Way to Get Your Fridge Scrubbed Out....

We came home Sunday night to a slight lingering stench in the condo, and an immaculate fridge.  I don't think my fridge has been this clean since I purchased my condo.  I got the fridge new!

We get a call on Friday night from the lady below who was watching our cats to tell us that our power was off.  After going back and forth with the power company, they are not coming out.  My dad and electrician uncle came out on Saturday, and called the power company to tell them it was indeed their fault.  They came out, and fixed the problem.  They told my dad they "accidentally" cut our power off, when they had an order to cut off power to unit 5.  My parents came back up on Sunday to clean all the crap that had leaked out of my fridge onto the floor.  They took out seven bags of trash (I always pack my fridge). 

My parents are the best!

Great Video from Youtube!

I'm Worth It

Hijacked from Facebook: My Nephew Lucas

Reading Update

I have finished several books while I've been on holiday. 

I read Obese from the Heart: A Fat Psychologist Discloses.  I did not care for this book at all.  Everyone has their own personal journey, so I won't discount Ms. Steins.  There was a statement early in the book about how fat people are some of the most angry people she knows.  She verifies this by saying she should know, she is fat herself.  I wasn't always on cloud nine as a SSMO person, but not every area of my life was miserable either.  I was very successful at my career, had a close relationship with my family, and was involved in many church activities.

I am currently reading, Designated Fat Girl: A Memoir.  I purchased this on Kindle as soon as I learned about it because it was the first memoir from a person who had WLS that I knew of.  Ms. Joyner had gastric bypass in 2008, after a struggle of sixteen years with her weight.  She addressed the frequent line of "taking the easy way out" and "doing it on your own" in her book....

"It finally occurred to me that my choosing to have weight-loss surgery was doing it "on my own."  I was making the only choice I had in order to improve my health, in order to be around to watch my children grow up.  By having gastric bypass, I wasn't giving up and my weight loss wouldn't be a less-than effort.  I was finally choosing to do what was best for me, no matter what anyone else thought.  And that made me feel incredibly free."

Recap from Yesterday

Reed was having a laughter fit after we picked him up from his half day of school.

We are the cool aunt and uncle....taking him to see Megamind in 3D.  He had to listen to us jam to various songs on XM Radio on the way over though!

We had dinner at the Mexican restaurant when HH's brother Webb arrived.

HH's dinner:  (I think I'll pass)

HH got a haircut yesterday.  His hair has been thinning considerably, and we were debating the whole "shave it off" topic.  The stylist cut more hair off than he has ever had cut before, yet it actually looks like he has more hair.  I really like the new cut.

Yesterday in the shower, I started to get some anxiety thinking about all I had to do next week at work.  I had to pull myself out of thinking about it.  I only have two plannings next week, and have almost 10 hours of meetings outside of school time.  I don't want what I have to encounter next week to ruin the remainder of my vacation this week.

Best part of yesterday:  I'm an aunt again!  My SIL went into labor last night, and Lucas Elijah was born at 6 lbs and 14 oz. (19 inches long).  They didn't find out whether or not they were having a boy or girl.  I am hoping for a picture message on my phone sometime today!

So Much for Trying to be Proactive...

I called yesterday to set up an appointment with a Registered Dietitian.  I saw that it was covered under my health plan, and I thought it would be excellent to have a few consult appointments.

The receptionist asked me if I had diabetes, and then if I was overweight.  I said no to both, and she asks me why I wanted an appointment with the RD.  I said, "I just wanted to get tips on looking at my diet, and learning how to eat better."  In the insurance world you get no points for being proactive.  That's right...it would be covered if I had diabetes or was overweight, but since I don't have either of those I don't have a "billable diagnosis."  If I want to see an RD, it would be on my own dime at $64 an hour (the self pay rate).

So much for being proactive....

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob

Stovetop Stuffing

Layered Meatball Bake

* 1 package (6 oz.) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken
* 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
* 1/4 cup milk
* 1 pkg (1 lb.) frozen meatballs
* 2 cups frozen peas
* 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Prepare stuffing as directed on package.
2. Mix soup and milk in 13 by 9 inch baking dish.  Stir in meatballs and peas; top with cheese and stuffing.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through.

Variation:
Prepare as directed, substituting 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes for the soup, omitting milk and using Italian-flavored meatballs and Mozzarella Cheese.

Cooking....

Ready for the table....

HH loved this dish.  He loves Stovetop so much.  I am debating making something from the Stove Top Recipe book again tonight for dinner.  I'll be back later with more!

We played UNO last night.  We played the best out of three.  HH beat me twice!

Links Worth Checking Out....

