Okay. It was a good idea. Write a 50,000 word novel in a month. Just forge through the writing, don't go back and edit, don't worry about research, just get the writing done.
And I did get 9000 words written during the first week of the month. I even wrote every night while I was at WFC. Pretty impressive, eh?
The problem with it, for me, is (a) that' s just not how I work, and (b) the novel I'm working on requires intensive research. I just can't forge through the writing without getting the research done. I have forged through as much as I can right now. I now have to stop and forge through some pretty major research. I get to study Celtic magic, Celtic history and folklore, herbs, and aromatherapy. I get to take extensive notes. I get to figure out who's who. Then I can forge ahead with some more writing.
It has been a good experience. I learned from it. My muse was kind to me. One of my characters emerged full-grown and completely different from how I had expected her to be. I'm madly in love with her (nothing perverted, though), and can't wait to learn more about her. The protagonist has finally developed a mind and a voice of her own, and she's surprised me more than once as well. The book that I am writing bears little resemblance to the book I had planned to write, and I can thank NaNoWriMo for that. So I cannot call this a failed experiment. That said, I cannot wait to dive into Culpeper's Complete Herbal.
And even though you don't know it yet, you can't wait to meet Erea. So far I actually like her better than my protagonist, but I will admit that I know her better.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Monday, November 20, 2006
Everyone else is doing it.
You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.
No.
Explanations.
Not as easy as you might think...
1. Yourself: goofy
2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend: musician
3. Your hair: beautiful
4. Your mother/stepmother: enigma
5. Your dog: kissiful
6. Your favorite item: books
7. Your dream last night: vampires
8. Your favorite drink: water
9. Your dream car: sleek
10. The room you are in: office
12. Your fear: nonexistence
13. What you want to be in 10 years: alive
14. Who you hung out with last night: husband
15. What you're not: quitter
16. Muffin: verboten
17: One of your wish list items: boots
18: Time: break
19. The last thing you did: walked
20. What you are wearing: colorful
21. Your favorite weather: breezy
22. Your favorite book: Annwn
23. The last thing you ate: apple
24. Your life: exciting
25. Your mood: anticipatory
26. Your best friend(S): stalwart
27. What are you thinking about right now? life
28. Your car: silver
29. What are you doing at the moment?: typing
30. Your summer: hot
31. Your relationship status: married
32. What is on your TV?: nothing
33. What is the weather like?: glorious
34. When is the last time you laughed?: lunch
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.
No.
Explanations.
Not as easy as you might think...
1. Yourself: goofy
2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend: musician
3. Your hair: beautiful
4. Your mother/stepmother: enigma
5. Your dog: kissiful
6. Your favorite item: books
7. Your dream last night: vampires
8. Your favorite drink: water
9. Your dream car: sleek
10. The room you are in: office
12. Your fear: nonexistence
13. What you want to be in 10 years: alive
14. Who you hung out with last night: husband
15. What you're not: quitter
16. Muffin: verboten
17: One of your wish list items: boots
18: Time: break
19. The last thing you did: walked
20. What you are wearing: colorful
21. Your favorite weather: breezy
22. Your favorite book: Annwn
23. The last thing you ate: apple
24. Your life: exciting
25. Your mood: anticipatory
26. Your best friend(S): stalwart
27. What are you thinking about right now? life
28. Your car: silver
29. What are you doing at the moment?: typing
30. Your summer: hot
31. Your relationship status: married
32. What is on your TV?: nothing
33. What is the weather like?: glorious
34. When is the last time you laughed?: lunch
Saturday, November 18, 2006
8.6 Pounds! Squee!
I know I've blathered on about the WW Core program a few times this week. Well, that's because it works. I have felt so fantastic while eating great food and a lot less than I've been in the habit of eating. And my feelings were reinforced at weigh-in this morning. My leader's face reflected her astonishment: her eyes widened, she gasped, and I eagerly jumped up and down and demanded to know how much weight I lost.
8.6 pounds!
I got another 5-pound star, as I have now lost just over 20 pounds. I'm also 7 pounds away from my 10% goal.
It amuses me that every time I've mentioned the core program to someone at work, they immediately say that it's too limiting. I think that's the perception, but it's not the reality. To the contrary, I have found it amazingly freeing. I have had absolutely no cravings for anything unhealthy. I've eaten only the amount of food I need, and it's less than I ate even on the flex plan. It's all been fresh food, nothing processed. Although last night Joe did buy some ready-made mashed potatoes and gravy and put a little bit on my plate. I ate a few bites, and just about gagged at the amount of salt on them.
Sarah and I have been using our morning and afternoon breaks as opportunities to get in some exercise. We have a route mapped out that is about 1/2 mile, and we walk it twice a day no matter the weather.
I am determined to succeed. I know this isn't something that I will do until I hit goal. This is just how I live now until I die. And I like it. I'm going to die slim and healthy and lookin' hot!
8.6 pounds!
I got another 5-pound star, as I have now lost just over 20 pounds. I'm also 7 pounds away from my 10% goal.
It amuses me that every time I've mentioned the core program to someone at work, they immediately say that it's too limiting. I think that's the perception, but it's not the reality. To the contrary, I have found it amazingly freeing. I have had absolutely no cravings for anything unhealthy. I've eaten only the amount of food I need, and it's less than I ate even on the flex plan. It's all been fresh food, nothing processed. Although last night Joe did buy some ready-made mashed potatoes and gravy and put a little bit on my plate. I ate a few bites, and just about gagged at the amount of salt on them.
Sarah and I have been using our morning and afternoon breaks as opportunities to get in some exercise. We have a route mapped out that is about 1/2 mile, and we walk it twice a day no matter the weather.
