Thursday, November 29, 2007
I can't believe its been that long!
I can't believe its been over a month since I last blogged. Never fear friends.....I will be blogging more soon! Keep checking for an update....I will do it this weekend!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Haunted house?
So, the remodeling is STILL coming along.....slowly. But an interesting thing is happening to us. 4 different times over the past couple of weeks we've noticed that someone is either coming into our house at night with a key.....or.....our house is haunted. I'm pretty much thinking its the later, but you never can tell. Here's the facts: I'm at the house most afternoons doing stuff plus keeping an eye on the workers. At the end of the day, either Alex or I will shut off all the lights and lock ALL the doors. But, despite this, we have come back the following day and find that one of doors is unlocked or ajar and sometimes a light is on in the house. Most recently this happened on Wednesday morning. I was there all day on Tuesday, locked up and shut the lights off. On Wednesday morning I went to check on the house because it had rained very heavy the night before. When I went down to the basement, I opened the door and found that all the lights were on. I quick, backed out and then high-tailed it out of there. I checked the doors upstairs and found the front door unlocked. UGHHHHH! So who can it be you ask? So do we? We haven't changed the locks yet because we wanted to wait until after the house was finished, right before we move it. So, obviously its someone who still has a key......or its the lady that died in the house! I went to the local police dept to ask them if they could drive by at night and keep an eye on it and the cop I spoke to mentioned that THEY had a key! Then he went back to a HUGE panel box...........FULL of keys! It was like they had a key for every house in our town! How small town is that?! But, in the end he couldn't find it. Hmmmmm?!
So, I've told Alex that we need to get the locks re-keyed NOW! Thats my project for today.....after that we can really decide if its a person that is curious or a ghost that is curious......I hope its not the ghost!
So, I've told Alex that we need to get the locks re-keyed NOW! Thats my project for today.....after that we can really decide if its a person that is curious or a ghost that is curious......I hope its not the ghost!
Paying for stuff
Do you know what I hate? When you go out with people, have dinner, drinks, etc....then one of the people you are with decides that they will either not pay enough for what they ate or drank..........or they decide, despite the fact that I only had soup, that they will just divide the bill between 6 people and I end up spending $70 on soup and two drinks. Now, most of you know I'm not cheap, but I can't stand either of those situations. I can't get into specifics but I experienced these very situations recently. Whats up with people? I was a dinner recently where one of the diners decided that there was no way he had as many drinks as were on the bill. He wouldn't pay and the server wouldn't take it off the bill....rightly so......so other people ended up paying for his cheapness. (and believe me.....he drank all those drinks!) So, my question is.....what is wrong with people. If you can't pay for stuff....DON'T go out!
Clown hair
So, last week was my brother's rehersal dinner for his upcoming wedding. I have been wearing my hair pretty long for the last couple of months in anticipation of the wedding. I wanted to grow it out and have them put it up in a pretty up-do for the wedding. So, since I hate long hair, I've been keeping my frizzy, curly hair up in a ponytail since July. I look lame pretty much everyday. The alternative is a head full of super frizzy curly hair. But, faced with going to a restuarant for dinner, I had to actually style my hair. So, I let it dry curly. Now, I admit, my hair is pretty wild when its curly, but it still looks pretty cute. I looked in the mirror before I left my car, and was satisfied with the results.
I walked into the restaurant and greeted my family members and my future sister-in-laws family members. That's when the following occurred.....(it was one of MY family members that said this)......"whats wrong with your hair?" I was shocked and asked him what he meant......and he replied...."it looks funny.....like clown hair"! Can you imagine my pain and confusion. I mean, I LIKED my hair when I walked in. I mumbled something about wanting to grow out my hair, then quickly ran to the bathroom. I expected to see that my hair had taken a bad turn during the 40 feet from my car to the restaurant but I was stunned to see that in MY eyes, there was nothing wrong with my hair. I guess that's the problem.....maybe I'm in denial about my clown hair. But let me ask you this.......why is it that older people feel that they can say ANYTHING without reprisal? They just shoot out any words that come to their minds. I mean, I have lots to say about stuff, but common decency prevents me from saying it......but what happens when you fly past the age of 60? Is there some sort delay button in our brains that quits working and people just say exactly what they are thinking at the time?
I walked into the restaurant and greeted my family members and my future sister-in-laws family members. That's when the following occurred.....(it was one of MY family members that said this)......"whats wrong with your hair?" I was shocked and asked him what he meant......and he replied...."it looks funny.....like clown hair"! Can you imagine my pain and confusion. I mean, I LIKED my hair when I walked in. I mumbled something about wanting to grow out my hair, then quickly ran to the bathroom. I expected to see that my hair had taken a bad turn during the 40 feet from my car to the restaurant but I was stunned to see that in MY eyes, there was nothing wrong with my hair. I guess that's the problem.....maybe I'm in denial about my clown hair. But let me ask you this.......why is it that older people feel that they can say ANYTHING without reprisal? They just shoot out any words that come to their minds. I mean, I have lots to say about stuff, but common decency prevents me from saying it......but what happens when you fly past the age of 60? Is there some sort delay button in our brains that quits working and people just say exactly what they are thinking at the time?
