Daily Menu for Weds 9-26-07

Breakfast:

• 2 Eggs Scrambled 4 points
• 1 Slice 2% Pepper Jack Cheese 1 point
• 2 Slices Bacon 2 points
• Black Bean and Corn Salsa 0 points
• 1 C Skim Milk 2 points (9 points total)
  

Lunch:

• 2 Slices Delightful White Bread 1 point
• FF Mayo 0 points
• Mustard 0 points
• 1 Slice 2% American Cheese 1 point
• 2 Slices Ham Lunch Meat 2 points
• Salad (Iceberg Lettuce, Carrot Strips) o points
• 2 T Lite Honey Dijon Dressing 2 points (6 points total)

Snack:

• 1 C Green Seedless Grapes 1 point (1 point total)

Dinner:

• 4 oz Chicken Breast 4 points
• 1 C Whole Wheat Cous Cous 3 points
• 1/2 C Creamed Corn 2 points (9 points total)

Snack:

• 1 C Sugar Free Fat Free Pistachio Pudding 3 points
• 8 Sugar Free Short Bread Cookies 3 points (6 points total)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total Points for the Day: 31

Daily Menu Tuesday 9-25-2007

First, let me say I posted yesterday before eating dinner. There's a slight change. My Cheese was 3 points not two so I did NOT eat the WW Lemon Cake. :)



Breakfast:

• 1 C Cheerio's 2 points


• 1/2 C Skim Milk 1 point


• 1 Small Banana 1 point


• 1 t Splenda 0 points


• 2 Slices Bacon (ZOMG was that good!) 2 points (6 total points)

Lunch:

• 1 C Italian Veg. Soup by Progresso 0 points


• 2 Slices Delightful White Bread 1 point


• 2 Slices 2% Pepper Jack Cheese by Kraft 3 points


• 1 oz Southwestern Grilled Chicken by Oscar Meyer 1 point


• 2 T Light Honey Dijon Dressing by Newman's Own 2 points


• 1 Small Salad 0 points


• 1 Diet Soda 0 points (7 total points)

Snack:

• 1 Mini Chip Cookie Sandwich 2 points (2 points total)
  

Dinner:

• 4 oz Faux Chicken Fried Steak 4 points


• 3 oz Oven Home Fries 1 point


• 1/2 C Carrots 0 points


• 1 C Skim Milk 2 points (7 total points)

Snack:

• 3 Sugar Free Oreo Cookies 3 points
• 1 Mini Candy Chip Cookie Sandwich 2 points
• 1 Cup Skim Milk 2 points (7 total points)
  

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Total Daily Points 29

Q&A or Varied Facts About My Being...

Katie over at LePetitChic is doing an interview MeMe. She said if we wanted questions to hollah in her comments... so I did. Here's the interview her asking... me answering!

1. What is your favorite childhood memory?

Hmmm this one is kind of tough. I have a lot of great memories from my childhood. My FAVORITE would have to be the trip we took, as a family, to Florida when I was about 11. We went to Disney world and camped all over the state. My SINGLE favorite memory of that trip was at a particular camp ground. There was a nesting pair of Bald Eagles there and the male of the pair LANDED IN OUR CAMPSITE! It wasn't very far from me and it was just AWESOME to see this bird so close up. Its something I'll never forget.

2. If you could live during any other decade other than the one we're currently in, which one would you choose?

God, politics and political climate aside? The '70's. Vietnam ended and it was like everyone started breathing again and having fun. Disco was King. The Bee Gee's Rocked... heh. I would have loved to have been an adult then... a YOUNG adult. :P

3. What's your favorite snack food?

I can go 2 ways with this. My favorite junk snack food is a Chocolate Covered Potato Chips. It dun get much junkier than that lol. Its the PERFECT PMS food for me. Salty and sweet with a melt and a crunch. Heh.

Since I'm currently doing Weight Watchers I'll give you my favorite HEALTHY snack food as well. Cold, sweet, seedless Green Grapes. LOVE those things. I could eat em all day.

