Luck Be A Lady

I truly loved this. What a great way to start the weekend! Andy Rooney's thoughts on women over forty, Do you agree with him?: As I grow in age, I value women who are over forty most of all. Here are just a few reas ons why: A woman over forty will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, “What are you thinking?” She doesn’t care what you think. If a woman over forty doesn’t want to watch the game, she doesn’t sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it’s usually something more interesting. A woman over forty knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom. Few women past the age of forty give a hoot what you might think about her or what she’s doing. Women over forty are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won’t hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can ge...

Someone I knew died last week. Ironically, he died the same day another man I had the fortunate chance to meet did. Except..... he was 28 and the other man was 89. We all have our time on this earth and then we're called back to our higher power. I'm not here to push religion but I have a firm faith that there is a God and He does have a timetable for us. I always find it shocking though, when someone so young as Matthew dies. He died from complications of the flu and pneumonia. THE FLU.  Yee Gads.... this is scary stuff people. The flu can kill you. It's not something to be messed with. I was never a proponent for flu shots although when I was a kid and under Navy medical care my dad insisted I get them. He was always overprotective, especially after I caught pneumonia as a 12 year old. That was scary stuff. Even though that was almost 40 years ago, I still remember the painful cough and the disgusting drainage from the infection. My lungs were filled with the grossest...

I'm blogging the same post on both my blogs today. It's focused on diet so I figured 'why not?'  I have become a huge proponent of the low carb/high fat lifestyle. Granted, while I'm on IP I can't do that much fat but a healthy 'low' amount is approved so that weight loss won't stall. Since IP is about being in ketosis (burning the fat reserve already in the body) they don't want us adding too much more. I'm not talking about doing Atkins after IP since that allows for too much fat, almost to the point of being grossed out by it. This is more about the newer 'Wheat Belly' or basic ketogenic diet. Almost all gluten/sugar is cut out from your diet in IP but will be slowly reintroduced after reaching your weight loss goal. Part of the reason I want to switch over to Wheat Belly after IP is that it continues to encourage little to no gluten and sugar, actually less than IP maintenance. I know it works because I've started eliminatin...

I don't rant a lot about sports. I have very eloquent friends that do such a great job that I just agree (or disagree) with their statuses, posts on social media. Makes it easier. I've been a Seattle Seahawks fan since the beginning. I was around and old enough to be a football fan when we got the franchise. My dad watched games all the time and took me to see the Hawks all the time when I was growing up. I kind of miss the old Kingdome! But not really...it was ugly and Qwest Field is so much nicer! I normally can't watch entire games because I SCREAM in frustration. I am very affected by the environment and it's well known that the 12th Man is incredibly LOUD and VOCAL. They are one of the reasons why Seattle is such a great team. If I had been at that game, I would have lost my voice and probably not had it back for days. The tv can be just as bad because I am so physical and I yell at the poor screen!  So I only kept tabs on my phone for the first half and then s...

Keeps raining all the time...... Seriously! What a lousy day..... the only good thing about today is that the Seahawks are playing! My show is rehearsing and opens in 5 weeks. I can't believe this. Just finished blocking. Now I have to get things built, painted and running. It will all work out, I know. I go through this panic around this time in the rehearsal process. I swear to myself I'll never direct again and then I get to the theatre, start working with my actors and love the whole process all over again. I'm so melodramatic! I've got a great team of people working with me so I know it will be good. I don't ever doubt them. It's all about me when I'm doubting. Go figure.... I get down on my knees and pray a lot during this part. It usually works. :-) Weight loss wise, I lost 4 lbs after a lousy couple of weeks of up and down weight. The fat is really starting to come off now and I can tell! My stomach is still really jiggly but it's so much...

