SuperPucky Edition of Cribs

I finally got off my behind and took pictures of Robbie's Room. Disclaimer: I had a VERY limited budget. I also waited too late to paint the room, not that it is in the budget to get painted anyways. Someday I will get around to slapping a coat of paint up. I made the Froggay picture frame and letters. I am going to put a picture of SuperPucky, Fuzband and Superbaby in it. I also stained the container on the right hand side with coffee grounds. So if Robbie grows up addicted to coffee I will know why. Wow...I need to steam that curtain. Don't you love the fact I already have laundry from him and he isn't even here yet?

This is Mr. Superbaby's bed. I want to get in it and go to sleep. The mobile he has is ultra cool. It projects pictures that rotate on to the little umbrella thingy and the umbrella rotates too. It plays nature sounds, lullabies and sounds from the womb. I got a little sleepy just testing it out. It even has a remote control so you can turn it back on without going back in the room completely. On the wall behind him is a FAA nightmare. There are airplanes, helicopters trains, dump trucks, ambulances, police cars, fire trucks and assorted vehicles flying through the air creating multiple collisions. I actually got all Martha Stewart and painted some of them myself.

"My First Mickey" came from Disney World last at this time year right around our anniversary. I knew we would start trying for a baby soon. I wanted him/her to get a souvenir from Disney too. I was torn if I wanted to get Mickey or Minnie and settled down on Mickey. Little did I know I would be having a boy at almost the exact same time the following year? (sniffle sniffle, mooshy mooshy-must be those hormones)

The Cars Poster is significant as in the fact that it was the movie that Fuzband and I saw on our first date. We held hands while watching the movie. It was so romanticle! These are the walls above the queen sized bed in Robbie's room. Since we have a smaller house and limited room. The nursery will double as a guest room. We have a pack and play in the living room that will serve as his back up crib when we have company. I got a Moses basket for the bedroom for the first few months before he starts sleeping through the night. It is the coolest thing. It is a pretty little basket meant to use the first few months of a baby's life. It can sit on the bed or on the trunk at the foot of my bed. I figured when he wakes me for third feeding of the night it may be more convenient to have him at arms length. After he outgrows it I thought it would be great for holding toys and other assorted items.

I am excited, I ordered a few books for Robbie today, I got him ABC's and Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss and Goodnight Moon. I can't wait to read them to him. I got What to Expect the First Year for me and a book on breastfeeding.

I finally found a pediatrician and I will be meeting with her next week. The practice is really nice, and even has a lactation consultant on staff. I was surprised that not all pediatrician group practices offer this service. I figured since I am new at all of this I could use all the support I could get.

That is all for today...I need some lunch. Funny how the last few posts have ended with me going to lunch.

Absenteeism

I am sure I probably mispelled absenteeism, at 3:50 AM who gives a crap anyway.

Things have not been really super for SuperPucky.

Disclaimer
.....this is a cathartic post and not particularly sunshine and roses type diatribe so feel free to skip.

Let us begin the list because I just have to get this off my chest:

1. Acid reflux attacks-imagine a basketball that has nails sticking out of it inside of your chest. This basket ball is slowly being inflated and then lit on fire while it over inflates. The pain is excruciating and if I had not already had one before you would swear to God it was a heart attack. Pain so unbelievably bad I was driving like a bat out of hell to the nearest hospital with nothing but panties a night shirt and my Dooney and Bourke. This is now under control thanks to medication. Praise god for Protonix.

2. SuperWeezie moving, SuperWeezie is getting her own place which is causing a little chaos in my home. Normal moving B.S. and the stress of change which for folks like me with anxiety just plain sucks.

3. The UTI that will NOT go away, lets just say that I am on round TWO of different antibiotics and I am getting sick of orange pee and cranberry juice (this begins week two). I am probably going to have to go to the Dr. AGAIN because I don't think the new one is working. Frickity, frick frick.

4. Two words....root friggin' canal, well that was three but dammit I don't care. Normally this "painless" procedure is not so bad and it is done in two visits. Oh nooooooo not for me during the month from hell. I take three visits on the second of which the Novocaine does not get to the area where they are driving WIRES into the roots of my gums. Yes wires....so four roots four wires eight indentations on the arm rests of my dentist's chair. Brush your friggin teeth and don't insult the tooth fairy what ever you do people..seriously.