Monday, October 1, 2007
Sauerkraut
Now, I'm not sure if I spelled that right, but you all know what it is right? If not, find a Polish friend to help you out. Sauerkraut is a wonderful veggie that is usually served with pork. Its got a very unique (sour) taste. But, I grew up on it and love it! The best part is.......its 0 points. In Weight Watchers world this is wonderful. I've lost 13 pounds to date with another weigh in tomorrow, so needless to say, I'm doing pretty well if I say so myself. But last week, I almost fell off my chair at dinner thanks to my father.
In the morning we go over the specifics for dinner that night. On that particular day he told me that he was make a pork roast with sauerkraut. I told him I would cook my own lean pork chops if he would save me some sauerkraut. He said sure! When I came home that afternoon, I sauted my porkchop then put it in a roastin pan with some sauerkraut. Now, I asked my dad how he prepared it because I could tell that it wasn't just right out of the can. He said "ALL I used Amy, is garlic, onion and caraway seeds, that's it.....nothing else". I confirmed with him that was ALL he put in it and he said yes. So, I took a bunch of sauerkraut, covered my porkchop, and roasted it.
At dinner, I was famished, and the sauerkraut was WONDERFUL. I couldn't get enough of it. I was soooo excited because here was a 0 point food that I loved and could eat lots of! About halfway through my second helping of this delicious food, I asked my dad........"how did you prepare this exactly, because its sooooo good"? He was very excited to report........."Well, first I started with some bacon fat!". Thats as far as he got............at that moment, I wanted just scream and shout. But, I was raised better than that. He went on for several minutes as I tried to formulate what to say but my mom could see something brewing in my eyes. She spoke up and said "whats wrong with bacon fat, there's nothing wrong with it". Now of course there's nothing wrong with bacon fat, it keeps the pig warm in the winter. But it also CREATES people fat! But my mom, who by the way eats whatever she wants and weighs only 95 pounds, can't understand what could possible be wrong with cooking sauerkraut with bacon fat and then not telling her dieting daughter while she eats 3 pounds of it!
The point here is.............if something tastes too good to be true, then it usually is.
In the morning we go over the specifics for dinner that night. On that particular day he told me that he was make a pork roast with sauerkraut. I told him I would cook my own lean pork chops if he would save me some sauerkraut. He said sure! When I came home that afternoon, I sauted my porkchop then put it in a roastin pan with some sauerkraut. Now, I asked my dad how he prepared it because I could tell that it wasn't just right out of the can. He said "ALL I used Amy, is garlic, onion and caraway seeds, that's it.....nothing else". I confirmed with him that was ALL he put in it and he said yes. So, I took a bunch of sauerkraut, covered my porkchop, and roasted it.
At dinner, I was famished, and the sauerkraut was WONDERFUL. I couldn't get enough of it. I was soooo excited because here was a 0 point food that I loved and could eat lots of! About halfway through my second helping of this delicious food, I asked my dad........"how did you prepare this exactly, because its sooooo good"? He was very excited to report........."Well, first I started with some bacon fat!". Thats as far as he got............at that moment, I wanted just scream and shout. But, I was raised better than that. He went on for several minutes as I tried to formulate what to say but my mom could see something brewing in my eyes. She spoke up and said "whats wrong with bacon fat, there's nothing wrong with it". Now of course there's nothing wrong with bacon fat, it keeps the pig warm in the winter. But it also CREATES people fat! But my mom, who by the way eats whatever she wants and weighs only 95 pounds, can't understand what could possible be wrong with cooking sauerkraut with bacon fat and then not telling her dieting daughter while she eats 3 pounds of it!
The point here is.............if something tastes too good to be true, then it usually is.
Mailbox
Now, I have a theory. The way I look at it, a person can only be either handy or booksmart. I'm not saying that handy people aren't book smart, and booksmart people aren't handy. But, in the grand scheme of things, handy people are just that............handy. We are not handy people. I would very much like to clarify that.........I am slightly handy..........Alex, not so much. But, he is brillant with numbers, book stuff, etc.....in a way that I will never be. And he can write a mighty check to pay handy people.
We learned this the hard way on Friday. Last friday Alex decided that we would end our war with the post office and put up a mailbox. We had all the right stuff, tools etc. He figured it would take us about an hour. I told him it would take us three hours............and he laughed at me. It ended up taking 5 1/2 hours. Now, I really don't want to get into the specifics of what went wrong, but we ended up having to leave our mailbox and going to Lowes for more parts. In the end we were out at the curb until 9pm putting up this mailbox. Thats right, we were putting it up in the dark. We had the car on and the headlights blasting so we can see. The neighbors were all peering out the windows and probably saying something like this..."hey honey, how about those idiots from California putting up a mailbox at 9 pm at night".
We learned this the hard way on Friday. Last friday Alex decided that we would end our war with the post office and put up a mailbox. We had all the right stuff, tools etc. He figured it would take us about an hour. I told him it would take us three hours............and he laughed at me. It ended up taking 5 1/2 hours. Now, I really don't want to get into the specifics of what went wrong, but we ended up having to leave our mailbox and going to Lowes for more parts. In the end we were out at the curb until 9pm putting up this mailbox. Thats right, we were putting it up in the dark. We had the car on and the headlights blasting so we can see. The neighbors were all peering out the windows and probably saying something like this..."hey honey, how about those idiots from California putting up a mailbox at 9 pm at night".