4. What do you like to do on the weekends?

Weekends, for me, are much the same as any other day of the week here. Given my druthers I'd GO somewhere. The movies. A Play. A Concert. Whatever. Just DO something frivolous.

5. What inspired you to start blogging?

Ahhh I explained THAT a while back. Clicky HERE and HERE. It will reveal all.

If anyone wants to participate in this Interview MeMe hollah at me in the comments section and I'll get em to you ASAP!

Daily Menu Monday 9-24-2007

Breakfast

2 Slices Delightful White Bread by Sara Lee 1 point
2 T Peanut Butter 5 points
Sugar Free Artificial Honey (Its actually QUITE Good) 0 points

Lunch

1 Fried Chicken Breast from Churches Chicken 5 points
1 Small Side of Seasoned Cajun Rice 3 points
1 Small Side of Coleslaw 2 points
1 Honey Butter Biscuit 6 points

Dinner

1 C Mexican Veg. Soup by Progresso 0 points
2 Slices Delightful White Bread 1 point
2 Slices 2% Reduced Fat Pepper Jack Cheese (Kraft) 2 points
1 oz Chicken Breast 1 point
2 T Paul Newman Low Fat Honey Dijon Dressing 2 points

Snack
1 C Green Seedless Grapes 1 point
1 Lemon WW Cake 1 point
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Points 30 points

Weightloss Update

I know I've been horribly lax in updating on my weightloss progress. I have a good reason though... well... not a GOOD reason. More like a reason full of suck but... it is a VALID reason. There's been NO progress in the last 2 weeks. I've neither gained nor lost a single... frickin'... OUNCE.

I'm frustrated beyond belief. I seem to have hit a plateau so... I'm making some changes starting today. Hopefully it'll help me bust through the waistland of my efforts. (WAISTland... Huh Huh Huhuhuhuh... get it... *Sigh*)

I'm now walking every day. I'm still doing 15-16 minutes a day but I'm getting more laps in per cycle. I'm walking about 3 to 4 minutes per cycle and getting in 5-6 laps each cycle as well.

I'm also starting the Weight Watchers Flex Plan. My doctor told me this would be necessary sooner or later to bust a plateau... apparently its sooner. I'm only doing 30 points a day rather than the 40 GAZILLION WW says I'm supposed to have. I'm going to chronicle what I eat here each day. (Just skip these posts if you aren't interested lol) They all be labeled Daily Menu ... just so you know what to skip lol.

Hopefully these changes will fix the problem and get me some forward motion again. I DO have to say my stamina and ability to breathe while I walk are increasing so that is SOME progress... the scale ... it hates me. Meh.

Potts Mania!

There is a simple man named Paul Potts. He's a mobile phone salesman in South Wales. He won Britain's Got Talent. Let me tell you folks... this man... is just... WOW!

I tried to post a YouTube video of him singing on here but yeah... my connection sucks and it won't post more than a few seconds of it for some reason. Go to YouTube and search for Paul Potts Semi Final and get a load of this man's voice... and his heart! I've viewed the video so many times I no longer keep count and it moves me to tears every time.

I know Britain's Got Talent was a few months ago. I mention all this now because Mr. Potts has a CD in the stores now. I bought it yesterday and its been playing on repeat ever since. Yes... he sings Opera. I know a lot of folks are not fans of the genre but if you love a pure voice and listening to someone sing through their heart and their soul you MUST give this CD a listen.

The only REAL criticism I have of the CD is that My Way... in Italian... it just doesn't work for me. I would have loved to have heard him sing it in English as well as Everybody Hurts and You Raise Me Up. (The latter two work better in Italian than My Way did though.)

I'm not being paid for this, BTW. I just want to do whatever I can to help support this man and his fledgling career.

The Cheese Stands Alone

I have a 7 year old boy that I'm trying to parent, basically, alone. Its not that husband doesn't WANT to help. No, its not that at all. He's just not HERE. Its making it difficult for me to keep my cool with my son.