5. Time for Diflucan, side effect and primary symptom of root canal is abcess in gums and requires antibiotics. Which triggers a need for Diflucan and if you know what that med is for then you know how much fun that is and the fact I had to go get another one for the UTI from hell.

6. Spectaculary failure of the following:
a.) Dieting. (Can we say late night secret eating and gaining back 10 of the lost pounds and creeping back toward 300...holy bat shit)
b.) Not Smoking. I am smoking, not a lot, not a friggin chimney two pack a day lot about four to five. (not good not at all good)
c.) Exercising-YMC wha? when you have zero energy to barely clean your home and you feel like you have been kicked by a horse in the back just does not elicit the urge to sweat and "feel the burn"
d.) Co-Dependency-Hey you got a problem......I SuperPucky Supreme Queen of EVERYTHING can fix off of your problems. Because...hey you know since my shit is spectacularly fucked up I will be happy to ignore my problems and dwell on yours.
e.) Budgeting, sure I need those shoes, and that shirt and all those songs on I-Tunes..sure I do yeah, really need them.

f.) Anger Management, lets just say that I won't be going in a certain Office Depot any time soon and that will be another post for another day.

7. Job. I didn't even make it a fargin' year. I have to go back to work. I don't care if we cut out eating there just isn't enough wiggle room in the budget to allow me to stay at home to nurse my five gagillion ailments, lose weight and baby prep. Needless to say that since the want ads have gone from actually being a section in the paper to a three page joke full of people trying to sell ratty furniture that has been difficult. Bright spot on the horizon I am in the "HurryupandtellmeifIgotthedamnjob" mode as I had a final interview last week. Bleak spot on horizon no call backs on anything else. Is Wal Mart or McDonald's hiring? Waffle House is starting to look pretty damn good now. Damn economy.

8. Baby....In my infinite lack of wisdom I think in the midst of all turd storm of a month to dispense with contraception and start trying. I think it will be a brilliant idea to purchase the book What to Expect Before You are Expecting. One third of the way into the book I was ready to cry my eyes out and put a bullet in my brain. According to the last word on baby making you have to be Mother Theresa to get pregnant and I am pretty much a Concubine of the Devil. Oh and don't let me forget to mention that when I made the mistake of going to a CVS "Minute Clinic" to get the meds on a Sunday because I thought I was going to pass out from pain fever chills and the constant need to pee three drops. A man who reminds me of Milton from Office Space who could never in a majillion years take up gynecology insists that I am about to miss my period and I could be pregnant. Now I just ovulated about three days prior to my visit and he is telling me that I should be missing my period by now. Yeah he is brilliant and eloquent because he could barely get out the instructions for a clean catch urine sample. So after explaining that there is about a sliver of a gnats ass hair chance that I am pregnant and that you get false positives this early what does he do with my urine, gives me a pregnancy test. I am sure this is because they don't want "Minute Clinic" to be sued for a flipper baby or worse. I know he had to do the test, but he SMUGLY shows me the test as if to say, HAH see you AREN'T pregnant. That man had the bedside manor of well....MILTON...."Um I believe you have a um UTI.....". Unlike many women who sigh a breath of relief to get this news my soul just shrank a little. I know it could be false negative, but I REALLY didn't need that after all the b.s. that you have read prior to this.

9. Insomnia, yeah, this post is being written at 4:30 AM, I was up to 4:30 AM yesterday and doesn't seem to be getting better. I wonder why I can't sleep?!

10. Disney, I will not be going back to Disney in November to see all the pretty lights and ooh and aaah. No going to enjoy the uber cheap bounce back price I got and free food. Due to our spectacular financial situation that just didn't make sense at all. I know it sounds contrite and spoiled but that was really a light at the end of the tunnel for me. Plus if I get this job I don't believe it is prudent to immediately ask for a week off from mandatory training.

11. Therapy, this should not be shocker, I am now back in therapy to help me deal with items 1-10 and all the other bat shit crazy flying around in my poor overworked brain. I am glad I ended with Therapy because that will get me back where I need to be at what should be focusing on myself and my spirituality.

In conclusion I would like to write a letter to August 2009.

Dear August 2009,
You suck. You are hot and humid and you are a flaming turd on the calendar. I am so glad that I do not have to endure you again. I am glad that you are in the past and that September is coming and it WILL be better. I will make sure it is better. Even if September has a few rough patches it will come nowhere near the sucktitude of you. So good riddance. I hope the next few days until the 1st will give me some respite from all the crap you have thrown at me.
I finally got some sense in my head and realized I needed to stop looking around like a lunatic for help. That I NEEDED to ask for help and pray to someone who is a LOT smarter than me. I got me some Jesus and that is all I need, that and a good nights sleep.