I am determined to succeed. I know this isn't something that I will do until I hit goal. This is just how I live now until I die. And I like it. I'm going to die slim and healthy and lookin' hot!
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Finding our self worth
Yesterday Trista blogged about the realization that she derives her sense of self-worth from what she can do for others (here). It took me back to my own journey.
I'd say it started, gosh, probably 23, 24 years ago. I know I wasn't yet 21. I was living on my own for the first time. Mom was living with Liz and our brother near the coast of Texas with our grandfather. I was up in the DFW area. I worked in Dallas at a job I detested. My favorite uncle and his then-wife, who lived in Houston, decided to go to the Kerrville Folk Festival, and invited us to join them. So I made arrangements to fly to Houston, where my Mom would pick me up at the airport, take me to my uncle's house, and we'd all ride out together with my uncle and aunt. I asked one of my few--very few--friends to take me to the airport and then pick me back up.
We had a good time at the folk festival. I loved the music, loved the freedom, loved camping out. I was a little shocked at a few things my uncle said to me, but hey, he was from a different generation, and had different opinions, so I shrugged them off and didn't let them worry me too much. I wasn't particularly looking forward to going back to work, but all good things must end, so I reluctantly boarded the plane that carried me back to Dallas Love Field.
When I got to the airport in Dallas, my friend wasn't waiting for me anywhere. I waited, patiently at first, and then got more and more worried. I tried calling her, but couldn't reach her. Finally deciding that she had forgotten, I called another friend who lived near me in Fort Worth. She left immediately. About 10 minutes later, the other friend arrived. When I apologetically told her that I'd just called someone else, she was furious with me. She could not believe that I thought so little of her to think that she would forget about me. But that wasn't it at all. It was that I thought so little of myself. She didn't understand that, and I don't think she ever talked to me again, despite my apologies and attempts at explanation.
It didn't sink in, then. I kept going my not-so-merry way. Life was hard. It always has been for me. I missed a lot of the bad experiences I hear about that others had, and I'm grateful. But that doesn't mean it was easy or fun. I was desperately lonely, desperately broke, too ignorant to understand how I could go to college without money or family support, and doing a lot of dead-end jobs that provided no enjoyment or satisfaction. Those years were painful then, and I don't like thinking about them now because they bring nothing but painful memories.
So advance forward 7 or 8 years. I'm in Salt Lake City, living not too far from the University of Utah. A neighbor had promised to pick me up for some activity. He was late. (Are you noticing a theme here?) I decided he wasn't coming. Took my clothes back off. Cried. Got a pounding headache. Then I heard someone knocking at the door. I couldn't answer the door--I wasn't dressed fit to be seen, I looked like a wreck, and I had a raging headache. I just lay there and sobbed, pretending I wasn't home. Bless his heart, he knocked for a good 5 minutes before he gave up and left. I felt like the biggest heel in the world. After I was sure he was gone, I got up and threw on some clothes and went to a pay phone and called my mother and stepfather and told them what had happened. They came over to see me, and my stepfather gave me a blessing. Somehow the realization that I thought of myself as completely worthless sunk in that time.
It took a long time and a lot of hard work to learn to realise that I am of worth because I am. God created me, and he created me just the way I am, imperfections and all. I have learned that it is my very imperfections that have created bonds between me and other people, people whom I truly love and admire. It is the imperfections and quirks that make me unique. I think if God had intended everyone on earth to be alike, he could have rolled out some human dough and used one cookie cutter, popped us all in the oven at one time, cooked us for the same length of time, and then we would all have been just the same.
Since he didn't do that, I think it's probably safe to assume that he loves us as we are. I don't think that gives me a blanket excuse to not try to improve myself, but I can improve myself without losing my individuality.
Anyway, sorry to blather on for so long. I've just been doing a lot of thinking since I read Trista's post yesterday. I remember that icy shock of realization, and then the days of stunned pondering that followed it. I've studied enough psychology to understand what led me to that way of thinking, and I do not see any benefit in delving back into it now. I'd rather press forward, with a perfect brightness of hope, with a love of God and of all men (and women!).
Excelsior!
I'd say it started, gosh, probably 23, 24 years ago. I know I wasn't yet 21. I was living on my own for the first time. Mom was living with Liz and our brother near the coast of Texas with our grandfather. I was up in the DFW area. I worked in Dallas at a job I detested. My favorite uncle and his then-wife, who lived in Houston, decided to go to the Kerrville Folk Festival, and invited us to join them. So I made arrangements to fly to Houston, where my Mom would pick me up at the airport, take me to my uncle's house, and we'd all ride out together with my uncle and aunt. I asked one of my few--very few--friends to take me to the airport and then pick me back up.
We had a good time at the folk festival. I loved the music, loved the freedom, loved camping out. I was a little shocked at a few things my uncle said to me, but hey, he was from a different generation, and had different opinions, so I shrugged them off and didn't let them worry me too much. I wasn't particularly looking forward to going back to work, but all good things must end, so I reluctantly boarded the plane that carried me back to Dallas Love Field.
When I got to the airport in Dallas, my friend wasn't waiting for me anywhere. I waited, patiently at first, and then got more and more worried. I tried calling her, but couldn't reach her. Finally deciding that she had forgotten, I called another friend who lived near me in Fort Worth. She left immediately. About 10 minutes later, the other friend arrived. When I apologetically told her that I'd just called someone else, she was furious with me. She could not believe that I thought so little of her to think that she would forget about me. But that wasn't it at all. It was that I thought so little of myself. She didn't understand that, and I don't think she ever talked to me again, despite my apologies and attempts at explanation.
