Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cats

Manny & Minky wish you all a Merry Christmas! They love the Christmas tree, ribbons and wrapping paper this time of year.

Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone has a happy holiday season! I am off to visit my family for a few days.

Time for a Break

Today is my last day at work until January 5th! I am so excited to have a break, even though I will need to do a little bit of work from home. I work in corporate finance, so quarter ends and year end are important...it just goes with the job. At least I can do my work in my pajamas on the couch. I leave tomorrow for Vegas (1 night) and then on to California for the rest of the week. When I get home I will have an entire week off work to relax. Yay!

Jenny Craig: Week 3

I lost 2.2 pounds this week bringing my total to 6.6 pounds in 3 weeks! I had a good week that balanced JC food and eating out/my own food. I went out to lunch twice and made a crustless pumpkin pie that I ate for dessert 5 nights since I love pumpkin pie this time of year. I am glad I had a good weigh in today because this next week is going to be hard. I am hoping to just stay the same over the next week since Christmas and being out of town will be a challenge. I am still really happy with the JC program.

Hoping for Good Weather

Who would have thought I would have to worry about the weather in Vegas??? My Christmas trip has us going to California with a one day stop in Vegas. My husband's parents are driving out to Vegas from CA as well. Hopefully the craziness will stop since we fly from here to Vegas on the 23rd, then Vegas to Orange County on the 24th and finally Orange County back to VA on the 26th. I am really hoping the weather across the country clears up and doesn't cause us any problems since we don't have any room for delays. I paid a fortune yesterday to ship all the gifts to get there by the 24th and I want to be there to see them opened.

Thursday Thirteen: Holiday Songs on My iPod

1. A Great Big Sled - The Killers

2. Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonite) - The Ramones

3. Christmas in Hollis - Run DMC

4. Last Christmas - Wham!

5. The Chipmunks Song - The Chipmunks

6. The Chanukah Song - Adam Sandler

7. Mele Kalikimaka - Jimmy buffet

8. All I Want for Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

9. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - U2

10. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - The Temptations

11. Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses

12. Christmas Blues - Willie Nelson

13. Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley

No Blue Food

I don't like blue food...except things that are naturally blue, like blueberries. Well, I learned on Top Chef this week that there are NO blue foods because blueberries are purple...so says Tom Colicchio.

Jenny Craig: Week 2

Week 2 is over and I lost 0.8 for the week. I was hoping for more, but am ok with it since I had a good loss last week. I was not able to work out all week since I'm still recovering from a concussion and whiplash. There was some food that wasn't so great this week (shelf stable food rather than frozen) so I told my consultant that and I will avoid it in the future. I was able to choose all my own food today for week 3 so I have no excuse for choosing to eat something else.

Regifting

Ok, who out there is a regifter? I have heard a lot recently on the radio and on the internet about regifting. Some say there is a certain etiquette to it and some think it's not ok at all. I have received quite a few gifts that I have never used, but I didn't give them to someone else. I do admit I did once regift because we received 2 of the exact same thing when we got married so we gave one away because we really liked it and thought someone else would too. (We didn't register for gifts so there was no way for us to return it.) We weren't trying to get rid of something that we didn't like. Other than that, I think regifting is tacky because gifts should be thoughtful and if you give away something you don't like, it's showing you don't care about who you are giving the gift to (which may be the case). I am pretty sure I was the recipient of a regifted gift not once, but twice, by the same person two Christmases in a row! It actually bothered me since it is someone close to me. The gifts were so impersonal and not something at all I would like that I am pretty sure they were regifted. After the second time I just stopped putting a lot of effort into what I got this person going forward for gifts. I actually enjoy trying to find things people would like. So to everyone out there...don't take the easy way out...put some effort into it and get people something they would really like.

Update on My Head

My head is feeling a lot better, but not 100% yet. I am able to work today so that is a good sign. I am still trying to take it easy so I may leave early today.

Jenny Craig: Week 1

I consider week 1 on Jenny Craig to be a success. I lost 3.6 pounds and that includes the Thanksgiving weekend since my initial weigh in was the day before turkey day. I met with my counselor and she asked how things went and what challenges I have for the upcoming week. I have not experienced any of the negative things about JC that I read online. I have not been pushed to buy things and they are very accommodating about changes to the meal plans for things I do not like or things I want to add.