The house!
The house is STILL coming along. I guess I shouldn't complain. The longer the house takes, the longer I am out of work. But along the way I've become the foreman/contractor of the project. Making sure everyone does their work, cleaning up after they leave, reporting to the owner (Alex) what was done and not done. We are still hunting for a good painter. We've gotten estimates from $7,000-$11,000. I think the guy that gave us the $11,000 estimate might have been crazy because our house really isn't that big! After several estimates I told Alex he should just drive down to Home Depot and hire a couple of workers that are out on the street! Ha, Ha!
I was sitting at the "money pit" (alex's house) today and watching the painter across the street. Our very nice neighbor needed some painting done as well and hired the very cheapest painter he could fine.....and he was REALLY cheap. So, I tried several times last week to call this guy and get him to come out and give me an estimate. He never called back.....this is pretty typical....I guess alot of people around here really don't need to work. Any way.......I was watching him today at the house across the street and realized that I'm glad he didn't call back. First of all, his crew is made up of just himself! He is a crew of one! Now, I don't know alot about painting, but I would think that it takes MUCH longer to paint the outside of a house all by yourself.
Number 2.............he is taking more breaks than I ever thought possible. He has a lawn chair and table set up in my neighbors driveway and comes back to it every hour or so.........then he procedes to sit there for 15-20 minutes at a time relaxing. Now, don't get me wrong, you need breaks............but this guy is ridiculous! I'm guessing this job might take him about 3 months at the rate he's going.
I was sitting at the "money pit" (alex's house) today and watching the painter across the street. Our very nice neighbor needed some painting done as well and hired the very cheapest painter he could fine.....and he was REALLY cheap. So, I tried several times last week to call this guy and get him to come out and give me an estimate. He never called back.....this is pretty typical....I guess alot of people around here really don't need to work. Any way.......I was watching him today at the house across the street and realized that I'm glad he didn't call back. First of all, his crew is made up of just himself! He is a crew of one! Now, I don't know alot about painting, but I would think that it takes MUCH longer to paint the outside of a house all by yourself.
Number 2.............he is taking more breaks than I ever thought possible. He has a lawn chair and table set up in my neighbors driveway and comes back to it every hour or so.........then he procedes to sit there for 15-20 minutes at a time relaxing. Now, don't get me wrong, you need breaks............but this guy is ridiculous! I'm guessing this job might take him about 3 months at the rate he's going.
Way to go Phillies
So, for you West Coasters.....the Philadelphia Phillies won the National League East Title yesterday and this city is going CRAZY! I don't normally follow baseball but how can you not when its all anyone is talking about. Yesterday was a quiet day out on the roads as everyone was watching their tv's waiting to see if it would happen. So, the excitement is building...can the Phillies make it to the World Series? Madison is bucking the trend and is rooting for San Diego. If San Diego wins tonights game, they will play Philly on Wednesday.....Madison is taking her life into her own hands and is rooting out loud for the Padres..........we'll see if she ends up in a closet!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Weight Watchers
Went to weight watchers yesterday and lost another 4 pounds. YEA!!!!! I'm on my way. I'll tell you what, I fell better than I have in recent months. I know I have about 80 more to go, but I fell lighter.
The leader yesterday asked everyone what brought them into Weight Watchers......I had lots of answers.....feeling bad, can't run with Madison without falling apart, my knees hurt. But the answer I gave her was this....... A couple of weeks ago I had to try on some clothes for an event coming up. Now, for months, even years, I have avoided full body mirrors. I LIKE the mirror in my bathroom. It only shows me from the neck up (all three of my necks!). This is a good look for me. I don't see all the other stuff. But then the 3 way mirror betrayed me. I tried not to look, but it was in this dressing room that I thought....."the problem with being fat, is that you look fat". Now, I know this is not rocket science.....but for someone that avoided mirrors, this was HUGE! For the last couple of months, years, I figured "hey, I'm not married, I'm not looking to be married, why should I care how heavy I get". But that kind of denial doesn't last forever. Eventually your body gives up on you and you get heart troubles, diabetes, etc.
Now, I know I will never be as skinny as my beautiful LA friends, Sharon, Andrea, Marianne, etc. These are all LA girls. Skinny there is a whole different type of skinny. But I'm striving for a healthy weight, and the ability to look in a three way mirror!
The leader yesterday asked everyone what brought them into Weight Watchers......I had lots of answers.....feeling bad, can't run with Madison without falling apart, my knees hurt. But the answer I gave her was this....... A couple of weeks ago I had to try on some clothes for an event coming up. Now, for months, even years, I have avoided full body mirrors. I LIKE the mirror in my bathroom. It only shows me from the neck up (all three of my necks!). This is a good look for me. I don't see all the other stuff. But then the 3 way mirror betrayed me. I tried not to look, but it was in this dressing room that I thought....."the problem with being fat, is that you look fat". Now, I know this is not rocket science.....but for someone that avoided mirrors, this was HUGE! For the last couple of months, years, I figured "hey, I'm not married, I'm not looking to be married, why should I care how heavy I get". But that kind of denial doesn't last forever. Eventually your body gives up on you and you get heart troubles, diabetes, etc.