It didn't sink in, then. I kept going my not-so-merry way. Life was hard. It always has been for me. I missed a lot of the bad experiences I hear about that others had, and I'm grateful. But that doesn't mean it was easy or fun. I was desperately lonely, desperately broke, too ignorant to understand how I could go to college without money or family support, and doing a lot of dead-end jobs that provided no enjoyment or satisfaction. Those years were painful then, and I don't like thinking about them now because they bring nothing but painful memories.
So advance forward 7 or 8 years. I'm in Salt Lake City, living not too far from the University of Utah. A neighbor had promised to pick me up for some activity. He was late. (Are you noticing a theme here?) I decided he wasn't coming. Took my clothes back off. Cried. Got a pounding headache. Then I heard someone knocking at the door. I couldn't answer the door--I wasn't dressed fit to be seen, I looked like a wreck, and I had a raging headache. I just lay there and sobbed, pretending I wasn't home. Bless his heart, he knocked for a good 5 minutes before he gave up and left. I felt like the biggest heel in the world. After I was sure he was gone, I got up and threw on some clothes and went to a pay phone and called my mother and stepfather and told them what had happened. They came over to see me, and my stepfather gave me a blessing. Somehow the realization that I thought of myself as completely worthless sunk in that time.
It took a long time and a lot of hard work to learn to realise that I am of worth because I am. God created me, and he created me just the way I am, imperfections and all. I have learned that it is my very imperfections that have created bonds between me and other people, people whom I truly love and admire. It is the imperfections and quirks that make me unique. I think if God had intended everyone on earth to be alike, he could have rolled out some human dough and used one cookie cutter, popped us all in the oven at one time, cooked us for the same length of time, and then we would all have been just the same.
Since he didn't do that, I think it's probably safe to assume that he loves us as we are. I don't think that gives me a blanket excuse to not try to improve myself, but I can improve myself without losing my individuality.
Anyway, sorry to blather on for so long. I've just been doing a lot of thinking since I read Trista's post yesterday. I remember that icy shock of realization, and then the days of stunned pondering that followed it. I've studied enough psychology to understand what led me to that way of thinking, and I do not see any benefit in delving back into it now. I'd rather press forward, with a perfect brightness of hope, with a love of God and of all men (and women!).
Excelsior!
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Embarrassing Moments at Work, Part 694
J. came into my office wanting a retractable badge holder. I looked in the drawer where my keys are usually kept. No keys.
Then I remembered. One of those trips to the bathroom. I had just picked up some office supplies for one of the other managers, and couldn't wait long enough to take the keys back to my office before going to the bathroom. I don't have any pockets. I put the keys in the only available place.
I looked down, and gave J. a panicked look. "Uh, would you mind--"
He took the hint, and looked the other way while I fished the keys out of my cleavage.
I quickly got his retractable badge holder and we both pretended like nothing happened.
Then I remembered. One of those trips to the bathroom. I had just picked up some office supplies for one of the other managers, and couldn't wait long enough to take the keys back to my office before going to the bathroom. I don't have any pockets. I put the keys in the only available place.
I looked down, and gave J. a panicked look. "Uh, would you mind--"
He took the hint, and looked the other way while I fished the keys out of my cleavage.
I quickly got his retractable badge holder and we both pretended like nothing happened.
What's New?
A broken tooth. Well, it's not new. The tooth is slightly younger than I am, and it's been broken for a few weeks. But it's just buggin' the stink out of me! I have a huge fear of dentists, and have had one ever since a dentist extracted a tooth when I was 12 or 13 and I got a horrible infection. That means, as you might have deduced, that I only go to the dentist when something is terribly wrong. That further means that my teeth are a mess. Well, my friends, 2007 is the year! When I go to the dentist next Wednesday (yes, the day before Thanksgiving, which means that I'll successfully avoid the feast at work because my appointment is during lunch), I'll also ask for an estimate on what it will cost to get my teeth fixed. And then I'll put that much money in my healthcare account. That means I'll HAVE to get my teeth fixed, because if I don't, I forfeit the money. And then next January, I'll start going to the dentist/orthodontist/other-various-ontists as required, and maybe by the end of next year I'll have a reasonably decent set of teeth in my mouth, or else a reasonably close facsimile thereof. I joke about getting dentures, but part of me really would like to tell him to just yank 'em out, and give me dentures. The other part of me never wants to be seen without teeth in my mouth. And I do mean never. I was a little dismayed that the earliest appointment I could get was next Wednesday, but didn't see fit to complain. I asked if there is something that I can put in the broken tooth to keep food out, and was told that there is something called Tempbond or Dentemp, available at grocery stores or drugstores. Cool! I looked, but never saw any such thing. I suppose it helps to find it if one actually knows what one is looking for.
Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride Holiday HerbTea. Again, probably not new, but I just bought a box last week at the grocery store. It's by Celestial Seasonings, and has milk thistle, roasted barley, orange peel, natural sugar cookie flavor with other natural flavors and vanilla bean. It's really good for quelling those desires for something hot and sweet in the afternoons. I just brew up a cup (or three, depending on how strong those cravings are), and stir in a little fake sugar, and my tummy is happy.
Painting by Chagall by the Weepies. Again, not new, but new to me, so I get to list it here since I'm making the rules right now. I got Trista's Crazy Mixed-Up CD while I was at the World Fantasy Convention, and I didn't get a chance to listen to it until last Friday. I love it!!!! The whole CD I mean, not just this song. She titled it "Songs You Shouldn't Listen to at 3 AM." Good title, by the way. I really like all the songs on this CD, and there are 3 songs by the Weepies. Have you heard anything by them? No? Well, what are you waiting for? Trista wrote in her liner notes that this song (Painting by Chagall) is the song that hooked her. It's a hooky song. It's the kind that I could just keep hitting the back button over and over and over and over. It's that good.