As for the food, it's not gourmet, but I like it. Some things better than others, but overall I would say it is a little better than the Lean Cuisine or Smart Ones from the grocery store. I like the convenience of not having to think about what I eat. I just look at the menu and eat what it says. I know this will eventually get boring, but JC is not forever.

Perspective

We need to do a CT scan on your head to make sure there isn't bleeding in the brain.

Uh oh. Hearing words like this makes you put everything in perspective. My head was still feeling weird today after hitting it in the car accident and I couldn't concentrate or focus on anything. I called Kaiser to get an appointment to see my Dr. I just wanted to go in and have them tell me there is nothing to worry about and I'll be fine in a couple days. Instead they told me I had to go to the emergency room. Really? I felt silly going to the ER and I didn't want to take time away from people who were really having a medical emergency. So I went and my husband went with me. Turns out my pupils were different sizes so that combined with my symptoms made them worry so I had a CT scan on my head. They said if there was any bleeding they would get me in a room ASAP...then it hit me that I may not be going home today. I went back out to the waiting room and told my husband and all of sudden the severity of the situation sank in. It all turned out to be ok though. I just have a concussion. That doesn't seem so bad now and everything else I have been worrying about lately doesn't seem so important. I am thankful to have my health and friends and family who care about me. Nothing else really matters.

Crash!

I was in a car accident last night. I got rear ended and didn't even see it coming so I hit my head and now my neck hurts. I am home today taking it easy and Minky is loving it since he has spent the day on my lap to stay warm.

It's Official

We are in a recession and have been for a year. Duh. This really can't be a surprise to anyone.

Southerners Taking Care of Southerners

The drive to the resort we went to for Thanksgiving was a little under a 4 hour drive away. Most of the drive was in Virginia and then we crossed over into West Virginia for the last 10 miles or so. Here in Virginia the police do not drive around in traffic looking for people driving in an unsafe manor. They hide....often in unmarked cars. If you get pulled over, you get a ticket, not warning to just slow down. We were driving anywhere from 75 to 84 MPH and the speed limit was 65. On the drive there we passed a couple cops hiding, but felt like we slowed down enough in time to not get a ticket. Phew! On the drive back, I got really nervous because we passed a couple cops while going well over 80 and still did not get pulled over. I finally figured it out...they were only pulling over people with out of state license plates! It became comical at how fast we would pass them and then see cars from other states pulled over. Every time we passed a car that was pulled over, I would look to see the plates and then laugh that none of them were from Virginia. I do believe this is one of the first perks I have found from living here. Unfortunately this rule doesn't seem apply during the morning or evening rush hour.

Jenny Craig: Day 1

I went to my Jenny Craig consultation last Wednesday. I really liked the woman I met with and she was not pushy at all about buying things or signing up for their most expensive programs. I told her I wanted to try the program for a week to see if I like the food before signing up for a membership. She completely understood so I paid $6 for the week, plus the cost of the food. I asked if she could be my consultant, but she was the centre director and only meets with people on their first day so she assigned me to someone she thought I would like. My plan was to get all the food and understand the program so I could start eating the food and following the plan on Sunday after coming back from being out of town for Thanksgiving. I chose a pre-planned menu, except I substituted out the macaroni & cheese since I cannot stand it, because it seemed too overwhelming my first week to choose food. So here is it Sunday and I was excited, but a little apprehensive, about trying the food. I wasn't sure if I was going to be hungry or not like the food or what. After one day I am quite pleased with the food.

Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast: French toast with berries
This was really good and surprisingly filling. I would eat this even if I wasn't on a diet.

Lunch: Beef chow mein
This was pretty good. The beef texture wasn't great, but it wasn't bad, and the noodles were good. The veggies were surprisingly fresh and crisp.

Dinner: Chicken carbonara
I was skeptical of this one because it's in a creamy sauce, which I normally do not like, but I gave it a try. It was fine, but I wasn't crazy about it since I'm not a cream sauce fan.