Sincerely,
Semi Super-Soon to be SuperPucky

To those of you if any who stuck it out and read this whole entry thank you for participating in Whine FEST 2009 (tickets are not refundable). Funny lighthearted and encouraging posts will return I SWEAR.

Weigh In

Well I peeked between my fingers this morning to see 306. I am up eight pounds, hooray.
It is totally my fault between the lets eat here screw the consequences, back injuries, ankle injuries, pity eating, stress eating blah de blah eat blah.
The hard cold truth is I am back up over 300 and then some. I had been bouncing between 298 and 300 for some time and then booyow right up into 306.
I have made the official decision that I am going to go to the YMCA next week and join up. I am going to start water aerobics and some light weight lifting for my arms. I think maybe some tread mill or elliptical on the non water aerobics days. It will get me out of the house and and doing something good for myself. The Y is only a few miles away and about a 7 minute drive so I will easily be able to dash there and back without much effort.
I am kind of excited about it too. I have a swimsuit which is a little too tight which will be perfect to wear so nothing pops out and I don't ruin the nice ones I got for Disney. Plus those are the skirt kind and it looks like it has floated up on me and my bikini bottoms are showing.
So yeah, gained weight and hating it, but have a plan to fix it. I have had so much crap going on that it will be nice to not have anything going on so I can concentrate more on my health and weight loss efforts.
Tomorrow is another day and another opportunity to turn this boat around and get this weight off.
Gotta keep swimming.

Rabba Flabba Frickis Frackis Flarn and Filth!

Don't you hate it when your brain is screaming goooo and your body answers NOOOO? I in my infinite wisdom decided that I was going to do a little shopping today. SuperWeezie informed me that we are out of creamer and that would be a travesty if that happened! So I decided to fire up the ol' Rav 4 and head for Ulta and Wally World. Ok it is about half way through Wal Mart when I start realizing that I am out of steam. I mean I have barely made it through my trip and I am feeling wiped out completely. After conquering 52 pounds and seven miles a day at Disney I can certainly handle a short trip for hair products and groceries....right? Wrong!
I am on the verge of dropping just a few more pounds and what stands in my way, TOM, and UTI. Damn you you three letter acronyms for things that make women miserable! (shaking fist)
I am in the zone, I am on cruise control, I am the calorie counting queen and I cannot drop weight because I cannot move my behind! Can you tell that I am frustrated? I spent years and I do mean years gaining weight and being extremely lazy. Now that I am motivated and wanting to move around and exercise and get to where I need to be I can't!
Perhaps this is the dear sweet Lord trying to help me learn patience. I am still getting accustomed to doing things at a smaller size. Things like: being able to sit up from a laying position without help from my arms, getting up from the floor without taking 20 minutes, squatting, getting on hands and knees, and getting up and down from a chair with ease are just a few of the exciting things I can do now. My brain has not quite wrapped itself around the idea of being four sizes smaller yet. Maybe he put this road block in my way to make me stop and smell the roses and be proud of myself. After all isn't it about the journey not the destination?

Boing Boing Boing Boing

I feel like one of those balls you could buy from the red machines at the exit of Kmart. Remember when bliss could be purchased for a mere quarter? Yes the bouncy balls that if you dropped them on the floor at Kmart your poor parents would spend the next five minutes chasing down like an epileptic monkey for fear you would begin wailing like a police siren in front of God and all the check outs.
I am soooooo close to 299 I can smell it, or taste it or...what ever! Anyways I am all giddy because I ordered some smaller new clothing from the Avenue, thanks to retailmenot.com I got 25% off of the already on sale prices and got 300.00 worth of clothing for around 155.00, HA! :::triumphantly holding confirmation sheet over head and prancing like pretty pretty pony:::
I am going to take a walk at our beautiful Riverfront park with the fuzzband today. Who would think that I would actually choose a place to exercise as a destination on a Saturday. Will wonders never cease?
Oh word to the wise shoppers out there, I have re-discovered Cheerios, the Banana Nut and Apple Spice Cheerio's rrrrOCK! Let's see, they are om nom nom nomable, low in sugar, high in fiber/grains, made with real oats (lowers the cholesterol), low calorie, and could be eaten right out of the box as a snack. Add banana to bowl of Cheerio's and small glass of oj and you have completed a balanced breakfast (just like the cheesy commercial says).
Also new dessert that won't make you feel or look like a blimp afterward. Wal-Mart brand fat free pineapple sherbet (with tid bits of pineapple-squeee!), a splash of pineapple juice in a glass with spoon and straw. I totally ripped this off of the Dole Whip at Disney World, and it tastes just like it! Oh don't forget obligatory fat free whipped cream on top to make you feel all decadent and what not. My husband and I hoovered them down with brain freeze glee. I can't wait to try this with the Orange Sherbet and Peach Sherbet with peach nectar....(drool).
Ok time to get dressed and go bounce around the park and try to drop those last few stubborn pounds so I can run down the street screaming 299, 299, 299, oh yeah and get my spa pedicure.

