck and 2-weeks vacation. Bah Humbug! (eeeek! I'm no doubt jinxing myself here and will lose my job and thus no longer have a paycheck but LOTS and LOTS of vacation time).

I was bored to tears working for this company as an independent contractor, and now that ALL of my big projects are on hold, I am experiencing entirely new levels of boredom. And frustration. And "The Blahs." And an occasional homicidal fantasy involving one unnamed co-worker (we'll call him Ned). Ned drives me crazy. Ned makes me want to take up kick boxing. Ned makes me hurl obscene hand gestures his direction from the safety of my cube.

Why does Ned make me crazy? Let me count thy ways...
1. He thinks he's my boss. He's not.
2. If he ever does geet promoted to VP (which I know he is totally gunning for) and becomes my boss, I will die instantly so it is safe to say that he will never actually be my supervisor.
3. He has an unavoidable compulsion to tell me how to manage my projects. (See #1)
4. He makes snide comments about my schedule (when I negotiated for the position, I told the guy who actually IS my boss that I needed a flexible schedule to accomodate working at home and teaching yoga)
5. He asks me stupid questions like, "How much will it cost to print a brochure we haven't written yet....ballpark". As if I can pull a number out of my ass even though... a) I'm not a print broker, b) we don't know how many pages the piece will be, and c) we don't know the quantity.
6. He made a comment about me taking a day off after 4 months of employment...it's called PAID VACATION, it's so you can take a VACATION...get it?
7. He comes in early and stays late...and always asks me if I got projects done at night or over the weekend. No, this is my job, not my LIFE!
8. He's very smart and wants to make sure no one ever forgets it.
9. He's a man. Men can be a pain.
10. I don't have ten...I am trying to be positive.

Actually, the ironic thing is that he is a nice guy...very smart, good at his job, etc... he just makes me nuts. And in an office of 9 people, one nut can make you effing crazy.

Call me "Grain Girl" or "Gluten-Free Girl"...your choice

Welcome to Science Experiment #3!

I have been reading about nutrition a lot lately, and one approach that appeals is macrobiotics. Essentially, it's a grain-based diet that includes lots of fresh, local veggies (and some fish, but I'm not too keen on the fish thing). I like it because I like brown rice a LOT and I'm now getting that box o' veggies from the community farm every week. So, for my third Science Experiment, I am "gaining the grain"...this is how one macrobiotic cookbook puts it. The idea is to incorporate more whole grains into the diet (brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, etc...). So there's that...and there's also the gluten thing. I was reading a book last night called "Ultrametabolism", and it has these nifty little check-off boxes so you can determine why, exactly, you are so fat. One of the lists indicated I may have a gluten intolerance so I am conducting part B of my Science Experiment as going gluten free...no wheat, no oats, no soy sauce (yes, soy sauce has wheat in it), no bread, no pasta...you get the idea.

As for other Science Experiments, I am a bit sore from doing my Chicometrics video...and surprisingly, it's in a spot I wasn't sure I was getting effectively. Guess I squeezed my buns juuuuuust right!

Still no word from the hospital....don't they know what a gem I am? And that I barely flinched????

Science Experiment #2

In accordance with my now honored tradition of conducting science experiments on myself, I am embarking on The Great Isometric Experiment!!!

Currently, I own three different exercise videos that are based on isometric exercise...Chicometrics (see my "Got Flab" link to the right), The Barr Method and Callanetics. I am going to cycle through all three (to prevent the major boredome that will ensue if I stick to just one for months on end), recording my measurements (not my weight, mind you!) along the way (yes, I will have to come to direct terms with my fatness).

I have heard really astonishing things about each of these programs...mainly Chicometrics and Callanetics...I think they may be a bit more intense. I will let you know!

Here is my schedule...I will do each video 2-3 times per week for two weeks and then switch to a different video to keep the Boredom Monster at bay:

June 11-23: Chicometrics
June 24-July 7: Bar Method
July 8-July 21: Callanetics
July 22-August 4: Chicometrics
August 5-August 18: Bar Method
August 19-Sept 1: Callanetics

I will take measurements after each two week period so stay tuned!