Dessert: S'mores bar
This was tasty, but mostly I just tasted marshmallow. I was told it was their version of a Snickers bar, which is my favorite candy bar. This is nothing like a Snickers so I was a bit disappointed only because I expected something else. This is also the first thing where I felt the cost ($1.99) was excessive for what I got.

I used my "milk" serving for a latte from Starbucks and I ate one of the Jenny Craig Anytime Bars as a snack. I was also supposed to also eat a salad, a piece of fruit and some veggies, but I didn't have any in the house since I cleaned out the fridge before leaving town for Thanksgiving.

Monday may be a little more challenging because I will work out in the morning and then be at work all day...both of which seem to increase my appetite.

Note: Pictures are from the Jenny Craig web site, not from my actual food

What Happened to My Cat???

My husband and I went away for a couple days for Thanksgiving. Our usual cat sitter, who we have nicknamed "Chicken Nugget Lady" since we usually come home to our cats having bad food habits and not wanting to eat their cat food, came by two times a day to take care of the kitties. We were only gone about 49 hours and I came home to one of my cats looking visibly fatter! He has been overweight since he was about 1 year old and has been looking quite a bit trimmer lately...but it was all undone somehow in a matter of 2 days. I really don't get it...poor Manny Bear seems to have put on a few pounds in 2 days!

Thursday Thirteen - Favorite Holiday Foods

Today begins the official holiday eating season. Here are my favorite foods for the holidays.

1. Pumpkin pie with whipped cream (cool whip is not acceptable)

2. Stuffing - made from white bread, not corn bread

3. Fudge

4. Jello cubes

5. Mashed potatoes with gravy - probably the only time of the year I eat them

6. Corn bread with butter and honey

7. Green beans with onions and bacon

8. Apple desserts - crumble, pie, turnover, etc...and always with vanilla ice cream

9. See's candy

10. Au gratin potatoes

11. Cranberry sauce

12. Champagne

13. Extra pie dough sprinked with cinnamon and sugar, then baked

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Wordless Wednesday - Happy Thanksgiving!

I Called Jenny

No, not 867-5309...Jenny Craig. I'm going to give it a try since one of my friends is doing really well on the plan. She is as picky as I am about food and she likes it. What I'm really looking for is some accountability so I hope I like the counselor I get. Tomorrow is my initial consultation.

Personal Chef To Go

I have been looking into meal delivery plans in my never ending quest to lose weight. I read up on Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, Ediets (Deliciously Yours), Bistro MD (same as the Biggest Loser meal service), Personal Chef To Go, and some others. I had previously tried Diet to Go since I could pick up the food, but the food was hit or miss so I wanted to try something else.

I decided on Personal Chef To Go because the food is made fresh and shipped in a cooler. Nothing comes frozen or freeze dried so I thought the freshness and lack of preservatives would make it taste better than the others. Unlike other plans, it is not meant to be a "diet" program, but all the meals are low in calories, high in fiber, good carbs and protein and low in refined sugars. I ordered the "Busy Singles" plan which included 5 dinners and 3 lunches for a total of about $112, including tax and shipping. This works out to about $14 per meal, which seemed expensive, but worth it if the food is good. The food arrived on a Friday, but I did not plan on eating any of it until Monday since I wanted it for lunch at work and easy dinners after work.