You can tell from the little stories I have shared with you that Shecky is... well... he's a live wire. He hates restrictions and rules and just not getting his way in general. I KNOW... that's typical of ANY child. However, mine likes to whine and cry. I don't mean a little. He pitches the fit of a lifetime... every time. I don't know what to do about it. I'm to the point now where I'm just SCREAMING at him a lot. Yeah. That's not working either.

I'm trying to figure out how much of it is because his daddy isn't around much and how much of it is him just trying to get his way.

Last night I may have found a partial solution. I sent his little whiny, petulant, pissy ass to BED... at 8pm. Usually he stays up till 8:30... sometimes 9 if something special is going on (Like Daddy Being Here!) Yanno what? He got up this morning easily. NO whining, no crying, pitching of fits. Just a few giggles, some goofiness and a smile for his momma. THAT is the kid I remember. Ya' think mebbe he's just over tired at the end of the day and Mommy is too much of a ditz to figure that out? Jebus... Dumb... Assery! My biggest talent! Heh.

What's your solution when your child is acting likey they belong to someone else ... or making you kinda sorta wish they did?

Bling, Bling, Bling Goes the Trolly!

I have to say I'm excited today. Wendy over at One Day At A Time has awarded me with my very first ever Blog Award! This award is given to folks that make us smile, think, inspire us or otherwise impact our days with their words. Thanks so much for thinking of me Ms. Wendy. I'm supposed to pass this on to 10 bloggers that inspire me or make a difference to me so... Here we gooooooooo...

First up is Zdoodlebub. She never fails to make me laugh or think. LOVE her.

Next is Lena at Cheeky Lotus her honesty about her life and her struggles is just amazing. And her kid? The CUTENESS BURNS!!! (Please put this on both your blogs. I read them both and love you long time! You get two of em!)

Then... there is Jenefer at Three Sons and A Princess. I've followed her through her trials in trying to and finally SUCCEEDING in adopting a lil girl from Russia and now through their move to Korea. She's a great read and has more strength in her lil finger than most people I know have in their entire bodies.

Mid way through and we have Ree over at Confessions of a Pioneer Woman. This woman NEVER fails to crack my shit up!

Another blogger that just fills my heart is Red over at Attack of the Redneck Mommy. She's funny so MUCH of the time, yet, she's so tender and poignant when talking of her Bug.

One of the first blogs I ever read was by Jess over at Oh, The Joys. She's WICKED funny and a WIZ with PhotoShop!

Next is Gray over at Gray Matter Matters. I've been lurking there for a good while and am always entertained by her.

DraMa over at Emancipation of a Drama Queen gets the nod as well. I've cried many a time with laughter because of this chickie!

Last, but in NO WAY least, is Tracey over at Sweetney. Her dry, wry wit keeps me coming back over and over and over. Her honesty in the face of what she perceives as her short comings is nothing less than beautiful. She's one of the most awesome Betches I know!

Come get your Bloggy Bling my friends and pass it along to 10 bloggers that trip yer trigger. Muah! Air kisses to each of you and thanks for putting it all out there for us on the vast internets!

How Low Can Ya' Go?

I want to apologize for my lack of posts lately. I seem to be loosing my resolve for a lot of things and I'm not sure why.

I seem to have hit a bit of a plateau with my weight loss. I'm more easily tempted to stray from the eating plan and yet at the same time I don't really want to eat... anything.

I'm still walking but its becoming a chore. Something I HAVE to do rather than something I WANT to do. My legs, they hurt. They're tired. So am I.

I have little or no patience with Shecky lately. I know he's tired after school but when I try to study with him or quiz him for a test its like he doesn't even try. He swears he's trying and he's focusing but I get more frustrated and angry each time he gives an incorrect answer.

I seem to be tired a lot. I'm sleeping well at night but during the day I just get so... listless. I don't want to do much of anything and when I DO make the effort to do something I'm just sort of... meh... about the whole thing.