How Poverty Promotes Obesity in India (I'm interested in this because of the area that I teach in.)

Are Normal Weight Americans Over-Fat?

WLS Vitagarden: Lab Tracker Workbook

Prison Powered Electricity?

Weight Watchers Points Plan Stretching to Help Splurgers

Should We Accept Our Size and Forget All This?

Don't Listen to the Critics

Happy Reading!

Photo Fun

Here are a few picture of us before leaving the hotel on Sunday:

I made white chili and mexican cornbread for dinner last night.  The fresh oregano from my MIL's garden made all the difference in the world!  I have thought about growing some on my own, and this experience certainly is pushing me in that direction.  My proudest moment was that Reed (my seven year old nephew) ate his entire bowl!  I was completely expecting him to take one bite and ask for a sandwich.  I would like to do something to add some color to it next time.

John was not a fan of the soup, but he loved the cornbread!

HH and Reed together.  Reed loves spending time with his uncle!

John using the leaf blower.  He also made sure to evenly distribute the dust and dog hair in the house with the blower.

I was really tacky about these nesting dolls.  They were on display on top of my MIL's cabinet.  I asked her if I could have them whenever she didn't want them anymore.  (I have really been wanting a set for the last few months.  I vividly remember playing with them at one of my mom's friends every time we went there.)  She said that I could have them now!  :)  They were HH's grandmothers, so they are at least fifty years old.

I am doing these Thanksgiving Love Notes for HH from the Happy Home Fairy's blog.

I am all set to cook dinner again tonight.  I'll be back with pictures and a recipe later.

Some encouragement for you today.  This post really spoke to me.

From Fooducate...

Tim Hawkins on Bad Candy...

Cooking

I don't know what my contribution will be cooking wise for Thanksgiving, as the menu has not been set yet.  I am determined to make this at some point during the week:

White Chili

Absolute Mexican Cornbread

I have never made White Chili, but became a fan of it several years ago.  Both recipes will be a first attempt, but I am up for it.

Charlotte

Great lobby view!

HH is eating the Breakfast of Champions: two oatmeal cookies with a frosting middle.

HH full of enthusiasm to sell soaps for his mom!  He kept going non-stop at the show!

This is where I sat to eat lunch at the hotel.  (I didn't go to the show, total energy crash.)  I love the curtains, and I felt like this would be where A List people get a private section away from the normal customers.

Crab cakes, asparagus, and mashed potatoes....and some Kindle reading time.  I love vacation time!

Downtown Denver

View from my hotel room:

I loved the view!  I certainly want to go back out west.

Colorado Pics Finally

I am in Charlotte now, and my Thanksgiving Break has begun!  Woo Hoo!  We are staying at an ultra nice hotel thanks to MIL.  I will post some pictures of that too tonight.

King Tut was awesome!  I wish that I were able to take photographs inside!

All the places that were mid-priced had calories, fat, protein, etc. listed by the meals.  I really liked that.

I loved our hotel!

I have a few more pictures, but I have not uploaded them.  This was mainly a work trip, so I didn't get to do a lot of sight seeing.

The Trash Can

I read something in I'm With Fatty that struck a deep cord within me.  He talked about how he would eat things, and would hide the wrappers and other evidence of his eating under paper towels.

OUCH!

I remember doing this quite a bit.  It started in college to hide what I had eaten from my roommates, but it especially continued when I started to nanny.  I would go straight from teaching school to their house, and I would hide what I ate while I was there.  This was easier for me to do since I bought most of the groceries as part of my job.  The mom was on another planet, and I don't think she noticed much of anything in that regard.  I guess what gets to me is the sneakiness of the behavior.  On some level I realized this was not right, yet I couldn't stop it. 

Repost from Julie: Lost and Found

I found a new blog a few months ago that I eagerly started subscribing to:

Julie: Lost and Found

She has written an excellent post about CHOICE.  I hope you enjoy it!  Thank you Julie for letting me repost this!  Please be sure to check out her site.

Life and Death Choices

I have choices. I make choices all day long.


Choose to get out of bed.

Choose whether or not to exercise.

Choose which clothes to wear.

Choose what to do for the day.

Heck, I work for myself and sometimes choose whether to work or not!

I can choose to be self centered, or to serve others.

I can choose to see the cup as half empty, or half full.

I choose what time to go to bed at night, armed with knowledge about the importance of sleep to my longevity.

I can choose mindFULness, or mindLESSness.

I have the choice to lose weight. I can choose what to eat today. How to move today. How to THINK today. Yes, I can choose positive or negative thoughts. I can choose to keep my blood sugar in control, or to feed my glucose intolerance and make it that much harder to make good choices tomorrow, and the next..