I brought the 3 lunches with me to work on Monday. I ended up going out to lunch (had just soup and bread), but got out one of the salads in the late afternoon to eat as a snack. The salads were supposed to last until Wednesday, but all the lettuce was already turning brown. I decided on the teriyaki salmon salad with garlic soy ginger dressing. It was a large piece of salmon, lettuce, grape tomatoes, red bell peppers and the dressing. There was something weird about eating a big piece of cold fish you know was cooked many days prior. I had a hard time getting thru the fish and didn't eat much of it so I decided to focus on the salad part while pretending the lettuce wasn't brown. The dressing was just way way way too strong in flavor. I ended up throwing most of this away and I never even looked at the other salads except to throw them away. Monday night I was excited to try one of the dinners. I couldn't decide between the jambalaya with chicken, shrimp and chicken sausage or the crab cakes. I went with the jambalaya since I was pretty hungry and it looked like more food. It started out ok. Rice was fine, but reminded me of a frozen meal. Then the odd flavor hit me..maybe cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice? It got worse as the meal went on because this flavor built up in my mouth and I couldn't stand it anymore...and the chicken was weird. Way too much seasoning in this meal. I had to eat something else after to try to get the taste out of my mouth. Tuesday night I really didn't want to eat any of these meals, but felt I needed to give it one more try since I spent the money. I made the crab cakes which came with a side of green beans and carrots. Minky, my meat loving cat, got excited as soon as I took the package out of the fridge, so I thought this might be good. I first gave Minky a little bit before I tried it and he approved. The first few bites I had were good, but then that same spice hit me. Do they use it in everything??? I managed to eat the entire meal, but the spice built up my mouth again to the point where I decided I couldn't eat anymore of these meals. I left them in the fridge until Sunday when it was time to take the trash out to the curb.

Does Anybody Care?

Heidi and Spencer got married...does anybody care? I don't think so.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

TV is getting good again. Top Chef started again a couple weeks ago and The Real Housewives of Orange County starts on Tuesday. I admit it...I like this show. I tried watching the NY and Atlanta versions, but only got through part of an episode for each version. I love Jeana and Vicki from the Orange County show. They are strong women who have managed to raise a family with good kids and have successful businesses at the same time. All the others annoy me because they just want men to buy them stuff and have spoiled children with no ambition. I know life is not like this for everyone in Orange County since I grew up there, but I still like the show.

$1.99

I saw $1.99 gas today. It's nice to know that something is coming down in price since everything is going up. I think we are all still getting screwed at the pump though since at the height oil was $147 a barrel and now it's about $50 a barrel.

Funniest Show in a Long Time

My husband and I watched It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia the other night. This is seriously the funniest show I have seen in a long time. We were laughing out loud hysterically. It is so politically incorrect that you cannot even be offended since it is so extreme. I can't believe I haven't watched this before. If you haven't, check it out!

Thursday Thirteen - Famous Patrices

Patrice is not a common name here in the US. It is generally a female name in English and a male name in French. It peaked in popularity in 1958 at number 212 on the list of top baby names, but has fallen ever since 1987. The last time it made it on the top 1000 baby names list was in 1995 when it was ranked # 941. Here are 13 famous people with the first name Patrice.

1. Patrice Lumumba, 1st President of the Democratic Republic of Congo

2. Patrice Bergeron, notable for his ice-hockey career

3. Patrice de MacMahon, duc de Magenta, an ex president of the French Republic

4. Patrice Pike, notable for her music career

5. Patrice Hollis, Playboy Playmate Miss September 2007

6. Patrice Oneal, American stand-up comedian

7. Patrice Brisebois, notable for his ice-hockey career

8. Patrice Rushen, African-American R&B singer-songwriter

9. Patrice King Brown, television news anchor at KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh

10. Patrice Guers, French bassist, known for his work in Rhapsody of Fire

11. Patrice Evra, French-Senegalese football (soccer) player

12. Patrice Bart-Williams, notable for his reggae music career

13. Patrice Juah, Miss Liberia 2006

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Wordless Wednesday - Seen on Vacation in Florida

I'm Done with The Hills

I think I am finally done with The Hills. The show has just gotten too far away from the real lives of the people on the show. Since the "cast" also has their lives followed by the paparazzi in the gossip blogs, it's hard to reconcile the two.

Lauren - She had been going to school at FIDM on the show for about 5 years now. All the programs at the school are only 2 years and she has her own fashion line that is never shown on the show. So she is going to school forever for something she already does??? Also, she now has a boyfriend who is never on the show either...not even referenced. She bores me.






Heidi - First of all, someone needs to tell this girl to stop with all the plastic surgery. She is going to look worse than Pam Anderson by the age of 25. So she got fired from her fake job and then didn't know what to do with herself? Why didn't she just ask Spencer since he doesn't even pretend to have a job. I do think it's real that these two have no friends though. I bet that is why their sisters have shown up on the show so they don't become irrelevant to the "story".