WTF is WRONG with me lately? Is the single parenting getting to me? (Husband tries but he's not here for the day to day stuff that I get frustrated with.) Is it the lack of progress on the weight loss? Am I just going through a bit of depression again? If it IS depression do I just ride it out or do I talk to my DR about it? (By Dr I mean PCP not shrink. I dun have one of those... Mebbe I NEED one... bleh) Am I just tired of feeling alone all the time?

Husband and J are trying to make things as easy for me as possible. (J is someone very close to me and he and Husband share an apartment). They bought me a brand new laptop this past weekend and I was thrilled. Tickled pink. Unfortunately, the baseline BLEH I've been feeling is still there.

I've avoided posting in the hopes that this would just... pass. I didn't want to whine to the internets about how out of sorts I am but at this point... mebbe it will help. God knows not much else is!

I refuse to end this entry on such a downer. Here's a random story from when Shecky was a kid:

When Shecky was 2 or 3 he was OBSESSED... with Bob the Builder. I don't remember how he got introduced to that show, those characters, but he LOVED it. He was visiting my parents one summer while Dad was still finishing his build of this house. A friend of theirs was helping him. Shecky wandered out to where they were working and Dad introduced Sheck to his friend. Shecky, wide eyed and in awe, looked at this new person, holding a hammer, working on his Grandpa's house as my Dad said, "This is Mr. Bob." and then Shecky replied... "Bob... the... BUILDER!!!!" HE STILL calls him that... today... heh. Kids

{edited cause spellcheck doesn't catch it when I use the wrong word.. cough...}

Conversations At School...

My mother had to take something up to Shecky at school this morning. While talking to his teacher they had THIS conversation:

Shecky's Teacher: When is Shecky getting his eyeglasses?
Grandma: They told us in 7-10 days. Why? Is there a problem?
Teacher: Well, he's been asking me to repeat things a lot...
Grandma: Ummm, I don't think that has anything to do with his eyeglasses.

Me: (When Mom relayed this conversation) HOLY SHIT! You brought the SNARK!!!!!

Snark... its not just for kids!

9-11-2007

I've been struggling with this post for days. I know the importance of marking the passing of September 11. I know the remembrance of what happened 6 years ago today helped to shape who I am. I know that a moment of silence for all those that perished is only a minor tribute and that they deserve so much more, as do their families.

I know that on 9-11-2001 I lost the last vestiges of my innocence, of my naivete, as did a lot of other people. I know that on that day I thanked God my son was too young to understand what was happening and that my husband was no longer full time active duty with the military, and yet, I still feared these events would call him away from us into a war no one truly understands the reasons for or the motives behind. I know that the first shots in that war were fired at us, not by us.

I know that the damage done on that day was more than cosmetic and that no one who witnessed what happened will ever forget the fear, the sadness, the anger, the hurt or the confusion it caused. I know nothing will ever be the same. I also know, I wouldn't want it to be.

The events that happened on September 11, 2001 made me an adult. The realization that people out in the big, bad world wished me, and every other American, harm simply because we don't share the same belief systems, the same advantages and disadvantages, and the same geographic location, made me grow up. It made me step outside my safe, comfy little life and see how, perhaps, our lives are viewed by others and it made me sad that the intolerance that we've tried so hard to eradicate within our own country had reared its ugly head from the outside and invaded us once again.

I began to wonder if intolerance could ever really be done away with. I began to loose hope for the world my son would grow up in. I began to fear for the life my child would have in a world so adverse to allowing for differences, so against allowing people to have their own beliefs, so opposed to embracing the variety and welcoming the diverse experiences different cultures have to offer.

Then, something... happened. I watched our nation pull together. I watched people with no ulterior motives, no personal stake, no real personal cause to be involved ,sweep across the nation in a great tide of patriotism, belonging and pride. We prayed. We cried. We sang. We rallied. We stood strong. TOGETHER.