Well..... 2013 certainly was a year. It was filled with highs AND lows. Mark losing his job on Jan. 31st was a killer. He couldn't find anything and we are so grateful that Sellen asked him to come back on contract in late June. Thank goodness they had faith to bring him back because they offered him a full time position two weeks ago beginning TODAY!  We're back on full benefits and no longer have to pay Cobra payments for our insurance. Woo-hoo!  He also gets full credit on vacation and PTO's so he gets a full 10 years of work history as if he never left! Yay! So 2013 had some good things after all!!!!  I started on this amazing diet plan and as of today, January 1, 2014 I am 48 lbs lighter than I was August 5th. I have 10-12 lbs left OR depending on my body fat percentage, it could be less (or more). I won't have a weigh in for 11 days so I won't know that statistic until then. In the meantime, I'm trying to stay on protocol and keep losing weight and/or ...

Oh my..... losing weight has created some interesting situations in terms of clothing. I can't believe that I am having to basically clear out my closet and get new things. I'm turning back into that clothes horse I used to be 15 years ago! I had tons of things, really nice things since I was such a Nordstrom shopper back then. I gave all that up about 5 years ago thinking I'd never be able to wear those nice things again. I guess in hindsight it's better that I did. The stuff was pretty dated and clothing trends are so different now! I need to find classic pieces anyway. I have been shopping sales as well as going online to look for really good bargains. I've managed to find some great sales at Ross and Macys plus I've got a couple of great online shops that I can go crazy on when there's a sale. I just got a dress and a pair of shoes that I've been eyeballing for 50% off so I am looking forward to wearing to church or a wedding or maybe even for my...

I try not to go on too much about my weight loss on this particular blog since I have a separate one for that but I just have to say how excited I am that I'm in the home stretch on my diet. The strict phase is almost done! If want to read about my ups and downs with the Ideal Protein diet, just let me know and I'll give you the link! Honestly, I'm not going to change much once I get out of phase 1 of IP. I do still have to use IP packets for another 2 weeks after phase 1 and then I go onto 'real' foods 100% including carbs (bread, dairy, pasta, etc.) again. I'm a little nervous BUT I also know how 'easy' this program was once my carb cravings stopped. I haven't had much in the way of carbs for almost 5 months and it's not been hard. I miss the idea of certain foods more than the food itself. I've actually missed the fats (cheese, bacon, butter, nuts) more and I've been allowed to have piece of bacon every now and then. I've also fo...

Today is the 72nd anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. With 9-11 and the War on Terror the freshest in our minds it's easy to forget the 'War to End All Wars' (WWI) and then to turn around in less than 20 years before worrying about WWII. Then Vietnam. And then...and then....and then....and then now. Of course, we don't forget about them. We are taught about the wars in history class. We study the cause and effect on our nation as well as the world. We see how nations and cultures are drastically affected. We see prejudice, name calling and racial profiling occur. Whole families were obliterated. Towns and countries decimated..... And yet war continues.... seems like we don't live and learn. And yet we do. Of course, when we learn about the horrors from the warmth and comfort of our living rooms, libraries or schools it doesn't always sink in. Have you ever met a Nazi concentration camp survivor and seen their tatoo? I have. You don't forget. Have...

Well, I think I've scared Mark into realizing that I'm on the hunt for a new Sheltie for our family. Once I get the idea in my head that it's time I obsessively look and look at breeders, rescue groups, humane societies, etc., until I find our new family member.  Our girl Birdie was found that way..... it took about 6 months to get her.  It's been almost 8 months since we had to put her down and I realized this week how much I really, really miss having her around. I love my little Maltese boy and girl to pieces but I really like having a dog that is super smart, can herd and observe and is a good watch dog. Birdie was the dog I talked to all the time - she was that smart. She just knew what I was saying and I miss that. She'd also let me know when my oven timer was going off, when the UPS guy was here, the cat was out, etc. Such a smart girl... I just miss her so dang much I feel incomplete.  I can pretty much live without any extra frivolous stuff. I can make du...