Yet another boil on my face. At least this one's on my chin. The last few have been on my nose. But still. Ugh. Boils. The last one was horrible!!! See, if I avoid squeezing them, they die faster. But the last one came to a perfectly disgusting pussy head, and I had to squeeze it to avoid grossing people out. So then it scabbed up, and bled a lot for about 4 or 5 days. It is still scabby, but it's a tiny scab now. My skin got so much better when I started Weight Watchers. I think it's getting even with me for my indiscretions that caused the 3.8 pound weight-gain. Damn skin! (Why am I cursing my skin? I should be cursing my indiscretions. If you can call Godiva cheesecake an indiscretion. Personally, I call it bliss.) Well, it's getting virtually no toxins from my food, and I haven't been wearing makeup (except to the concert the other night), so I'm hoping that the boils are about finished erupting. Maybe this one will be the last. [wayne campbell]Yeah, and monkeys might fly out of my butt.[/wayne campbell]
Another episode of Veronica Mars tonight. No need to elaborate. Just know that I'll be sitting in front of the television between 8 and 9 p.m. I'll be doing laundry before that, and will go to sleep after that.
I could probably ramble on, but I have to go to the bathroom. And you know how much water I drink, so I can't bold that. It's definitely nothing new.
Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride Holiday HerbTea. Again, probably not new, but I just bought a box last week at the grocery store. It's by Celestial Seasonings, and has milk thistle, roasted barley, orange peel, natural sugar cookie flavor with other natural flavors and vanilla bean. It's really good for quelling those desires for something hot and sweet in the afternoons. I just brew up a cup (or three, depending on how strong those cravings are), and stir in a little fake sugar, and my tummy is happy.
Painting by Chagall by the Weepies. Again, not new, but new to me, so I get to list it here since I'm making the rules right now. I got Trista's Crazy Mixed-Up CD while I was at the World Fantasy Convention, and I didn't get a chance to listen to it until last Friday. I love it!!!! The whole CD I mean, not just this song. She titled it "Songs You Shouldn't Listen to at 3 AM." Good title, by the way. I really like all the songs on this CD, and there are 3 songs by the Weepies. Have you heard anything by them? No? Well, what are you waiting for? Trista wrote in her liner notes that this song (Painting by Chagall) is the song that hooked her. It's a hooky song. It's the kind that I could just keep hitting the back button over and over and over and over. It's that good.
Yet another boil on my face. At least this one's on my chin. The last few have been on my nose. But still. Ugh. Boils. The last one was horrible!!! See, if I avoid squeezing them, they die faster. But the last one came to a perfectly disgusting pussy head, and I had to squeeze it to avoid grossing people out. So then it scabbed up, and bled a lot for about 4 or 5 days. It is still scabby, but it's a tiny scab now. My skin got so much better when I started Weight Watchers. I think it's getting even with me for my indiscretions that caused the 3.8 pound weight-gain. Damn skin! (Why am I cursing my skin? I should be cursing my indiscretions. If you can call Godiva cheesecake an indiscretion. Personally, I call it bliss.) Well, it's getting virtually no toxins from my food, and I haven't been wearing makeup (except to the concert the other night), so I'm hoping that the boils are about finished erupting. Maybe this one will be the last. [wayne campbell]Yeah, and monkeys might fly out of my butt.[/wayne campbell]
Another episode of Veronica Mars tonight. No need to elaborate. Just know that I'll be sitting in front of the television between 8 and 9 p.m. I'll be doing laundry before that, and will go to sleep after that.
I could probably ramble on, but I have to go to the bathroom. And you know how much water I drink, so I can't bold that. It's definitely nothing new.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Trista's Sick
Trista's down and out right now with pneumonia. If you get a chance, drop by her blog and leave her some positive thoughts. I know she'll appreciate them.
WW Core Plan
Yep, I made the switch. The last time I seriously considered going on the core plan, I read through the food list, saw that it included no bread or cheese (except fat-free cheese--gross!), saw that I could have either whole-wheat pasta OR potatoes OR brown rice ONLY once a day, and said, basically, screw that.
However, after eating my way through the last two weeks, and a box of Godiva chocolates, and gaining 3.8 pounds in said two weeks, I took another hard look at the core plan. And decided to give it a go. And surprise! I love it!
Here's what I love about it:
I'm not tied to my points calculator/points finder/points list/points whatever. I eat when I'm hungry. When I'm not hungry anymore, I stop eating. That sounds really basic, right? And it is. There have been many days on the flex plan when I got to the end of the day and still had more points to eat to hit my target. So I like not having to worry about that.
No temptation to sluff off my eating plan and go eat out. Why? Because there's not a whole lot that I can eat out, at least not at a fast-food restaurant, which is what I can afford. Or, well, not afford, as the case really is. I'd rather save the money for books and clothes, not spend it on food. Anyway, I can eat vegetables, fruit, lean meat, eggs, fat-free (ugh) cheese, fat-free milk (which I have actually grown to like, so no harm there), certain types of cold cereal only once a day, etc. I can have brown rice or whole wheat pasta or potatoes only once per day, so I have to plan pretty carefully. That means that Chick-Fil-A, for instance, is out. There's nothing I can eat there right now. And that's fine. No McDonald's. Which, again, is fine. It means I'll be sitting in the breakroom at the office reading a really good book and eating some edamame (surprise--I love the stuff!), green beans, bell peppers, whatever, fruit, and soup or whatever leftovers I've brought. Or salad. So basically it means that the money I've been wasting on going out at lunch time can now be wasted on books (which means it's not wasted) or on clothes (which means it's not wasted) or other fun things.