Ramblings from 2:24 AM from an Insomniac

Ah, me, you, laptop, and Tylenol PM. The life of an insomniac with an achy leg who has too many thoughts floating around in her head.
As I laid in bed next to my Fuzband (who was doing his level best to imitate an accordion being run over by a steam roller remixed into a 3 hour long disco song) tossing and turning I began to play snippets of my life in my brain. I have one of those brains that likes to go on 100 mph ADD tantrums when I should be sleeping.
My brain produces a mental TV show where it just shows flash backs of the previous seasons. I was zooming around my life to lame loser boyfriends, to girls you knew would be knocked up before graduation, to Amanda's most embarrassing moments, to what it was like to be smaller than I am now. After watching an hour and a half of flash backs I rolled out of bed and went in search of Tylenol PM.
One of the things I was thinking about was a sign I saw at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Appropriately placed in a toilet stall, it read "The Scoop on Poop: elephants can poop up to 300 lbs per day". I thought to myself while reading this sign, I weigh as much as elephant can poo in a day! Great.. now I am equal to a steaming pile of pachyderm excrement!!
Which reminds me of when I was smaller and I heard on TV that a heavyweight boxer weighs around 200 lbs. At the time I was 210 lbs and was horrified that I was fatter than Mike Tyson was in his glory days. I would give anything to weigh 200 right now. A whole 150 lbs less than when I started this journey. That would mean I lost a whole person off of me.
I am happy to report that I am back to my pre-vacation weight of 307 as of Saturday AM. I am happy that I did not screw up my diet too terribly and that I didn't gain. The extra weight I had acquired was water weight as I expected because TOM showed up about three days after the 308 weigh in.
In other somewhat related news I have taken myself off of Phentermine. I am tired of the constipation, worsened insomnia, anxiety, crabbiness and feeling like I was butter scraped over too much toast. Much to my delight I have not wanted to eat everything in sight and I have not returned to my bad habits. After rehabbing my back last week I am back on the Wii Fit and walking with my husband and dogs.
It is funny I was averaging around 6 to 7 miles per day at Disney and toward the end of the trip it was becoming easier. If only I could mentally visit Disney world every day and walk 7 miles I would be as big as a toothpick in no time. I thought to myself last Saturday night that if I could do 7 miles in the sun at Disney than I could handle thirty minutes in the evening at 86 degrees in SC. Sure enough after walking about 4,000 or 5,000 steps around the neighborhood felt like nothing. This was very encouraging that if properly motivated I could handle anything exercise wise that I wanted to. After dinner last night I felt a little guilty after having one big slice and one mini slice of my fathers birthday cake. So to try to alleviate some of the guilt I started up the ol' Wii and proceeded to sweat for the next thirty minutes.
Things are on the upswing which is great, if I could only fall asleep life would be even better.

Readjusting into the "Real" World

After leaving mouse induced bliss land, coming back to reality is not all it is cracked up to. No one magically makes my bed for me while I am out having fun. All the cooking and post clean up is not done for me. I don't get a call from a Disney character to wake me in the morning and remind me that I am in the most magical place ever. My house is not surrounded by a river and magnolia trees and a horse drawn carriages full of smooching lovers.
Yes I return to a yard needing mowing, a car that needs fixing, a house that needs cleaning, a fridge that needs filling, a fill in the blank that needs to be done by me. Oh yeah and we are now
on super tight budget mode so fun is now officially over.
Why is it I wanted to leave Disney?
Oh yeah to come home!
Ugh.
Ok enough with the whine tasting party.
Disney World was absolutely amazing. I enjoyed every day. It was full of all my favorite characters and enjoyment that I was craving. I started out strong sticking to the diet and then half way through it all went to hell in a hand basket, (or maybe a rocket fuel powered car). I ate every yummy thing at every meal by half way through the trip. I am happy to say that it only made me gain 1.3 pounds. So I didn't completely undo everything done prior to the trip.