In other news...Science Experiment #1 is going OK...we had to go to the store last night because Tom refused to eat whole wheat pasta, and I went to the store today while at work because I had a hankering for miso soup. Plus we ate out a lot (at Whole Foods mostly) while we were in Vegas. The Whole Foods in Henderson Nevada is orgasmic...dessert bar, chocolate fountain, tapas bar, asian bar, grilling station, a taqueria...the list goes on and on. Did you catch that...A DESSERT BAR!!!! Of course, I didn't have any of the dessert, but it was comforting and exciting just to know it was there.

I barely flinched

So in light of my recent decision to again pursue my nursing career, I am happy to report that I saw my ickiest thing to date and barely flinched...I did feel slightly light-headed but only for a moment. A dear relative of mine had surgery last week and DH and I went to ensure his comfortable recovery for a few days. For reasons totally foreign to me there was a drain inserted in the pectoral area that pulled puss and blood out of the body and into a handy little plastic bottle. Fine.

Once we were ready to leave the hospital, though, things got a bit less fine. The drain came out, leaving behind a gaping wound hole, about the diameter of a pencil...maybe a weee bit smaller. Now, I don't know about most of ya'll, but I"m not used to seeing holes in people...especially people I love. Much much less, holes that are oozing puss and blood and who knows what all. But, I am proud to say that after the first few looks, it got a lot easier...proof that one of my biggest fears about nursing won't affect me too much (the fear of gaping wound holes that produce puss and blood in copius amounts). It was actually kind of interesting, and I had to resist the urge to fuss, fluff pillows or dress any and all available wounds.

While there we took one quick foray to the Las Vegas strip where I am pretty sure I saw a total of THREE prostitutes, scored about 4 free drinks and played with the same $25 for about 2 hours. But of course, by 8:00 we were tired and, rather than wait for them to offer us a high-roller suite (which they most assuredly would have!), we called it a night and went home to bed. We are such the party animals.

Is Anybody Watching???

I just learned that my super uber-blogging brother just posted MY blog on HIS blog, which is read by oodles and oodles of ubergeeks. Great...now I have to try to be entertaining, interesting, witty and adorable so that I don't embarass the King Geek of them all, my uber-entertaining, uber-interesting, uber-witty and (yes, it's true) uber-adorable big brother.

Hmmmm.....I'll get started on that straight away.

Since I'm not geekly enough to figure out how to do a hyperlink, here is the URL for his King Daddy Blog of Them All: http://www.geekweekonline.com.

Volunteer Mo!

I was just browsing around the website of Most Popular Hospital in Sacramento in an effort to find a job that I could do with absolutely no healthcare experience. I heard from a friend of a friend that all the big hospitals in town reserve space in the impacted nursing programs for their employees...if I can get a gig at one of the hospitals then I get into school on my first try. Bueno, no? My preference is to attend the accelerated program funded by Most Popular Hospital, so I would love to get a job there. The problem is...no jobs posted that even remotely match my education or experience. So, I am applying for the next best thing...a volunteer position! The great thing about a volunteer gig is that they have availability in all the really cool areas (ER, ICU, Med Surg, OR Recovery) and I wouldn't actually be responsible for saving or killing anyone. This is a wonderful solution for a life-long baby stepper like me! AND the best part is, the nurses will let you watch them do procedures...cool, huh? I am hoping that once they see how wonderful, caring, intelligent and all around fabulous I am, then I can secure a regular gig and then hopefully a spot in their program. We shall see.

In hopes that I will get a volunteer gig and have wildly fascinating stories to tell, I am keeping the name of the hospital a big secret...that way no one from HIPAA will come after me with a big ugly scowl and lots of forms to fill out.


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Good Kitty: Rode my bike for 2 hours (and 27.7 miles) all by myself on Sunday. Thank dog I did not get a flat :-)

Bad Kitty: Did not wear sunscreen...big X on my back marking the spot where I was stupid.