I'm sure that as I proceed through the rest of the week, I'll find more to love. I'm surprised, honestly. I thought it was going to be a more difficult switch. And I know that I can still have a piece of bread if I want one (just have to pull that pesky points calculator out and take the point for the bread out of my 35 weekly points allowance). But honestly, it's easier not to eat it, and with all the legumes I'm eating, trust me, I'm getting plenty of fiber. Or, to use the nickname I've shamelessly ripped off from a Ned's Declassified commercial, let's just call me Fartacus and leave it at that.
Oh, and the fat-free cheese? Well, the Kraft shreds that I got at Target yesterday are acceptable if I'm dying for a little cheese on a salad. Otherwise, they're not that great. I didn't expect them to be. I bought a mild fat-free Mexican at Central Market yesterday, and it tastes much better. Think kind of a Velveeta-ish texture, but not quite so squishy, with very flavorful jalapeno pepper bits in it. Now I'm a fire-breathing Fartacus.
Joe and I are going to the Barenaked Ladies concert tonight. I will look completely adorable in my new shirt (size 18/20--NOT size 24!!!), and I'll put on gobs of eyeliner and mascara. I'll get him to take my picture, so I can post it tomorrow, and you can see how much better I'm looking than I was. But just remember, I still have a dang lot of weight to lose. There's definitely room for improvement.
However, after eating my way through the last two weeks, and a box of Godiva chocolates, and gaining 3.8 pounds in said two weeks, I took another hard look at the core plan. And decided to give it a go. And surprise! I love it!
Here's what I love about it:
I'm not tied to my points calculator/points finder/points list/points whatever. I eat when I'm hungry. When I'm not hungry anymore, I stop eating. That sounds really basic, right? And it is. There have been many days on the flex plan when I got to the end of the day and still had more points to eat to hit my target. So I like not having to worry about that.
No temptation to sluff off my eating plan and go eat out. Why? Because there's not a whole lot that I can eat out, at least not at a fast-food restaurant, which is what I can afford. Or, well, not afford, as the case really is. I'd rather save the money for books and clothes, not spend it on food. Anyway, I can eat vegetables, fruit, lean meat, eggs, fat-free (ugh) cheese, fat-free milk (which I have actually grown to like, so no harm there), certain types of cold cereal only once a day, etc. I can have brown rice or whole wheat pasta or potatoes only once per day, so I have to plan pretty carefully. That means that Chick-Fil-A, for instance, is out. There's nothing I can eat there right now. And that's fine. No McDonald's. Which, again, is fine. It means I'll be sitting in the breakroom at the office reading a really good book and eating some edamame (surprise--I love the stuff!), green beans, bell peppers, whatever, fruit, and soup or whatever leftovers I've brought. Or salad. So basically it means that the money I've been wasting on going out at lunch time can now be wasted on books (which means it's not wasted) or on clothes (which means it's not wasted) or other fun things.
I'm sure that as I proceed through the rest of the week, I'll find more to love. I'm surprised, honestly. I thought it was going to be a more difficult switch. And I know that I can still have a piece of bread if I want one (just have to pull that pesky points calculator out and take the point for the bread out of my 35 weekly points allowance). But honestly, it's easier not to eat it, and with all the legumes I'm eating, trust me, I'm getting plenty of fiber. Or, to use the nickname I've shamelessly ripped off from a Ned's Declassified commercial, let's just call me Fartacus and leave it at that.
Oh, and the fat-free cheese? Well, the Kraft shreds that I got at Target yesterday are acceptable if I'm dying for a little cheese on a salad. Otherwise, they're not that great. I didn't expect them to be. I bought a mild fat-free Mexican at Central Market yesterday, and it tastes much better. Think kind of a Velveeta-ish texture, but not quite so squishy, with very flavorful jalapeno pepper bits in it. Now I'm a fire-breathing Fartacus.
Joe and I are going to the Barenaked Ladies concert tonight. I will look completely adorable in my new shirt (size 18/20--NOT size 24!!!), and I'll put on gobs of eyeliner and mascara. I'll get him to take my picture, so I can post it tomorrow, and you can see how much better I'm looking than I was. But just remember, I still have a dang lot of weight to lose. There's definitely room for improvement.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Happy Anniversary, Baby!
15 Years!
Dang, that's a long time--Sometimes I didn't think we'd make it that long. But here we are.
And guess what: I'd do it all again.
I love you, honey.
Dang, that's a long time--Sometimes I didn't think we'd make it that long. But here we are.
And guess what: I'd do it all again.
I love you, honey.
Voting and Elections--Misc. Thoughts
Yesterday I went and voted after work.
It always amuses me to see the options, at the beginning of the ballot, for a straight ticket. Even in the days when I considered myself Republican, and tended to vote a straight ticket, I still felt it was important for me to vote for each individual candidate.
Those days, of course, are long gone. I voted for Kinky Friedman for governor of Texas. I knew he wouldn't win, and honestly didn't expect him to get many votes at all.
I hoped that of the two major parties, the Democrat candidate would win. I was disappointed that he did not. Yes, Texas is stuck with Rick Perry for another four years. Surely no potential presidential candidate is stupid enough to select him as a running mate.
However, there were some (to me) encouraging results from the gubernatorial election. The independent candidates took approximately 31% of the vote between the two of them. Perry didn't win by as large a margin as he might have desired. It could be argued that a win is a win is a win. I disagree. This shows me that perhaps Texans are getting a little tired of the status quo. Perhaps we're ready to start thinking for ourselves.