Now, I know I will never be as skinny as my beautiful LA friends, Sharon, Andrea, Marianne, etc. These are all LA girls. Skinny there is a whole different type of skinny. But I'm striving for a healthy weight, and the ability to look in a three way mirror!
Phillies game
I was invited to go to a Phillies game last week. My cousin had four tickets and after scraping the bottom of the family barrel, asked me if I wanted to go. (actually I volunteered myself) I don't really follow baseball all that much, as many of you know, football is my game. But, I was eager to go. I remember fondly growing up and once a summer going to a Phillies game. My memories are of Vetern's Stadium. "The Vet", was a HUGE round stadium that was home field for baseball and football. My dad would buy tickets once a summer for our 4-some and we would also go to another game with all my cousins. We never had good seats. Always the 700 level seats....wayyyyyyyy up at the top of the stadium. We would dehydrate, get burnt, but always have a great time. We never were allowed to buy anything as the food was "too expensive". One year, my cousin worked at a local news stadium, and we actually got a tour of the locker room, dug-out, etc. The Vet was a terrible stadium, but I have many fond memories of summer's there.
Now, the new field is called Citizen's Park! Its a pretty new stadium, that is just for baseball....and boy is it beautiful! I went to the game with my dad, uncle, and cousin. My cousin was 2 hours late picking us up for the game so we missed the first pitch....in fact, we missed the whole first innning....but lucky for us, the first inning lasted 45 minutes. It was College night at the ballpark, otherwise known as "dollar dog night". Thats right folks....the hot dogs were $1. So, apparently, this is the night that all the local college kids come out to the ball park. It was a preey roudy crowd let me tell you.....rowdy for a baseball game that is. But we had tons of fun....and the money we saved on hotdogs went to beer and soda.
The thing I noticed about Phillies games vs Dodgers or Angels games is the difference in crowds. The folks all around us were so nice and talkative! That would never happen at a Dodger game. At a game in LA, you take your seat, nod politely to the people around you and never say a word to them. But, here in the city of "brotherly love", the people around you actually talk to you! Not only do they talk, by the end of the game, you know everything about them. It was amazing! Now, I'm not saying that in LA the people aren't as nice. I'm sure all of you have experiences where you went to a game and the same thing happened, but I'm telling you, this was different. By the time the guy next to me left, I knew all about his kids in college, where he lives, what he does for a living, his shoe size! This was definately something new and exciting.
By the way ladies....I never realized how cute some of the baseball players really are!
Now, the new field is called Citizen's Park! Its a pretty new stadium, that is just for baseball....and boy is it beautiful! I went to the game with my dad, uncle, and cousin. My cousin was 2 hours late picking us up for the game so we missed the first pitch....in fact, we missed the whole first innning....but lucky for us, the first inning lasted 45 minutes. It was College night at the ballpark, otherwise known as "dollar dog night". Thats right folks....the hot dogs were $1. So, apparently, this is the night that all the local college kids come out to the ball park. It was a preey roudy crowd let me tell you.....rowdy for a baseball game that is. But we had tons of fun....and the money we saved on hotdogs went to beer and soda.
The thing I noticed about Phillies games vs Dodgers or Angels games is the difference in crowds. The folks all around us were so nice and talkative! That would never happen at a Dodger game. At a game in LA, you take your seat, nod politely to the people around you and never say a word to them. But, here in the city of "brotherly love", the people around you actually talk to you! Not only do they talk, by the end of the game, you know everything about them. It was amazing! Now, I'm not saying that in LA the people aren't as nice. I'm sure all of you have experiences where you went to a game and the same thing happened, but I'm telling you, this was different. By the time the guy next to me left, I knew all about his kids in college, where he lives, what he does for a living, his shoe size! This was definately something new and exciting.
By the way ladies....I never realized how cute some of the baseball players really are!
Madison
Update on our princess:
She's doing great! She is really enjoying her new school, although it seems alot harder than Anza. I always had a feeling that Anza was too easy because she is really getting hard, hard, homework. Maybe its 4th grade.
She started to ride the bus this week. The first day went well. I introduced myself to the bus driver and explained we were new. I told Madison to keep an eye out, because she is the second stop in the afternoon. Do you think she remembered? Of course not. I was standing at the bus stop at 3:28 waiting for her. The big yellow bus pulled up, the other kids got off, the bus driver started to close the door, then she saw my terrified eyes. The bus driver started to yell, "where's the new girl?" She repeated this several times...........Now, I'm out on the street and can see Madison on the bus.....she was just sitting there talking to her friend ignoring the bus driver, AND ignoring me waving my hands like and idiot! The bus driver asked me her name....and only after she yelled her name....did Madison get off the bus. That could have gone worse I guess.
Soccer started on Saturday....after one practice she was a little rusty. The league she's in, isn't as agressive as what we are used to. I guess thats a good thing, but I'm not so sure yet. There doesn't seem to be alot of discipline on the team. So, we'll see.