Whitney - I always liked Whitney, but maybe that is just because they didn't show much of her since she didn't want her personal life on the show. Now that she has a spin off coming she is letting them show her dating, but who knows if those are real dates or casted actors. Now she keeps referencing a break up from a year ago...uh, we never saw your boyfriend so we can't really care about your break up. And please stop giggling and flirting with the models at "work"...it's quite unprofessional. On the recent "lost scenes" show, we learned that Whitney went on a date with Brody and kissed him. This didn't bother Lauren, but anytime anyone else dated a guy she did, it was a major scandal.

Audrina - Possibly the most savvy of the bunch. I used to think she was a dud, well I still do, but releasing the nude pictures of herself was the best thing she ever did for her career. It made her more interesting and now the show is focusing more on her. I feel another spin off! I wonder if they will show the feud between her and Lauren regarding the rumor that Lauren hooked up with Justin Bobby. This guy is just a loser media whore using the girls...can't they see this? Audrina needs to drop this guy for good and learn how to control the weird look in her eyes if she wants her own show.


Goodbye girls! I hope you are saving your money.

Worst Gift Ever

Soap on a rope. Who ever came up with the idea that this is a good gift? I was recently looking at holiday gift guides on the internet and this came up. I don't get why a man would need his soap on a rope, but even if he did, it's not a good Christmas gift.

Eek! Fire!

One of the major fires burning in California right now is in the city that my husband's parents live in. They are ok though. They said it turned dark as night in the middle of the day and outside it was glowing orange! Scary!

$10,000 to Witness History

My brother lives in Washington DC and said people are desperate to find a place to stay in DC for the inauguration events. He said people are paying up to $10,000 for a place to stay! He is considering renting out his house and staying with me for a few days. I just can't believe people are willing to pay so much. I know it's history in the making, but that is a lot money for a place to stay for 3 or 4 days. I hope he does it though because he may give me part of it.

Wordless Wednesday - Nap Time

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Veterans Day

Leaf Watch 2008

Fall is one of the most wonderful times of the year for my cat Manny. He LOVES watching the leaves fall. He will sit by the windows for hours looking straight up and follows the leaves all the way down to the ground. Then when they blow around on the deck, his tail gets all swishy like he is going to attack them. I realize this may sound stupid, but it is really one of the cutest things he does. He's not a smart cat, but he is endearing and he enjoys the little things in life.

Awwww

Let It Snow

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I am ready for it to snow. Since we moved here the snow has caused me a lot of anxiety....mostly around driving in it and shoveling the driveway, both of which I hate. I've gotten used to driving in snow (4WD helps), but I still don't like shoveling the driveway. I wish there were some kids around here who wanted to make some money. I would gladly pay someone to do it. There are lots of kids...just none of them seem to need any money. I prefer it to snow on the weekends though so I can stay in my pajamas and eat pancakes all day.

Proposition 8

I am not one to talk to the masses, or even my co-workers, about my political views, but I feel like I need to speak up. I am greatly disappointed and saddened by California passing Proposition 8. I don't live there anymore, but plan on returning one day. I have always been proud to call California "home" and thought the people were more open in their thinking. Moving to Virginia has greatly opened my eyes to how closed minded some people are in this country. Someone very close to me is gay and I have met only 3 people in this state that I have felt comfortable enough to tell. I believe in equal rights and letting everyone live the life they want to live as long as they do not hurt anyone. I cannot believe the same people who voted for a minority president voted to ban gay marriage. Marriage gives two people certain rights that nothing else does. Telling a couple that because they are the same sex they cannot have these rights is discrimination. I expected the gay marriage ban to pass to other states, but not in California.

Get Out and VOTE!

The Vegas Bunch

Stop Calling!

I am so sick of the political phone calls. We don't answer our phone unless we are expecting a call since usually it is someone trying to sell something. We get 2 or 3 calls a day from political campaigns and I'm sick of it. I wish the do not call registry applied to political campaigns as well. At least it will be done in a few days.