It's for Charity!

I have signed up to do a charity ride in Napa Valley for the American Lung Association...you know, clean air, global warming, asthma, lung cancer, etc... You can sponsor me (no amount is too little or too large) by going to www.sacbreathe.org and clicking on the link for the Bike Trek in the first paragraph and then "Sponsor an Individual" on the left side of the page, and then "Find a Participant." I am listed under Moore. It will be about 150 miles over three days, and it would be great to know that I am riding for a reason (other than the beautiful scenery, fun, friendship and CALORIES BURNED!)

Hugs all!

Lost Half a Pound...I'm back baby!

I am just trying out my new weight-loss ticker...see if this works.




Did it work? Yes it did! (update...no it didn't!)

In hair news...I am entering the bag-lady stage. Here's proof:

I've Gained a Pound...WTF?!?!?!???

Either I am seriously retaining water or I have been pigging out waaaaay too much lately. Stepped on the scale this morning, fully expecting to see a drop of a pound or two. Nope! It went up by a little over a pound!!!!!! So, I am going to do an experiment...no refined carbohydrates, wine, Tofutti Cuties or sweets for a whole week...I will weigh in again on June 6th. Stay tuned! (oh woe is me...a week without Tofutti Cuties! What is the world coming to?!?) My friend Liz says I need to "eat more protein and less carbs", but the food I love is awash in refined carbos...I will do my very very best to stay away from the Tofuttis and the wine though. Here's a look at today:

Breakfast: Pineapple and a banana and a whole-wheat, organic pop-tart type thingy
Snack: Eggplant Hummus & half a whole-wheat pita
Lunch: Apple & Tomato soup (see how good I am today!)
Snack 2: Beans (Vegan baked beans to be exact...not just a boring ol' can of beans)
Snack 3: Jolly Rancher (Sugar Alert!)
Dinner? Hmmmmm....maybe some Edamame and Indian food...it's Fusion Cuisine at its finest!

p.s. I am sooooo hungry today!

In other news, our Science Project is going well! It is now Day 4 of 30 without any grocery shopping or dining out (at least on my end...Thomas likely cheats and goes out to lunch). Slowly but surely the goods are getting all 'et up'. I really should take a picture of my fridge, you would not BELIEVE it! We have more condiments than a frat house full of bachelors...seriously.

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Good Kitty: Started my financial filing stuff...wasn't as fun as it sounded in the book, so I stopped part way.
Bad Kitty: Aforementioned Jolly Rancher
Short Term Goal: Go to early morning yoga at least ONCE in June!

Hugs to all my peeps! Oh, here's a cute picture of Shakey Jake to please all you cat lovers out there...he's my little Killing Machine..isn't he just grand?

Welcome to my Science Project

Our fridge and cabinets have gotten to the point where it is impossible to squeeze any more items in...putting anything in takes an advanced degree in physics and since I barely squeeked by with a BA in Communications, then Hubby and I are embarking on an experiment: Not to go grocery shopping for an entire month! Soy milk is the one exception...and since we signed up for a CSA (community supported agriculture) and will be getting a big ol' box of fresh, organic produce every week...we really have no other reason to go to the market. Yay!

The interesting thing will be what we actually eat...you know how it gets when you get down to eating whatever is on hand.

Tom's Dinner: Leftover Turkey Burger and Tomato Salad
My Dinner: Edamame and a vanilla Tofutti Cutie (these are THE BEST soy "ice-cream" sandwiches EVER!!!!!)

See what I mean about weird meals? We are also going to try our hardest to NOT go out to a restaurant until my birthday...June 24th. Think of all the money we'll save:-)

Can we do it?????

Science Experiment Day 1 of 30.