Our men and women are STILL fighting this war. Families are separated. Kids are doing without their parents. Spouses handle day to day life alone. Neighbors are helping one another get by in the absence of and the danger faced by their loved ones. They fight for our freedom. They fight for our pride. They fight for our way of life. They fight for US.

Today I make a choice. Today I step forward and challenge everyone else to do the same. September 11 is no longer a day of mourning. No longer a day to dread. I choose to have this date as a day to be thankful for what we GAINED on September 11, 2001. The losses will always be with us and we should never forget them but its time folks, its time to remember and be thankful for the renewal of our strength as a nation, as a people. Its time to look at 9-11 as a new beginning for us and as a reminder that we truly ARE all in this together and that united there's little that can take us down.

Two Whoo-Hoo's and One Getting Old Sucks

Today has been a mixed bag. I tied my own shoes!!!! (You have no idea how happy that made me.) It may seem like a small odd thing to get excited about but when you're 38... and can't tie your shoes without help... well... it sucks.

I sat in the Eye Dr's waiting room chair easily. Neither Mom nor I thought I was going to be able to but I slid right in. ::Does happy dance:: Again... its embarrassing as all hell when you can't.

Here's the "Getting Old Sucks" part... I need glasses. Shecky and I both got our eyes checked. Mine aren't TOO bad 20/40 and 20/60. I need glasses to watch TV, drive or anything of that ilk. I don't need bi-focal thank goodness but I do need to wear them all the time.

Shecky's eyes were bad. 20/80 and 20/100. He seems OK with having to wear glasses though. Husband wears them all the time. J wears them all the time. He's used to seeing people wear them on a pretty regular basis. Getting him to keep up with them is going to be the trick. We'll see how it goes. 10 more glassless days for both of us...

Healthy Updates

Hey there! Glad you could make it today! Weigh In was this morning. I managed to loose the 2 lbs I gained the week before... Go Me! I was hoping for some additional weight loss but I'll take the 2 lbs.

I was walking for my exercise this past week. The water in the lake is low, grass is all over the place in the swimming area and the water has an odd odor... so... I started walking. I was only doing about 10 minutes of walking and I was having to do it in small bursts and spurts. I was very concerned it wasn't going to be enough to allow for some weight loss but thankfully it was.

Today I managed to walk 16 minutes and I walked for longer at a stretch each time. Progress... Progress is good.

I am having a little trouble food wise. Nothing seems to pique my appetite and as a result I'm just sort of eating on auto-pilot. I don't know if its because we need to vary the food we are eating, the need to try new recipes or if its just a mental slump. I'm fighting through it though. Lunch seems to be my biggest obstacle. I'm just not hungry so I eat small and light. Lately lunch has been grapes, green, seedless grapes. No protein just fruit. Probably not the best choice for a diabetic but its working so far.

Speaking of my diabetes... my blood sugars have been GREAT. Fasting numbers are running from the mid 80's to the low 100's which is really good. I'm quite pleased with it.

So... now its YOUR turn. What have YOU been up to? Have you been trying to foster healthy habits or are you just flying by the seat of your pants? What's working or NOT working for YOU?

Holding Out For A Hiro

I am addicted to Heroes! Someone very dear to me bought Season 1 on DVD for me. I got it this past weekend. I'm currently on Disc 5 and I am COMPLETELY smitten with Hiro. He's just... adorkable. He and Ando are my current favorite characters on TV.

The series, so far, is incredibly engrossing. The writers COMPLETELY suck you in with their weekly cliffhanger endings. My father, who is NOT a TV or SciFi person at all, is hooked. We've been watching 1 or 2 episodes a day and we are thoroughly enjoying ever second.

I can't wait for the new season to start September 24th. If you haven't given this show a try you're really, REALLY missing out. Run, do not walk, RUN to your nearest TV on DVD vendor and give it a shot. (This is NOT a paid for endorsement. I just like the show THAT damn much!)

Someone PLEASE Explain My Childs Learning Process?

OMG... Shecky is KILLING me. He had a spelling test today. Since Monday was a Holiday they only had one day to learn the words before the test. (Usually they get their spelling words list on Monday.)