Family Photos

A few months ago I asked my dad to scan and email me a few pictures for the post I wrote about our family vacation to a dude ranch. He said he would send me all the pictures because that would be easier. A box arrived today..29 pounds per the UPS slip and it's ALL my family's pictures. I haven't gotten thru all of them yet, but it also includes pictures I have never seen, like pictures from my grandparents' wedding. I have mixed emotions about all this. I like looking at the pictures, but wonder why my dad doesn't want any of them anymore.

Thursday Thirteen - Vacation Update

Here is an update on last week's Thursday Thirteen to see which things I actually did on vacation.

FLORIDA

1. Lay on the beach and soak up the sun. Only a few minutes at a time though because I burn so then I'll move back under the umbrella. Yes, but not as much as I hoped for. Day 1 the hotel was not putting up umbrellas (wind?) so I could only stay out a little while. Day 2 we were out in the swamps in the morning and it was cloudy in the afternoon. Day 3 I finally had a nice time under an umbrella on the beach.

2. Drink tasty drinks at the tiki bar. Yes, we had drinks, but they were really really weak.

3. Have a romantic dinner at the beach side restaurant. Done on the first night. We had a table outside with a view of the sunset.

4. Visit the Everglades. Done. We were on quite the swamp tour.

5. Watch the sun set over the ocean. Yep, from the restaurant and from the room balcony.

6. Go for a long walk on the beach. Every day.

VEGAS

7. Gamble! Mostly blackjack and maybe a little bit of craps. Yes, but not nearly as much as I hoped for.

8. Win the Megabucks jackpot. It's at almost $13 million! No...so I had to go back to work.

9. Drink too much and regret it since I don't bounce back like I used to. Oh yes, night number 1.

10. Sit by the pool and recover from # 9. Day number two.

11. Eat some yummy food. Yes. Red 8 at the Wynn, Fiamma at MGM and Fix at Bellagio were all really good.

12. Take pictures. For some reason I never seem to take pictures in Vegas. Nope...one friend took 1 picture that I know of and that's it.

13. Spend quality time with friends. Yep, but not as much as I hoped for since we were split into two groups part of the time.

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Happy Anniversary To Me

Today is our six year wedding anniversary. It seems like it should be a higher number since we dated for over four years before getting married. Here are some of my favorite wedding pictures.

I'm Back!

I'm back from Vegas and my Yahoo email is working again! I'll post an update on my trips soon.

No Email!!!

I am home for a bit in between trips and I cannot access my email! I use Yahoo and it says I have a bunch of messages, but I cannot get to it! I looked up the error I get online and it says Yahoo has to fix it for me, so now I wait...

On Vacation!

I'm on vacation! This should be the view from my hotel room.

The End

Good job...maybe next year. Let's hope Manny sticks around.

Thursday Thirteen - Vacation!

I leave on vacation on Sunday to go to Florida with my husband and Vegas with some girlfriends! Here are 13 things I plan to do.

FLORIDA

1. Lay on the beach and soak up the sun. Only a few minutes at a time though because I burn so then I'll move back under the umbrella.

2. Drink tasty drinks at the tiki bar.

3. Have a romantic dinner at the beach side restaurant.

4. Visit the Everglades.

5. Watch the sun set over the ocean.

6. Go for a long walk on the beach.

VEGAS

7. Gamble! Mostly blackjack and maybe a little bit of craps.

8. Win the Megabucks jackpot. It's at almost $13 million!

9. Drink too much and regret it since I don't bounce back like I used to.

10. Sit by the pool and recover from # 9.

11. Eat some yummy food.

12. Take pictures. For some reason I never seem to take pictures in Vegas.

13. Spend quality time with friends.

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We Have No Record of your Reservation

Aaargh...I called the hotel we are staying at in Florida in a few days to confirm the reservation and they have no record of it. I booked it through American Airlines Vacations so I could pay with miles. AA is trying to get the hotel confirmation number for me so I can call the hotel again. I usually book directly with the hotel to avoid this kinds of problems, but since I am paying with miles I used AA. I also called the Palazzo in Vegas to get them to adjust the rate on our rooms for December since it came down. The rate was adjusted, but they said they could not refund the difference in my deposit until I arrive at the hotel. Since I also booked a room for my in laws, this is now a big hassle. I ended up booking two more rooms online at the new rate and now need to call back again to cancel the original two. I don't know whey they make this so difficult. I really don't like talking to people to make reservations for things (travel, restaurants, hair, etc). It's so much easier to do everything online. So that was a half hour of my life wasted that I will never get back...oh, and I still don't know if I have a room in Florida yet or not.