Girl scouts starts soon; the wife of her soccer coach is the Girl Scout leader. I'm hoping the new troop isn't as crazy as the last one!
So, not much else....she's missing her Cali friends, but is loving life here as well.
She's doing great! She is really enjoying her new school, although it seems alot harder than Anza. I always had a feeling that Anza was too easy because she is really getting hard, hard, homework. Maybe its 4th grade.
She started to ride the bus this week. The first day went well. I introduced myself to the bus driver and explained we were new. I told Madison to keep an eye out, because she is the second stop in the afternoon. Do you think she remembered? Of course not. I was standing at the bus stop at 3:28 waiting for her. The big yellow bus pulled up, the other kids got off, the bus driver started to close the door, then she saw my terrified eyes. The bus driver started to yell, "where's the new girl?" She repeated this several times...........Now, I'm out on the street and can see Madison on the bus.....she was just sitting there talking to her friend ignoring the bus driver, AND ignoring me waving my hands like and idiot! The bus driver asked me her name....and only after she yelled her name....did Madison get off the bus. That could have gone worse I guess.
Soccer started on Saturday....after one practice she was a little rusty. The league she's in, isn't as agressive as what we are used to. I guess thats a good thing, but I'm not so sure yet. There doesn't seem to be alot of discipline on the team. So, we'll see.
Girl scouts starts soon; the wife of her soccer coach is the Girl Scout leader. I'm hoping the new troop isn't as crazy as the last one!
So, not much else....she's missing her Cali friends, but is loving life here as well.
It's been a really long time since I've updated this! The weather here has changed.....it really feels like fall now. It was 48 degrees this am! The pumpkins, mums,scarecrows, and hay are out in people's yards. The fall festivals are in full bloom. Its sweatshirt and jeans weather. Considering I'm still wearing the same three pairs of shorts, I had to got out and get some fall clothes. I HAVE fall clothes, but they are still in storage.
The house remodel is moving slowly. Things are happening, but not as fast as I would like them. The floors are pretty much down, the heating and air conditioning replaced. The landscaper has started to remove the forest of weeds around the house. Next week the windows go in....I think. Our only problem is finding a painter. The estimates we are getting are sky high. But we will make our final decision on that tomorrow. The only thing that won't be done when we move in is the kitchen. We are having difficulties finding cabinets to fit in our small kitchen. But, I think we have narrowed it down, but it will take 4 weeks for them to be here! UGH!!!! Alex says we can move in without the kitchen being done since I really don't cook anyway. We have a fridge in the basement and all we need is a little microwave and we can make do. We'll be eating pizza everynight!
The house remodel is moving slowly. Things are happening, but not as fast as I would like them. The floors are pretty much down, the heating and air conditioning replaced. The landscaper has started to remove the forest of weeds around the house. Next week the windows go in....I think. Our only problem is finding a painter. The estimates we are getting are sky high. But we will make our final decision on that tomorrow. The only thing that won't be done when we move in is the kitchen. We are having difficulties finding cabinets to fit in our small kitchen. But, I think we have narrowed it down, but it will take 4 weeks for them to be here! UGH!!!! Alex says we can move in without the kitchen being done since I really don't cook anyway. We have a fridge in the basement and all we need is a little microwave and we can make do. We'll be eating pizza everynight!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Another day another point
What a difference a day makes! I don't know if its because it was raining yesterday and I had been listening to Carrie Underwood or what, but today is a much better day. It's BEAUTIFUL out today. Its starting to feel like Fall. My dad and I have come to a truce. He will always be the guy that buys expired meat, and I will always be the crazy daughter who won't eat it.....but we now accept that an have learned to live with it. We hugged it out today!
So, Fall is approaching and with it are lots of community days, fall festivals, etc. Everywhere I go there are posters for weekend festivals. The fat Amy loves festivals! The new 6 pounds lighter Amy is wary! So, I am stocking away all my extra points during the week for the weekend funnel cake, etc. I am busy eating lots of carrots and one point granola bars right now. Its pretty amazing how bad I had become until last week. Everytime I would go into a Wawa or other fast food type store, I would buy something. Now, I carry around a granola bar, piece of fruit, and a small packet of 100 calorie M&M's in my purse at all times. Its pretty depressing. I wonder what will happen in a couple of weeks when I go to Vegas. I think I will have to starve the week before and the week after!
So, Fall is approaching and with it are lots of community days, fall festivals, etc. Everywhere I go there are posters for weekend festivals. The fat Amy loves festivals! The new 6 pounds lighter Amy is wary! So, I am stocking away all my extra points during the week for the weekend funnel cake, etc. I am busy eating lots of carrots and one point granola bars right now. Its pretty amazing how bad I had become until last week. Everytime I would go into a Wawa or other fast food type store, I would buy something. Now, I carry around a granola bar, piece of fruit, and a small packet of 100 calorie M&M's in my purse at all times. Its pretty depressing. I wonder what will happen in a couple of weeks when I go to Vegas. I think I will have to starve the week before and the week after!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Alex who?
For all of you who were wondering how Alex is making out.......he's busy right now with school. In fact VERY busy. Then on the weekends he is busy with house stuff AND school. We don't see him much because he is still staying in Delaware County with my brother. Things will be a little better for him this weekend as he is going to Atlantic City for a bachelor party!