Kinky, don't go anywhere. We're going to need you in another 4 years!
It always amuses me to see the options, at the beginning of the ballot, for a straight ticket. Even in the days when I considered myself Republican, and tended to vote a straight ticket, I still felt it was important for me to vote for each individual candidate.
Those days, of course, are long gone. I voted for Kinky Friedman for governor of Texas. I knew he wouldn't win, and honestly didn't expect him to get many votes at all.
I hoped that of the two major parties, the Democrat candidate would win. I was disappointed that he did not. Yes, Texas is stuck with Rick Perry for another four years. Surely no potential presidential candidate is stupid enough to select him as a running mate.
However, there were some (to me) encouraging results from the gubernatorial election. The independent candidates took approximately 31% of the vote between the two of them. Perry didn't win by as large a margin as he might have desired. It could be argued that a win is a win is a win. I disagree. This shows me that perhaps Texans are getting a little tired of the status quo. Perhaps we're ready to start thinking for ourselves.
Kinky, don't go anywhere. We're going to need you in another 4 years!
Monday, November 06, 2006
Some Cool People I Met
Sarah Beth Durst (on the left on the left) is an extremely cool person. Her book Into the Wild, a YA fantasy, is coming out in June 2007. She did a reading from it at the convention, and it sounds like a LOT of fun. She likes the fairy tales, and brings them into the modern world in a uniquely entertaining way.
Clover, Heather, and I ran into her and Tiffany Trent, another YA author, at the Cheesecake Factory. Mmmmm . . . Godiva chocolate cheesecake. Huh? What? Okay, back to Sarah. As I said, extremely cool person. I'm adding a link to her blog on the right, so go check it out.
Tiffany Trent is on the right on the left, and she is also an extremely cool person. Her book Hallowmere is due out in fall 2007, I believe. I'll link to her site as well. I didn't get to spend as much time with Tiffany as I did with Sarah, but I'm definitely looking forward to reading her book when it's released. Oh, and be sure to check out Tiffany's book cover. The model is just beautiful, and looks like the unnatural offspring of Scarlett Johannson and Angelina Jolie. I'm not quite sure how they could manage that, without any y chromosomes, but check her out, and you'll see what I mean.
Oh--and even though I didn't meet them, the other writers in these photos, Jo Whittemore and Deborah Millitello, also have books coming out. Based on the excerpts they read for us, I have added them to my list. (I tried finding a website for Deborah Millitello, but was unsuccessful.)
OTHER COOL PEOPLE I MET BUT DON'T HAVE PHOTOS OF:
Eric Flint--my mother likes him a lot, and he has done quite a lot to progress the e-book movement.
Carole Nelson Douglas--she's a HOOT! She was staying on the same floor we were, so we kept running into her. She reminds me of Eliza Dushku (Faith/the dark Slayer) grown older. She wears awesome high heels, and cool vintage clothes, and has great stories to tell. I picked up one of her books on my way home from Austin, and devoured it in an hour or two (Cat in a Hot Pink Pursuit, in case you're interested, and yes, I recommend it highly. It's a mystery, and it's very entertaining. I came in near the end of this series instead of the beginning, and it appears that she has a huge arc in addition to the smaller book-sized arcs, because there were some mysteries that didn't get solved, so she's got me hooked.) I picked up two more of her books today, one a fantasy and the other a non-Midnight Louie mystery, and I expect to be as highly entertained as I was both by the book I've read so far and by her persona. So go read her, if you haven't yet. You'll thank me.
Elizabeth Moon. I honestly had no clue who she was, but was very amused the night I arrived at the hotel. Clover and Heather met me in the lobby, and as we entered the elevator to go up to the room, so did Elizabeth Moon. Clover said, "You're Elizabeth Moon! And you're in the elevator!" Elizabeth Moon said, rather dryly, that she does ride elevators from time to time. I ran into her (not literally, fortunately) on Saturday morning, and she said that she had just finished her bacon and felt like singing. I never felt like singing after eating my bacon, but hey, I say go for it!
World Fantasy Convention
This may get broken up into several posts, but I'll see what I can do.
THE LOOT:
I was thrilled to find a nice bookbag full of books waiting for me. I was even more thrilled to find the trading table, where people kept taking books they didn't want anymore, and I kept snaring more and more books.
The Black Tattoo - Sam Enthoven
A Princess of Roumania - Paul Park
The First Betrayal - Patricia Bray
Cross Plains Universe: Texans Celebrate Robert E. Howard - Scott A. Cupp & Joe R. Lansdale, eds.
Smoke and Shadows - Tanya Huff
Night Wars - Graham Masterton
The Prodigal Troll - Charles Coleman Finlay
Best Short Novels 2006 - Jonathan Strahan, ed.
George and the Angels - Glenn Meganck
Ancient Fire - Mark London Williams
Thud! - Terry Pratchett
The Mount - Carol Emshwiller
The Vampire Who Loved Me - Teresa Medeiros
Shadow Touch - Marjorie M. Liu
Genetopia - Keith Brooke
The Eyes of God - John Marco
No Present Like Time - Steph Swainston
The Conqueror Worms - Brian Keene
I haven't read any of them yet, although I did start The Black Tattoo. It's a good read, as far as I can tell, but I did only get a few pages into it. I only took one book down to the trading table. It was a horror novel called Pandora Drive by Tim Waggoner. It was well written, but extremely squick-inducing. I don't like anything with child molestation, and there was a child who was being stalked and pursued through a fair amount of the book. Of course, even taking that out of the mix, it was still squicky enough that I don't know that I'd have liked it.