My Cat is Staring at the Wall

Minky the great grey hunter of our house is staring at the walls again. He even got up out of his cat furniture from sleeping to go stare at the wall. I used to think he was just crazy, but now I know better. He is a patient little man. Eventually whatever he hears in the wall will come out and he will have his way with it. Hopefully this will all happen in the middle of the night when I don't have to see it.

Music Monday - Womanizer

Britney's new video came out over the weekend. It debuted on 20/20...well, MTV doesn't play music anymore so I guess 20/20 will do. I remember MTV in the early years when a new video was a big deal. Anyway...she looks great and seems to have old Britney energy back. I don't like the song, but the video is good...a lot like Toxic from a few years ago where where she goes through different persona's after a man.

National Coming Out Day

Happy National Coming Out Day!

Thursday Thirteen

I couldn’t think of a topic this week so here are just 13 random things.

1. I’m not into Dancing with the Stars this season. There’s nobody I think is really good or that I want to root for.

2. I finally broke down and bought the plane tickets out to California for Christmas…almost $1,500 for the two of us. Ouch! I don’t think my family realizes how expensive it is to visit…but they probably think it’s my punishment for moving away.

3. I love Chick Fil-A. I can get something healthy (grilled chicken sandwich and a fruit cup) and I don’t have to make any exceptions to hold the mayo because they do not put any condiments on anything. It’s all on the side. =)

4. I leave on vacation in 10 days! A four day trip to Florida with my husband and then three days in Vegas with girlfriends.

5. A portion of my driveway is shared with two other neighbors. It needs to get sealed so I’m trying to coordinate which is hard because I have never met one of them. He has another place and doesn’t spend much time at the house by mine.

6. The Biggest Loser is my favorite show this season. I was sad to see Jerry go. I like how they have changed the format so the contestants can’t target and vote out the strong ones.

7. I’m trying not to get freaked out by the economy and all the money our investments have lost.

8. The leaves are starting to change. Fall usually puts me in a funk and I’m trying to fight it this year.

9. I’m still struggling with my weight. I am an emotional eater and any good days I have can quickly be negated in one meal.

10. I think Angelina Jolie had some work done on her face. People are talking about her having a tummy tuck, but I think her face looks different too.

11. I am soon to become a Six Sigma Green Belt.

12. I still haven’t decided who I am going to vote for.

13. A co-worker’s wife asked me to make a treat for their dog’s birthday so I made a 5 inch bundt cake. It was a peanut butter cake covered with melted carob and decorated with yogurt. All dog friendly ingredients.

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Cat People - I Need Advice!

I need help with my cats. I have two male cats that are about 3 and a half years old and litter mates. They are extremely close...clean each other, play together, sleep together. My problem is that they are urinating outside the litter boxes...not somewhere else all together, but on the edges, the floor next to it and the wall next to it. They get in the box and squat like usual, but then will start to stand up and the urine goes on the edge, floor, wall. Does anyone know why they are doing this and how I can get them to stop??? Oh, and they are also scratching the hell out of my couches. Is it a territory thing? Are they just lazy? Could they be sick? This only started about six months ago.

Wordless Wednesday - Curiosity

No Dream World Series, But...

The Dodgers are still in it! They swept the Cubs in three games and looked really good. The Angels on the other hand lost their series. If only one team was going to move on I'm glad it was the Dodgers. They have not won a playoff series in 20 years...yes, 20 years I have been waiting.

Thursday Thirteen - Me on a Reality Show

If I was on a reality show...

1. The Amazing Race - I would want my brother to be my partner.

2. American Idol - I would sing Alone by Heart.

3. Survivor - I would probably be the sick girl who is nauseous for days from the boat ride to the island.

4. America's Next Top Model - I am too short and don't meet the height requirements so I can't even consider this one. I wonder what they would do to me on the makeover though.