A disclaimer
Thanks Lola and Christy for making me feel better today. Again, I just want to point out that I love my family! And crazy as it seems, I love being here in this fascinating state. I guess the rain made me a little crabby today!
Confessions of an overeater!
So, as I mentioned in a previous blog, I started weight watchers last week and so far so good. I got weighed in this am and lost 6 pounds, so I only have 80 more to go. I am feeling good about it. But as you all know, losing weight is a difficult thing. We all have to figure out what went wrong to begin with. For me, its just plain over eating. I will eat all day if you let me. Sometimes, I have a mouth full of food and don't know why. That's why weight watchers is good for me.
But, with any diet you have to make major lifestyle changes. My biggest challenge right now seems to be my dad trying to sabotage my efforts. Now, again...............I love my parents.
I don't know if any of you have tried weight watchers.....I have and love it. As some of you know I lost about 60 pounds a couple of years ago on it. The problem is....I've gained it back plus some. And its because someone like me NEEDS to be on it all the time. I am an over eater. So, you go to the meetings, weigh in, talk, etc. You don't have to by any food from weight watchers. That's the good thing about it. You just go home with your points calculator and figure out all your points values.
So, for me, the over eater, I need to have LOTS of low fat snacks handy for when I need them. So, I gather that I have probably spent close to $200 in the last week on tasty low fat items. And its working.....I've lost 6 pounds in my first week!!!! But, my dad looks at these low fat items with the same disgust I have for his expired foods. So, I bought the foods, loaded up the fridge, and put my dry snacks in the basement. But, every time my dad opens the fridge he grumbles about all my "shit" and "crap" in there. When I bring a new find home (which in weight watcher world is HUGE) he grumbles about it. I can' t always hear what he's saying but its not in a friendly tone let me tell you that.
My parents have a huge freezer in the basement that could easily hold 2 bodies in it. So, instead of being rude and clogging up their kitchen freezer with my stuff, I put it down in the basement in a bag off to the side so all my stuff would be in one place. Well, the day after I did that, I went down to get something, and when I opened the door, imagine my surprise that all my foods were out of the bag (bag actually gone) and scattered all over the freezer. Not only that, some of the boxes were bent and crushed. I don't know exactly what happened in that freezer but it looked bad.
Then, when he mentioned that my brother would be coming for dinner on Tuesday night with his fiance (who by the way is the daughter they never had) I asked if I could cook dinner. My only reason for this was so I could keep it low fat and healthy. I figured I could make a tasty Spaghetti Bolegnese for dinner using ground turkey. He was pretty thrown off by this turn of events and a little annoyed. I now know (thanks to my brother) that, he plans these dinners for Prince Nick, long in advance, and this is my dads time to shine, because as you know, no matter how bad the food may be, Prince and his Princess eat it without complaint (or as in my case, they don't push the food around on the plate). I didn't mean any harm by this, I was very kind and polite when I asked him.
He asked me "where are you going to get the meat?" I replied "at Giant". (a VERY good, reasonable supermarket here) Well, that's when he went into a little tirade......."I'll buy the meat at Aldi's....there's nothing wrong with the meat there". Now, you all know how I feel about Aldi's. A couple of weeks ago he served Turkey breast that was black in color from there. It wasn't burnt, just black! So, I just slinked off quietly.
As it turned out, I'm not able to cook after all. Madison has soccer so I won't be there. But, he showed me the $2 ground turkey. Now, again, I had two options, to keep quiet or mention the fact that it had 350 calories and 17 grams of fat per serving. Being a trouble-maker I did the latter. See, I can't eat that on a daily basis....I get 33 points a day.....a cup of pasta is 5 points. A serving of that turkey would be 7 points! For 7 points I might as well eat regular ground beef. But of course my parents don't know this, or really care. My mom is a twig, and my dad is a diabetic that puts Splenda in his coffee but eats 2 sandwiches for lunch. I calmly explained the above, and said "its ok, I'll just pick up some leaner meat from the market for next time". That's when my mom said, why don't you just eat less of the fat laden meat. Now that is a great idea if you not an overeater. With the leaner meat I can eat twice as much and not even lose that much taste when I'm done cooking it. In the end they both made me feel bad for wanting to eat healthy and not have a heart attack at age 36. The one thing I loved about moving home was that I could be fat and not have anyone look at me like I was the devil. But, ironically the minute I moved home, I wanted to lose weight.....go figure!
Its no wonder that I'm an over eater!
But, with any diet you have to make major lifestyle changes. My biggest challenge right now seems to be my dad trying to sabotage my efforts. Now, again...............I love my parents.
I don't know if any of you have tried weight watchers.....I have and love it. As some of you know I lost about 60 pounds a couple of years ago on it. The problem is....I've gained it back plus some. And its because someone like me NEEDS to be on it all the time. I am an over eater. So, you go to the meetings, weigh in, talk, etc. You don't have to by any food from weight watchers. That's the good thing about it. You just go home with your points calculator and figure out all your points values.