I am also happy to report that I was able to hoof it all over Disney with a minimal amount of pain. I think I had the normal amount of "OMG I just walked 15,000 steps today pain." I think even the most toned athletes dogs would be barking after that little jaunt. We averaged around 10,000 to 14,000 steps per day which converts from 5 to 7 miles PER DAY!

I think the last few days have been "recovery" time for myself, sister and fuzband. We have all been really tired, and lethargic. I think the fuzband pushed himself a little too hard driving and was feeling exceptionally ill on Monday. My back has been hollering mercy for a few days now. Apparently walking 5 to 7 miles, bouncing around on rides, cars, trams, buses, monorails, carriages, are not my lower back's idea of fun. I am reporting to you right now from my couch after eating advil and muscle relaxer. Oh and I had to take my fuzband's grandmother to the airport which meant Monday clocked two hours driving and Tuesday nearly four and a half hours driving which included rush hour in Charlotte NC coming from the Airport.

My beloved doggies will be delivered by my sister within the next hour. I didn't realize how much I would miss those little guys until I spotted a service dog at Disney and my heart yearned for the love of my Flapper and Mack-a-roni. I have been without them for almost two weeks.

I think I am a weird person because I am a creature of routine and when my routine is broken I feel very scattered and chaotic. I have a tough time falling back into a routine and sometimes it takes me longer than the average bear to get used to it. I am having a super tough time with sleeping because I have been so exhausted over the last few days. I am also having a hard time getting used to being back home. Between the back pain and the upside down schedule I am feeling a little weird. Hopefully things will feel more normal by tomorrow.

More Mouseworld reports and updates to come later.

Blast Off For Mouse World

This time tomorrow morning I will be in orbit of Orlando. The Fuzband, sister and I will be truckin' down 95' like a heard of turtles.
Knock on wood the back is behaving itself. I have managed to get 98% packed up. I will be finishing up tonight.
Fuzband wants to leave at midnight to avoid weekend traffic and I think he is spot on. Orlando and Jacksonville traffic (shudder).
I am completely amazed we managed to cram a weeks worth of stuff into six suitcases for two cosmetic and toiletry addicted girls and get David's stuff in there too.
I am also amazed that a panic attack has not set in because I had so much stuff to do. I find myself today being able to tie up all the loose strings.
I had to leave my Flapper (my dachshund) and my Mackaroni (my Jack Russell) with my Poppa, and boy that was hard. Since Flapper is only 8 months old and he is my substitute child I am still feeling separation anxiety here. I haven't left him with anyone. Anyone who isn't a dog lover is looking at this screen like I have an extra boob. I am going to actually upload some photos for your enjoyment today.
There will be Disney Photos posted when I get back. If I can get to a wi fi spot I will try to blog a note or two. The giant mouse wants to charge 10.00 a day for internet access! You get that F-R-E-E that spells free ( at credit report dot com baby...sorry couldn't help that) at Embassy Suites and Days Inn and cheap hotels. A moderate resort at Disney wanted a little over 80.00 so I could have access. (Sigh) I will probably be going through withdrawal by the time I get home. Don't be surprised if I have a few blogs done off line...if I am not too exhausted.
Well folks I will miss you.
See ya real soon! Ha ha! (poor Mickey imitation)

Monday Monday...Every other Day of the Week is Fiiine

Good Monday everyone.
If you aren't seated, please sit because I have earth shattering, mind blowing news.
SuperPucky.......mowed yesterday. I know, I know, everyone take a moment to absorb it all. OK now that we are not hyperventilating anymore I will continue. I actually got off my behind and went out to help the fuzzband with yard work. I picked up pine cones, I raked, I bagged, I even mowed the entire back yard. Now before you become too dazzled I do live in the burbs so is isn't like we cleaned out the south forty. However, you need a stick of dynamite and the promise of something chocolaty to get me to do yard work under normal circumstances.