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Good Kitty: Went to yoga this morning
Bad Kitty: Ate a Tofutti Cutie for DINNER. Hellooooo!!!!!?????!!!
Short Term Goal: Get my filing system set up for all my financial info according to David Bach's Smart Women Finish Rich.
Long Term Goal: The usual...save $$, pay off the tax man, be more philanthropic, love more

My big fat ass

So my friend Pam came to visit for a few days and during that time she got suckered in to messing around with my husband's flight simulator computer game. Well, the experience "turned her ugly" (her words), and she proceeded to tell me to sit my "fat ass down and try it". The sad thing about this little ditty is that she's right...my ass is fat. I have been working on some weight loss strategies lately, but kinda goofing them up. Example: I read a few books about NOT dieting...using your "thintuition" and just eating when I was hungry and stopping the food fest when I was no longer hungery. The problem? I took this as a license to eat junk food and didn't eat much "real food". Not good.

So now that I am back to my "nearly vegan" ways, I am expecting the fat to just slide right off, provided I don't fall into the vegan junk food trap. One bonus I have noticed after 3 weeks of NO dairy and NO meat...LESS CELLULITE! Now, I haven't quantified it or anything, but my buns look decidedly less dimply (though, according to Pam..still fat). I will see if I can count them or something and report back.

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Good Kitty: Went to Wendy's for a quick lunch and got a baked potato (dry) and a side salad. NO FRIES!!!

Bad Kitty: Meant to workout this morning...opted to snuggle instead.

Short Term Goal: Increase my run/walk laps from 6 to 8 by June 4th, with one full running lap in there somewhere.

Nursing Goal Update: Enrolled in Microbiology and Sociology for next semester. The Biology class is going to take some creative scheduling with my work folks. Hmmmm...

Going back to my old ways...

Well, I am going back to my old ways ladies and gents...and no, that does not mean I'm practicing the wild and loose behavior of my college days. It means I am "going veg" baby! The reason I say I am "nearly vegan" is based on two things: 1) I am not perfect and occasionally take a bite of a luscious restaurant-created dessert that more than likely includes dairy; 2) Like many gals, I have a shoe and handbag fetish that I hope to cure someday. So rather than put myself out there as a full-on vegan, I am being completely honest with my "nearly vegan" lifestyle. The main challenge will be not freaking out my husband who, for some reason, gets all uptight when I talk about being a vegetarian. So, I'm just not going to mention it...it's already been 3 weeks and he hasn't even noticed (or at least he hasn't complained!).

I am also in the process of trying to lose some weight, which is one of the reasons I turned back to my nearly-vegan lifestyle. I was vegetarian for a couple of years (vegan for most of that time), but got hit with some major food boredom once I stopped spending any quality time in the kitchen...I hardened my heart, repressed everything I knew about animal suffering and health and embarked on a 3-year journey back to the average American diet. Not only have I gained about 20 pounds (ugh!), I never did feel quite right about it, but went along with the crowd and chose convenience over compassion.

Well those days are over...the more I read about the food industry and the intelligence and beauty of animals, the more I want to do my small part to help end animal suffering AND achieve optimal health. So...come along with me on this exciting journey as we explore the scrumptious world of vegan eatin'!

I can't take it anymore!!!

Ok, I have given it incredible effort, but there's just no way around the fact that my hair is crap. It sticks out into 50 different directions, never looks good (except for the first 5-minutes after I style it in the morning), and takes waaaay too much time to coax into some sort of not-homeless look. See...it's a mess! I can't even bear to look at it anymore.

I am thinking of going back to the way it was right around the time of the wedding...it looked really good then...but want to make sure that I don't look "matronly" with short hair. Care to weigh in? See the cute short hair pic up above...

Someday I really will stop obsessing about my hair...

New Nephew!

Just a quick update to show everyone a picture of our new little nephew..Gavin Osuna! As you can see he gets his good looks from his Uncle Thomas :-).

More soon!

Hair Hair Everywhere

Due to "popular" demand, I am posting pics of my hair..mid-growout. It has taken all of my strength and resolve to get to this point. I only hope I can keep going! My goal is to get it to a chin-length bob-type do and then decide if I want to grow or go back to my short (easy) ways.

So, without further ado...