THE HOTEL:
The Renaissance, a Marriott hotel, in Austin. Very nice. The beds in our room were very firm, a little too firm for me to sleep comfortably. But the rooms were nice, and the lobby and meeting rooms were lovely.
I want to post about some cool people I met, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. I'll add some pictures, too, if I can figure out how to format them the way I want to!!!!
It's been a long day.
THE LOOT:
I was thrilled to find a nice bookbag full of books waiting for me. I was even more thrilled to find the trading table, where people kept taking books they didn't want anymore, and I kept snaring more and more books.
The Black Tattoo - Sam Enthoven
A Princess of Roumania - Paul Park
The First Betrayal - Patricia Bray
Cross Plains Universe: Texans Celebrate Robert E. Howard - Scott A. Cupp & Joe R. Lansdale, eds.
Smoke and Shadows - Tanya Huff
Night Wars - Graham Masterton
The Prodigal Troll - Charles Coleman Finlay
Best Short Novels 2006 - Jonathan Strahan, ed.
George and the Angels - Glenn Meganck
Ancient Fire - Mark London Williams
Thud! - Terry Pratchett
The Mount - Carol Emshwiller
The Vampire Who Loved Me - Teresa Medeiros
Shadow Touch - Marjorie M. Liu
Genetopia - Keith Brooke
The Eyes of God - John Marco
No Present Like Time - Steph Swainston
The Conqueror Worms - Brian Keene
I haven't read any of them yet, although I did start The Black Tattoo. It's a good read, as far as I can tell, but I did only get a few pages into it. I only took one book down to the trading table. It was a horror novel called Pandora Drive by Tim Waggoner. It was well written, but extremely squick-inducing. I don't like anything with child molestation, and there was a child who was being stalked and pursued through a fair amount of the book. Of course, even taking that out of the mix, it was still squicky enough that I don't know that I'd have liked it.
THE HOTEL:
The Renaissance, a Marriott hotel, in Austin. Very nice. The beds in our room were very firm, a little too firm for me to sleep comfortably. But the rooms were nice, and the lobby and meeting rooms were lovely.
I want to post about some cool people I met, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. I'll add some pictures, too, if I can figure out how to format them the way I want to!!!!
It's been a long day.
NaNoWriMo Update
I haven't had a chance yet to assemble everything to do a grand total word count, but I'm between 9,000 and 10,000 words. The novel is going beautifully. I'm amazed that I got as much writing done over the weekend as I did, but the atmosphere was stimulating and my muse was very active.
I don't have time now to do a huge update, but suffice it to say that the World Fantasy Convention was fantabulous. I met some incredible writers, publishers, etc., learned a lot, just had a superlative time. I'll post more and add photos sometime in the next few days.
I don't have time now to do a huge update, but suffice it to say that the World Fantasy Convention was fantabulous. I met some incredible writers, publishers, etc., learned a lot, just had a superlative time. I'll post more and add photos sometime in the next few days.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Isn't it amazing . . .
. . . what a good $65 haircolor can do for you? I didn't even have the time to get a cut last night, but just getting a good haircolor job and a blowout, and I feel (and look) hot and sexy. And when you feel hot and sexy, you are hot and sexy. You carry yourself differently. You have the attitude. If someone pays you a compliment, you don't brush it off as a thing of no consequence. You say thank you, or you strut your stuff and show off for the person. It's fun. I know that my husband can go to the drugstore and get a box of L'oreal for between $7-$10 and color my hair, and do anywhere from a poor to a pretty good job. But I never feel as good after his hair color jobs as I do after I go to the salon and get pampered and spoiled for a few hours, and I never look as good, either. And hey, it's just money, right? Granted that I've got at least 10 different places to put every dollar I just spent on that haircolor job, but I need to look good and I need to feel good.
Of course, I wouldn't have gone last night had Joe not experimented with lightening my hair and really messed it all up. I don't get this obsession he has with taking my hair lighter. My skin tones look creamy when I have darker hair, and when I put some red in it, it looks even better. When I go lighter, I get this horrid washed-out look, and it's nasty. If he wanted a blonde, he should have married someone with different skin tones. But he loves me, so he's stuck! Nyah-nyah!
On other subjects, I have to go to new employee orientation at work this afternoon. Have I mentioned that yet? It's so humorous. I temped here for almost a year before they finally made me permanent. They wanted to hire me long before that, but it took them a long time to get through all the red tape to upgrade the position so they could get me the salary I wanted. So yeah, technically, I'm a new employee. But I've been here over a year now. So it's just funny. It's also really annoying that they scheduled new employee orientation when I'm coping with month-end. But corporate doesn't get our schedule, so I just have to deal with it and move on. It also doesn't help that I'm off tomorrow. That means lots of overtime next week, because I'm going to come back to a huge stack of work on Monday. But it's worth it.
When I get off work, an hour later than usual thanks to orientation, I'm going to dash by the house to see if my winter white damask grannie boots FINALLY arrived from Newport News, and then I'm driving straight to Austin. It's WFC weekend, and I'm very excited. Lots of fun sessions to attend. And last night while I was procrastinating packing, I looked up the hotel online. Wow! Nice hotel! If you're interested, check it out. It's the Marriott Renaissance in Austin. I'm sharing a room with Clover and one of her sisters, so it won't be too expensive.
I will continue to work on my book this weekend, thanks to Liz's kindness in loaning me her laptop. I'll post my progress on Monday. So send happy thoughts my way for a safe journey, and a fun time!
Of course, I wouldn't have gone last night had Joe not experimented with lightening my hair and really messed it all up. I don't get this obsession he has with taking my hair lighter. My skin tones look creamy when I have darker hair, and when I put some red in it, it looks even better. When I go lighter, I get this horrid washed-out look, and it's nasty. If he wanted a blonde, he should have married someone with different skin tones. But he loves me, so he's stuck! Nyah-nyah!