Happy Thanksgiving...well almost! It's the day before American Thanksgiving (Canadians celebrate it on a totally different day, ya know)!!!!! Still plugging away on my diet. Going to make lots of sweets that I can't eat but I am totally okay with it. Yes, I can't lick fingers, utensils or bowls but at least I have very clean hands since I constantly wash my hands to avoid the sugar. ;-) Very grateful for so many things. Especially grateful for the most loving and wonderful husband though. He is my rock and my everything. I love him more than anything/anyone and I only hope he knows how much. My pups and my cat (MY kids-LOL) too. Yeah, it's been a tough 18 months or so having lost our 3 other dogs and cat and I still miss each one of them all the time but at least I can smile when I think about them now. My friends and family are mostly distant in terms of mileage but I am grateful for them too. Our closest friends (The Delmendos) are our family here so we are ...

Colonoscopy DONE. Seriously, the easiest procedure I've ever done. As everyone will tell you, THE PREP IS THE WORST PART.  Having to stay by a bathroom is annoying. And seriously, when your body tells you you gotta go....you really gotta go NOW.  I don't think I've felt this clean in a long time!!!! I had to laugh because once I was sitting (well, actually laying down) on my bed with the IV in (which I won't lie...that does kind of hurt a little), everything else was a breeze.  My lovely nurses Shannon & Molly took such good care of me pre and post procedure and my nurse Andie during the procedure was awesome. So, if you've never had a procedure like this done, here's how it goes: *Nasty laxatives the day before as in drinking lots of this liquid that tastes like flat 7-Up. No real foods (only liquids) leading up to 2 hours before your procedure. *The morning of you drink the other 2 liters of your laxative starting at 6 am (I started at 5:45 becau...

Well, I've been shopping online.... a LOT. I didn't realize how I was really depriving myself of fun clothes when I was bigger. I was so uncomfortable that I just bought jeans (hoping they'd fit) and t-shirts and cardigans that would hopefully cover the fat. I've been shopping way too much.... part of the problem is that you do lose weight fast on a low carb program when you follow it to a 'T'. And that's okay really! It's just tough to know how fast you shrink because some weeks your waist loses a lot, and others it's your chest, or your hips, etc., etc. I just bought some cute sweaters and cardigans from this cute boutique on the East coast and Old Navy has been seeing me a lot lately too since their t-shirts and jeans are so affordable and thank God they fit me! Since I've been brave enough to wear skinny jeans I also decided to buy boots. Now I have issues with boots because of my HUGE calves.  Fashion is definitely an issue when it com...

Oh gosh..... We are having the most beautiful fall weather. I'm looking out my office window as I type this and the blue sky and the falling leaves (green, yellow, orange and red) are just stunning. I'll try to start posting pictures more since I'm using my fancy camera and found all the connectors to transfer photos! I love the fall. I love summer too but the colors this time of year in the great Pacific Northwest are just stunning aren't they? Well, I think they are. The weather has been so cool and crisp too - don't get me wrong, we've had some rainy days too but when it's clear like it is today there is nothing like it. I've seen this on the East coast too but we've got the mountains and water to look at all at the same time here in my little corner of the world and nothing beats that combination. Fall veggies are also cool.... seeing all the pumpkins and squash is just magnificent. The orange and yellows are so beautiful.  I could go on an...

It's official. Old Navy is my best friend. The crazy thing about doing IP is that you never know when a piece of clothing will become too big. You have to plan to buy pants every 2-3 weeks or so. I did not believe this statistic going into the program but now that I'm almost finished with 11 weeks I absolutely believe it! I have gone down two sizes and am on the brink of slipping down another. I've already eliminated the XL out of my closets and am still wearing some larges (especially in coats since that's technically a 10/12) but I have managed to get into some medium things for the first time in years. Mark got me the cutest red wool pea-coat from Costco on Tuesday in a 'large' and it fits with heavy layers underneath so I know it will last for at least a month or so! It wasn't crazy expensive so I'm hoping I can wear it through the holidays. It's so cute!  Back to Old Navy though..... I had a ton of XL clothes from them and now need to elim...