So, for me, the over eater, I need to have LOTS of low fat snacks handy for when I need them. So, I gather that I have probably spent close to $200 in the last week on tasty low fat items. And its working.....I've lost 6 pounds in my first week!!!! But, my dad looks at these low fat items with the same disgust I have for his expired foods. So, I bought the foods, loaded up the fridge, and put my dry snacks in the basement. But, every time my dad opens the fridge he grumbles about all my "shit" and "crap" in there. When I bring a new find home (which in weight watcher world is HUGE) he grumbles about it. I can' t always hear what he's saying but its not in a friendly tone let me tell you that.
My parents have a huge freezer in the basement that could easily hold 2 bodies in it. So, instead of being rude and clogging up their kitchen freezer with my stuff, I put it down in the basement in a bag off to the side so all my stuff would be in one place. Well, the day after I did that, I went down to get something, and when I opened the door, imagine my surprise that all my foods were out of the bag (bag actually gone) and scattered all over the freezer. Not only that, some of the boxes were bent and crushed. I don't know exactly what happened in that freezer but it looked bad.
Then, when he mentioned that my brother would be coming for dinner on Tuesday night with his fiance (who by the way is the daughter they never had) I asked if I could cook dinner. My only reason for this was so I could keep it low fat and healthy. I figured I could make a tasty Spaghetti Bolegnese for dinner using ground turkey. He was pretty thrown off by this turn of events and a little annoyed. I now know (thanks to my brother) that, he plans these dinners for Prince Nick, long in advance, and this is my dads time to shine, because as you know, no matter how bad the food may be, Prince and his Princess eat it without complaint (or as in my case, they don't push the food around on the plate). I didn't mean any harm by this, I was very kind and polite when I asked him.
He asked me "where are you going to get the meat?" I replied "at Giant". (a VERY good, reasonable supermarket here) Well, that's when he went into a little tirade......."I'll buy the meat at Aldi's....there's nothing wrong with the meat there". Now, you all know how I feel about Aldi's. A couple of weeks ago he served Turkey breast that was black in color from there. It wasn't burnt, just black! So, I just slinked off quietly.
As it turned out, I'm not able to cook after all. Madison has soccer so I won't be there. But, he showed me the $2 ground turkey. Now, again, I had two options, to keep quiet or mention the fact that it had 350 calories and 17 grams of fat per serving. Being a trouble-maker I did the latter. See, I can't eat that on a daily basis....I get 33 points a day.....a cup of pasta is 5 points. A serving of that turkey would be 7 points! For 7 points I might as well eat regular ground beef. But of course my parents don't know this, or really care. My mom is a twig, and my dad is a diabetic that puts Splenda in his coffee but eats 2 sandwiches for lunch. I calmly explained the above, and said "its ok, I'll just pick up some leaner meat from the market for next time". That's when my mom said, why don't you just eat less of the fat laden meat. Now that is a great idea if you not an overeater. With the leaner meat I can eat twice as much and not even lose that much taste when I'm done cooking it. In the end they both made me feel bad for wanting to eat healthy and not have a heart attack at age 36. The one thing I loved about moving home was that I could be fat and not have anyone look at me like I was the devil. But, ironically the minute I moved home, I wanted to lose weight.....go figure!
Its no wonder that I'm an over eater!
Alien in my homeland part 3
I now know why I stayed in LA for so long and lived there quite happily......my parents.....Now again, let me preface this by saying that I love my parents with all my heart. And I am VERY grateful for them taking me in while the house is being remodeled. I know that its difficult staying with your parents as an adult and despite what you may think, I am polite and nice to them at all times.
But, I get the feeling that I am an alien to them. Example: as I've mentioned before, my dad tends to shop in places where the price never goes over $3. He shops for his meat at an auction or a place called Amelia's that sells out of code (but frozen) meat. He shops for the rest of his stuff at Amelia's or a place called Aldi's. Now don't get me started on Aldi's. Its a no name brand place that sells everyday stuff for below market cost, except with their own labels. The food there is terrible. But, the meat is even worse. I don't know what happened to my dad....he was always a little cheap, but not as bad as in recent years. But, living in CA as most of you know, I was able to avoid the cheap, out of code foods. But, living in his house has brought me face to face with the out of code stuff. And to make matters worse, I've started weight watchers again and REALLY need fresh,yummy,low calorie stuff around.....but I'll get to that in another post.
But today it hit an all time low. I went into the fridge to grab some mustard for a sandwhich when I noticed that the mustard had an expiration date of 10/06. Thats right people.....a WHOLE year ago. So, I stood in the kitchen for several minutes and try to decide what to do.....should I just put it back and not say anything, or tell my parents about it. The problem with ignoring it is that if I do that, and I go out to get fresh mustard, I will hear about it anyway. So, I took the "stirring up the pot" route and VERY nicely mentioned to them that the mustard was a year expired. Well, if you could have seen the look on their faces! It was if I had just landed here and slapped them in the face. It was a look that said "what are you to good for the expired mustard". In fact thats pretty much what they actually said. It was pointed out to me that the expiration date was only a sell by date and did not reflect how good the mustard actually is. According to both of them, there is "nothing wrong with the mustard as long as you leave it in the fridge". And even better, "well, Nick (my brother) eats it and doesn't have a problem with it". There my friends is the problem with my parents (among other things)......my brother with eat expired foods and suspiciously cheap foods without complaint. He DOESN'T complain. Amy complains! I am most definately an alien to them. Someone that went off to California and whom they have nothing in common. Someone who is toooo good for their expired foods.