On other subjects, I have to go to new employee orientation at work this afternoon. Have I mentioned that yet? It's so humorous. I temped here for almost a year before they finally made me permanent. They wanted to hire me long before that, but it took them a long time to get through all the red tape to upgrade the position so they could get me the salary I wanted. So yeah, technically, I'm a new employee. But I've been here over a year now. So it's just funny. It's also really annoying that they scheduled new employee orientation when I'm coping with month-end. But corporate doesn't get our schedule, so I just have to deal with it and move on. It also doesn't help that I'm off tomorrow. That means lots of overtime next week, because I'm going to come back to a huge stack of work on Monday. But it's worth it.
When I get off work, an hour later than usual thanks to orientation, I'm going to dash by the house to see if my winter white damask grannie boots FINALLY arrived from Newport News, and then I'm driving straight to Austin. It's WFC weekend, and I'm very excited. Lots of fun sessions to attend. And last night while I was procrastinating packing, I looked up the hotel online. Wow! Nice hotel! If you're interested, check it out. It's the Marriott Renaissance in Austin. I'm sharing a room with Clover and one of her sisters, so it won't be too expensive.
I will continue to work on my book this weekend, thanks to Liz's kindness in loaning me her laptop. I'll post my progress on Monday. So send happy thoughts my way for a safe journey, and a fun time!
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
NaNoWriMo Update
Novel Name: Annwn
Genre: Fantasy
Words Written on Day 1: 1725
And we proceed apace!
The hardest thing for me is to just write, and not go back and tweak, tweak, tweak. I think this will be very good for me. I tend to get so hung up on details that I can take forever to do the actual writing. But if I can learn to make myself write, write, write, and THEN go back and tweak, tweak, tweak, I think I can become a lot more productive as a writer.
And I like where I'm taking this a lot better than when I first conceived the notion. In fact, it's barely recognizable from the initial notion. :)
Genre: Fantasy
Words Written on Day 1: 1725
And we proceed apace!
The hardest thing for me is to just write, and not go back and tweak, tweak, tweak. I think this will be very good for me. I tend to get so hung up on details that I can take forever to do the actual writing. But if I can learn to make myself write, write, write, and THEN go back and tweak, tweak, tweak, I think I can become a lot more productive as a writer.
And I like where I'm taking this a lot better than when I first conceived the notion. In fact, it's barely recognizable from the initial notion. :)
Tongue-Twisters and Novels
Yesterday I was reading Plimco's blog and in the comments on one of the posts we got off on the subject of tongue-twisters. I have a love-hate relationship with tongue-twisters. See, my tongue gets twisted very easily. But I love them anyway. In theatre tongue twisters are used for warm-up exercises.
One of my favorites is a naughty one if you say it wrong. I always loved seeing the panicked looks on the faces of freshmen when this one came up: I am a mother-pheasant plucker. I am the most pleasant mother-pheasant plucker that ever plucked a mother-pheasant.
I came across one in A Midsummer Night's Dream, when Bottom is doing his bit in Pyramus and Thisbe: "Whereat with blade, with bloody blameful blade, He bravely broached his boiling bloody breast." I actually had to recite that in my British lit class when we were acting it out, and I managed to get through it bravely.
If, like I, you enjoy tongue-twisters, I herewith present a sampling for your delectation:
A Tudor who tooted a flute
Tried to tutor two tooters to toot.
Said the two to their tutor,
"Is it harder to toot, or
To tutor two tooters to toot?"
A noisy noise annoys an oyster.
Big bad blood. (Seems simple, but try saying it over and over. Not so simple. Unless your tongue is far more nimble than mine.) Another take on this one is: Good blood, bad blood.
We surely shall see the sun shine soon.
Girl gargoyle, guy gargoyle, gay gargoyle.
Tragedy strategy.
Another naughty one: I'm not the fig plucker, but the fig plucker's son. But I'll pluck figs 'til the fig plucker comes.
Red lorry, yellow lorry
OKAY----enough tongue twisters for now. It's November. NaNoWriMo. I get to write a novel this month! Squee! Ee. Eek. Egad! What have I gotten myself into?!
One of my favorites is a naughty one if you say it wrong. I always loved seeing the panicked looks on the faces of freshmen when this one came up: I am a mother-pheasant plucker. I am the most pleasant mother-pheasant plucker that ever plucked a mother-pheasant.
I came across one in A Midsummer Night's Dream, when Bottom is doing his bit in Pyramus and Thisbe: "Whereat with blade, with bloody blameful blade, He bravely broached his boiling bloody breast." I actually had to recite that in my British lit class when we were acting it out, and I managed to get through it bravely.
If, like I, you enjoy tongue-twisters, I herewith present a sampling for your delectation:
A Tudor who tooted a flute
Tried to tutor two tooters to toot.
Said the two to their tutor,
"Is it harder to toot, or
To tutor two tooters to toot?"
A noisy noise annoys an oyster.
Big bad blood. (Seems simple, but try saying it over and over. Not so simple. Unless your tongue is far more nimble than mine.) Another take on this one is: Good blood, bad blood.
We surely shall see the sun shine soon.
Girl gargoyle, guy gargoyle, gay gargoyle.
Tragedy strategy.
Another naughty one: I'm not the fig plucker, but the fig plucker's son. But I'll pluck figs 'til the fig plucker comes.
Red lorry, yellow lorry
OKAY----enough tongue twisters for now. It's November. NaNoWriMo. I get to write a novel this month! Squee! Ee. Eek. Egad! What have I gotten myself into?!
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