Wow.... my last show ended and I expected peace and quiet. Nope. This last weekend was crazier than normal!  Ha! So we took Mark's mom to the airport yesterday in what turned out to be one of the quickest and easiest transfers into the plane ever despite the fact that we were technically late. We always get a wheelchair and attendant for her now because she doesn't have the endurance to walk that far. The cool thing is that Alaska Airlines (my favorite) lets us get security passes to escort her to the gate so we can say goodbye and keep her company all the way onto the plane. It's weird having my house back to myself but I am grateful to have some calm and peace. I think I will start tackling some major cleaning and moving of furniture and rooms tomorrow. It seems to be time to get the house in order for the holidays and to set up Mark's recording studio. We celebrated our first Friday night without a show by staying home with Mark's mom, eating comfort food a...

I was writing my diet blog and I ended it with "Who am I?" (Name that tune!) It's an interesting thing..... when you do a serious lifestyle change you start to not recognize yourself in more ways than one. I know that I've achieved some great goals as of today. I made it through another show..... it is the final day of it and I've enjoyed being a musician again. My tendonitis and carpel tunnel still like to show up to the party now and then but it's still been fun. Now I have to start prep on directing my show and I'm getting pretty excited about it. I still need to give myself a short break between this show and the next though so I can decompress and not have to worry for a couple of weeks. :-) I haven't started at WSA yet (kids are still signing up) so I'm looking forward to that. I'll write more when that starts! I went shopping for my dress to wear to a wedding next weekend and it's official that I am able to wear size 12...

Well, it's been a bizarre week for me in terms of my diet. I have been daring to almost break the rules in terms of eating but not quite. I haven't wanted a salad all week so I have had to have spinach in my shakes (which I actually LOVE) plus roasting veggies for dinner (which I also LOVE). Salad has been my mainstay though. I am at the point where if there's something interesting on it like meats, eggs, other tasty veggies I am able to eat it without dressing. Don't ask me how... it just tastes great!  But this week, I couldn't even bear the idea of a single piece of lettuce. So that was the start of the week.... Then I started wanting another grande size mug of coffee. Which meant having more of that yummy coconut creamer that I am allowed to use for one mug. I have been pushing the limits on my fats, let's just say.  And the one thing about drinking caffeine is that you have to replace that cup with another cup of water. I've been able to do that until...

I always promise I won't duplicate blog postings (I have one specifically for my IP diet journey) and while it's not a duplicate, it will show something I'm really proud of today. I had a physical which means I also had to do lab work to check my glucose and check cholesterol and stuff. I was still reading high on my blood pressure unfortunately and I had to do a home check for 10 days for my doctor. It's still high on the diastolic number (the lower BP number) so I have a hunch I'm not getting of meds anytime soon. While that's a bummer, at least she's aware that my meds probably need a tweak and that's okay. Still awaiting my glucose numbers (diabetes - which I came in as full blown positive last summer) to see if I've brought that down which I know I have since IP works on the pancreas and insulin production through the cutting back of carbs (sugar). In the meantime, my cholesterol numbers arrived 24 hours after my visit to the lab. I had forg...

The drought is officially over! I am finally employed....albeit, it's a very, very part time job and the job relies on me to push my services but it's doing what I LOVE. I'm officially on the adjunct faculty for West Sound Academy! I'm going to teach music (choir) and also teach private lessons there. Seriously..... this is what I've been dreaming of but never thought I could get after such a long wait. I know that it'll start out small but I'm doing what I love which is teaching music on a smaller scale. I was never meant to be in the public school system and a long time ago I realized that teaching music 5 days a week in a school setting wasn't my thing. I knew I had to be involved with music and with kids but it was hard to figure out how to get this to happen without being poor, LOL. Well, my dear friend Gretchen (we go all the way back to high school) convinced me almost 20 years ago to start teaching privately. Her daughter Siri was my first ...