By making choices above, I can choose to live longer, or die sooner. Put that way, I know what the more appealing choice is. Therefore, the other choices that support life vs. death shouldn't be all that difficult. They are no brainers.

I'm looking forward to a day of choices. Choices to live longer..with every bite I take and step I take.
Cuz I'm sick of killing myself.

BIL Update....

My BIL is still in a coma.  Today he is supposed to have surgery.  This surgery has been "scheduled" for almost two weeks.  At first they could not keep his fever/infection down, then they needed to borrow the equipment, and most recently the doctor who was best to perform the surgery had to be out of town.  He has air on his brain, and this surgery the doctors feel in necessary, but also may be the key to Matt waking up.  He is not in the ICU right now, but does have a private room.  After surgery, he will be moving back into the ICU.  (They alternate very quickly on ICU or not....he has moved many times.)

We found out he will not be able to go to the local brain rehab facility here.  He must be able to "participate" in therapy for three hours a day, which means he would have to be out of the coma.  There is a good chance that he would go to a facility in Cincinnati or Indianapolis.  This is probably two weeks out for sure though.

He has been very active.  He moves around a lot.  He will turn his head slightly towards whoever is speaking. 

We are also thinking about the kids.  They are starting to ask A LOT of questions.  My BIL was not a good provider for his family, but his children were used to spending time with him in the evening, even if for nothing but to curl up and watch tv.  He was consistent with that, so they are not used to him being gone.  We have been thinking about how we could bring the kids in to see Matt.  Some ideas are....putting a cap on his head to cover the scar (although they do know he has a scar), pulling his covers way up, and perhaps using a scarf.  Then, making sure that he has received pain medication prior to them coming in.  This would allow him to be in a very calm "sleep-like" state.  My mom talked with my sister about this yesterday, and she is going to let the idea grow on her.

Finally Home

I'm working on getting my Denver pictures ready to post.  Here is some bits from the in-flight reading I did:

"In children 12 to 17 years of age, the overweight factor increases 2% for each additional hour of TV viewed daily.  Starting in adoescence girls' physical activity declines 7.9% per year, while boys' activity decreases 2.7% per year."

"Many of us are too passive about our health."

- Come On Everybody (Bill Cosby)

"My ability to tolerate shame, to compartmentalize it, to swallow it, increased right along with my belt size.  It came with the territory of being heavy.  Obese people have a lifelong experience with shame."

"I was trying to get used to the idea that I didn't deserve food just because I had a bad day.  Food doesn't fix anything.  It just makes your problems feel a little further away - like any other drug.  Food addicts are like any other addict looking for a fix."

"If you are not focused, you can lose it all in an instant."

"God forbid every morsel of food didn't end up in my mouth."

- I'm with Fatty

"Rewarding foods, tend to be reinforcing, meaning they keep us coming back for more." - David Kessler (The End of Overeating)

YAY SCALE!!!

I know I have some updating to do as far as my trip to Denver for the conference, but I wanted to share the most delightful booth I found today.  It was the "Boulder Youth Body Alliance: Honoring Body Diversity." 

I found out about the YAY SCALE!  Here are some samples...

These scales totally rocked!  I think I need to make my own "YAY" scale.  It was a great reminder that I am worth far more than a number that the scale provides.  The scale and my clothes are feedback, but there is so much more to me than just those numbers.

I forgot the entire purpose of the jeans project.  It is to demonstrate pride in your body, but I also think they sew the patches together to make blankets for AIDS patients?  I'm sorry I am fuzzy on this one.

The biggest thing I walked away with from this group was a quote inside their brochure:

"Despite all the pressure I feel to attain physical perfection, I have realized that in the end, when I look back, the things in my life I will be proud of will have nothing to do with the size and shape of my body."

POWERFUL.  I think I need to memorize that one.

Last Date Night....

HH had a great idea on Tuesday after work.  He suggested that we have one last date before we were separated for a week (this is our longest time apart).  He asked me where I wanted to go eat.  I am thankful that HH has very adaptive taste buds, because our meals almost always center on what I feel I can handle or am in the mood for.

So....

The PAULA DEAN BUFFET is where we went! 

This occasion certainly called for us to be a little fancy .... so we dressed up! 

I was proud of how I handled myself at the buffet.  I got several plates of food, but they had spoonful size bites on each one.  I truly just wanted to "taste" a bit of everything.  The only thing I got seconds on was a broccoli salad.  I am not a buffet fan, but this was really good food.  Not everything was a homerun, but I did enjoy most of it.

Oysters anyone?

This shirt cracked me up because HH has grease stains on almost all his shirts.