5. The Hills - I would rather be friends with Brody than any of the girls.

6. The Biggest Loser - I would want Jillian to be my trainer and I would call Alison her Days of Our Lives name (Sami) instead of her real name. I would hate having to weigh in in front of America wearing the most unflattering outfit possible (sport bra and biker shorts).

7. Dancing with the Stars - I usually only like to dance when I'm drinking, which I'm pretty sure is the same for Cloris Leachman.

8. What Not to Wear - I like everything except having to throw out my current clothes so I would try to hide some to keep. I can't see myself at the grocery store or Baja Fresh wearing the outfits they pick out for people.

9. Hell's Kitchen - Chef Ramsey would definitely make me cry.

10. Top Chef - I would make either prosciutto wrapped chicken (with mozzarella cheese and fresh basil in the middle) or chicken wrapped in phyllo dough (with mushrooms, shallots, garlic, spinach and asiago cheese in the middle).

11. The Real World - No way I could put up with those people...although I'm sure I would have had fun on the Vegas season. I would put up with a lot to live in a casino for three months. I'm way over the age limit for the show though.

12. The Apprentice - I would try to win, then refuse the offer...like when the Bachelorette didn't want either of the final guys.

13. My work could be a new show...like a real version of The Office.

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Go Blue!

One of my childhood dreams may come true in the next few weeks...a Dodgers/Angels world series! I grew up a huge Dodger fan. My family was split between favoring the Dodgers and the Angels. I supported them both, but my heart has always been with the Dodgers. My first crushes in life were Dodger players (Steve Garvey then Steve Sax) and I wanted to have my wedding in Dodger stadium in between games of a double header. Anyway...I have waited my entire life for a Dodgers/Angels world series and there is the possibility of it happening this year. The playoffs start today so good luck boys!

Wordless Wednesday - A Present!

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Dinner!

I have a very sweet dad. He sent me some chocolate covered strawberries today so it was the majority of my dinner while I waited for the HVAC guy...who never showed up.

Music Monday - Irreplaceable

If you like country music and Beyonce's song Irreplaceable, check out this cover by Sugarland. Which do you like better?

Worst Workout Ever

I had one of the worst workouts ever today. I went out for a jog at around 4pm once I finally decided it didn't look like it was going to rain anymore today. It was very humid and not too warm, but much warmer than the cool 6am air I am used to. I don't know what happened to me, but about 15 minutes in I just couldn't jog anymore so I walked for a minute, then tried to jog again. I kept having to stop and then just gave up and walked the rest of the way. My body just had nothing left in it and I have no idea why. When I got home I was completely exhausted. I just sat on the couch, then took a shower and took a nap because I was too tired to do anything else. Now at 9pm I am finally feeling better, but it was really odd. I hope this doesn't happen again.

Thursday Thirteen - What I've Learned from Blogging

This is my 100th post! Here are 13 things I have learned from this blog.

1. I did not think many people would actually read my blog, but they do! I just starting tracking visitors a few weeks ago and almost 150 people in eight different countries have read it since.

2. Everybody loves a list.

3. Some of the people I am closest to do not read my blog. This surprised me

4. People are nice. I was expecting people to write nasty things in the comments, but nobody has.

5. Writing is therapeutic, especially for the painful stuff like losing my mom.

6. I enjoy writing.

7. I have not done much writing since college so the thought of writing was intimidating and the first entries would take me an hour or two to write. I know I am not a great writer, but I can bang out an entry pretty quickly now.

8. Formatting looks different between my two computers…I still can’t figure out why. I thought it would look the same on all computers.

9. I am reading more blogs which has opened me to up to new people and their thoughts.

10. People actually like pictures of my cats.

11. I used to get nervous about what I wrote…that it would be too personal or someone might think it was stupid or trivial. Now I just write what I’m thinking about and don’t worry about it.

12. What a meme is and how great they are to get more readers.

13. I still have a lot to learn about how to format and make my blog look less like a template.

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Too Bad There is a Hole in the Roof

Looks like it is going to get windy and rainy here in Virginia. Too bad I have a hole in my roof that I just learned may not get fixed until late November! I love this picture though...so many things going on in it.