Last night we drilled and drilled and DRILLED on the words. Two words, "weighed" and "searched" were giving him brain cramps. Every time I would call one of those two out for him to spell he would groan and whine and bitch and complain cause they were haaaaaaaaaaard. I finally stopped drilling him on them because his frustration level was through the roof.

He came home with his test today... He spelled them right... and MISSED two words he KNEW! WTF?

I was cracking up when I saw it and swatted him playfully on the back of the head and called him a dork. They will retake the test Friday so we'll keep studying the words... ALL OF THEM.

Updates On Old Subjects

What a way to start the week. Husband called at 6:45 AM... as in... this morning. I thought, "Wow. He called to wish Shecky a nice day a school. How sweet and thoughtful of him." Dudes... when I am wrong... MAN am I WRONG. Apparently, sometime in the dead of the night last night, our car, yes... THAT car.. was broken into. They broke out the passenger side window and stole an MP3 player, Husband's work phone and some keys. The police were called, the report was filed, the window is currently being fixed... but... DAMN! The NEW fricking car... the one we've had less than a MONTH. Jebus.

When I first started this blog I wrote about how I used to sing. It is the one thing that I always felt proud of my ability to do and do well. This weekend I went out and bought a 4 disc set of Female Country and Western songs on Karaoke. I spent an hour today singing. I strained the hell out of my throat and my voice but MAN it felt good. I'm currently working on learning "Born To Fly" by Sara Evans. LOVE LOVE LOVE that song.

I'm also a baking fool today. I'm making Chocolate Chip Cookies for Shecky. He'll have them as after school treats this week. Unfortunately those are a huge weakness for me. So, to offset the temptation of them I'm making Weight Watchers Death by Chocolate:

Make one package of NoPudge Fat Free Brownies. Let cool. Cut brownies. While brownies are baking, crush 12 pieces of Whitman's Weight Watchers Candies. (We've tried the Peanut Butter Crunch and the English Toffee. Both are great. Next time I'm going to cut up some of the coconut candies. Those you have to cut up and not crush.) Make a layer of brownies in bowl. Make two packages of Jell-O Sugar Free/Fat Free Chocolate Fudge Pudding. Spread evenly over brownies. Cover pudding with 1 container of Sugar Free Cool Whip. Sprinkle crushed/cut candies on top of cool whip. Store in refrigerator. Its only 2 pts for a cup of this stuff and its VERY good. I'm going to give some to KT this afternoon and see if she likes it. If she does, I'll give the recipe to her mom. :)

WI Day Blues

Well, I gained 2 lbs this week. Its not completely unexpected after the 9 lbs loss last week however it is disheartening. I've looked back on the week and I think I've pinpointed a few things that impacted it.

1. Not taking in enough dairy. I'm really bad about this. I tend to not pay attention to it or even think about it most of the time. I need to be more aware of my dairy intake. I know I KEEP saying this but it seems to be a real hurdle for me a lot of the time.

2. Taking in too MANY carbs. I ate more rice this week, more potato than I usually do. It helped sate my appetite but I tend to loose better eating high protein rather than higher carbs.

3. Only eating 1 or 2 meals a day. I know. I know. BAD Idea. I KNOW that doesn't work for me but the Core Plan says only to eat when you're hungry. I wasn't hungry much this week. Its back to 3 meals a day for me even if lunch is something really small.

4. Not exercising enough. I don't know how true this one is or not. I didn't swim as much this week. Only once. However, I have walked a couple of times. It wasn't for nearly as long as my water exercises are but its much more strenuous. I'm not sure what to make of that. I'm going to walk again this week and see if I can't increase the time I'm walking a bit and see if it makes a difference.

Otherwise, its been a nice weekend. Shecky is running around having a blast with all the kids that are here this weekend. Its the last weekend of Summer for the most part and a lot of people came to the lake for the weekend for one last hurrah. Hope you're all having a great holiday weekend as well.