I thought if I sit still on the couch for another day my back is only going to hurt worse and I am only going to gain weight. So after feeling guilty while he mowed the front yard I motivated myself into doing the backyard with him. It actually looks pretty good. We didn't completely finish because we did need enough energy to shower, eat and then collapse. There is a teensy bit left that I can handle once the leaves dry out again. I am not attempting to rake wet leaves. That is where the line gets drawn.

When I woke up this morning I fully expected to feel as if I had been in a car wreck but actually I am feeling good. The back isn't even stiff or painful. YEA!

I weighed myself on the Wii Fit and I am down about two pounds from last weigh in 7 days ago. Hooray! I think it may have been a bit more dramatic had I not been sidelined by the back. I am not complaining because as long as those numbers are not up I am good. I am reeeeally good.

Mouse World beckons me like a siren song. We will be blasting off via Kia on Friday night at midnight. The Fuzzband is super happy about driving. He loves a road trip, as do I so we are super pumped.

I must leave you now because I have a pile of dishes and a pile of laundry that needs my attention. Where is Rosie the Robot when you need her?

Auto Body, My Achin' Body and Mickey

Who knew I had a knack for auto body? The chipped off paint and minor damage to the front end of my new old car was bothering me. So I googled paint repair and read away. Off to Advanced Auto Parts for paint, clear coat, primer and sand paper. (Oooh sounds like I really know what I am talking about) After much cussing yesterday and sanding and aggravating the muscles in my lower back I am almost done. I have to say for a first try it doesn't look half bad. The beautiful part about it is, I know how to screw it up and I know how to do it correctly! So if I get the urge I can re do the parts that aren't as pretty as the ones I did well on.
Something else I wanted to touch on, is if you are going to buy a used car insist on getting the Carfax report. I got mine after the fact and discovered a recall on my car. I knew I wasn't driving a Lexus off the lot so I wasn't surprised at a few bugs here and there. I discovered that the turn signal has tourrettes syndrome. It would click at the oddest times, and would continue clicking long after turning off. Then it died all together. When I looked up the recall on my handy dandy carfax report low and behold, the recall was for the turn signal/hazard light assembly. Dun dun duuuuun! I called chevy gave them my vin and voila the robot lady told me that there was an open recall on my car. I took it to the dealership and got a once over the entire car and I got the problem solved for..... NOTHING. Goose egg, zero, nada, zip, zilch, nothing, absosmurfly no money. WOO HOO! Thank you Carfax!
On to other news, I hate my lower back.
(Just for those of you thinking you are smarty pants my back was bothering me before I turned into auto body girl so that was not the cause.)
Wouldn't you know the week before I head off to Disney it decides that "I am not happy and I am going to let you know it.". It is sending these mind-numbingly painful bursts of pain straight up my spine. When does this happen, whenever it wants to. I could be picking up a dish from the table, unlocking my car, petting my dog, turning around to walk through the kitchen, climbing a rock wall, you know the usual. So off to my Dr. who applauded me on my weight loss so far and the exercising. He sent me off with some meds for my poor back.
Let me tell you this troops, I don't care if I am on one of those carts that beep when you back up. I am going to Disney. Oh yes, I am going to Disney if I have to put one of those old ass AaAOOOoooga horns on a wheelchair and motor myself around Disney it is happening! NOTHING short of a hurricane will keep me from my mouse induced bliss.
So I have to "try" to take it easy on my back while I get ready for a week long trip. (HAH)

Just a little Update

Things are interesting and exciting right now here are a few things of note:
1. I am preparing for a week long trip to Disney World (uproarious cheers and hurrah)

2. I just got my new to me car '01 Malibu and it is purty and it was cheap a steal at 4,000.00 (go me)

3. I am now a 307-yes 307 I am only 7 pounds from watching that first number change to a 2 a number two it has been almost five years since I have been below 300.

4. I am now a size 24W/26W at Catherines, which is a 30 just about everywhere else, so I am just a few inches away from not having to shop at exclusive plus size shops.

5. My ankles are reappearing, I have had a missing persons report out on them for years now, but I believe we have found them.

6. I went to Olive Garden tonight and only ate 1/2 of a bread stick, one small bowl of salad and a selection off the low fat menu of which I boxed up half of. (I almost passed out at my level of restraint. Normally I would order a plate of cheese covered cheese with cheese sauce)

7. At the dealership yesterday I was walking up an extremely steep grade and realized that I wasn't wheezing, out of breath or about to attach myself to the salesman's leg and beg for mercy.

Life is good. Thank you God!