The thing is.......its true. I did go to California and change. But, they have to remember that I left PA when I was 20 years old. And I left because I never felt like I fit in here. So, now my question is......do I belong here now? I am thinking yes.....because for the most part I am loving it here.........I think it will be better once I get into the new house. I hope!
But, I get the feeling that I am an alien to them. Example: as I've mentioned before, my dad tends to shop in places where the price never goes over $3. He shops for his meat at an auction or a place called Amelia's that sells out of code (but frozen) meat. He shops for the rest of his stuff at Amelia's or a place called Aldi's. Now don't get me started on Aldi's. Its a no name brand place that sells everyday stuff for below market cost, except with their own labels. The food there is terrible. But, the meat is even worse. I don't know what happened to my dad....he was always a little cheap, but not as bad as in recent years. But, living in CA as most of you know, I was able to avoid the cheap, out of code foods. But, living in his house has brought me face to face with the out of code stuff. And to make matters worse, I've started weight watchers again and REALLY need fresh,yummy,low calorie stuff around.....but I'll get to that in another post.
But today it hit an all time low. I went into the fridge to grab some mustard for a sandwhich when I noticed that the mustard had an expiration date of 10/06. Thats right people.....a WHOLE year ago. So, I stood in the kitchen for several minutes and try to decide what to do.....should I just put it back and not say anything, or tell my parents about it. The problem with ignoring it is that if I do that, and I go out to get fresh mustard, I will hear about it anyway. So, I took the "stirring up the pot" route and VERY nicely mentioned to them that the mustard was a year expired. Well, if you could have seen the look on their faces! It was if I had just landed here and slapped them in the face. It was a look that said "what are you to good for the expired mustard". In fact thats pretty much what they actually said. It was pointed out to me that the expiration date was only a sell by date and did not reflect how good the mustard actually is. According to both of them, there is "nothing wrong with the mustard as long as you leave it in the fridge". And even better, "well, Nick (my brother) eats it and doesn't have a problem with it". There my friends is the problem with my parents (among other things)......my brother with eat expired foods and suspiciously cheap foods without complaint. He DOESN'T complain. Amy complains! I am most definately an alien to them. Someone that went off to California and whom they have nothing in common. Someone who is toooo good for their expired foods.
The thing is.......its true. I did go to California and change. But, they have to remember that I left PA when I was 20 years old. And I left because I never felt like I fit in here. So, now my question is......do I belong here now? I am thinking yes.....because for the most part I am loving it here.........I think it will be better once I get into the new house. I hope!
Soccer
For all you Madison fans out there....Madison starts soccer today. She originally didn't want to play but once school started and she met a whole bunch of new friends, she warmed up to the idea. Her first practice is today, and first game on Saturday. I don't know if she'll play on Saturday since she hasn't been practicing much. She's excited though, and I'll keep you informed. She's made lots of new friends at school and loves it there. The schools here are a little advanced compared to Torrance's schools but she's catching up.
Oh....since my computer meltdown last week, I'm unable to download pics at the moment.....so, be patient with me.
Oh....since my computer meltdown last week, I'm unable to download pics at the moment.....so, be patient with me.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Bridal shower stuff
My brother is getting married in couple of weeks, so this past weekend was the bridal shower for his fiance. Madison and I have the pleasure of being in the wedding, and so far it has been pretty calm. No bridezilla stuff. In fact, I love my new sister-in-law to death. She picked out flattering dresses of a pretty color. She is really laid back and worrying more if everyone else is going to be happy. She's not your typical bride.
So, after weeks of planning, the bridesmaids were able to pull off a surprise shower.......despite the fact that I was filling out the bridal shower invites while she was on the couch next to me.
It was a beautiful shower, lots of good food and nice guests. She got LOTS of new stuff. I was appropriately jealous.....a little mix of envy (for the new stuff) but happy for the new bride. As many of you know....I am in no mood to be married again. And since I was married already, nobody turns to me and asks...."when's your turn". So, I avoid the pity looks from the old people.
But, as is my life, the day could not go without some sort of drama. I have to start by telling your that all my clothes continue to be in storage. I have 3 pairs of shorts, a jean skirt and a couple of shirts that I wash and recycle. So, last week I went out and bought a new outfit and shoes. I bought a black skirt, black and cream top, and some black strappy heels. I pre-viewed the outfit for Madison last week and she told me that the top was an "old lady top". I replied that when you are as fat as I am, there isn't much of a selection. So, after that I previewed the outfit for my mom. So......she knew exactly what I was going to wear to the shower.
So, imagine my surprise on Saturday morning, when she came downstairs wearing an outfit so similar that you had to squint to notice the difference. She was wearing black PANTS, a black and cream top with a very similar design, and black strappy shoes. I was shell-shocked! Now, I'm no fashionista, but I know enough, that if you are arriving together from the same house, that different outfits are in order. Plus, my mother has more clothes than Queen Elizabeth in her closet. Also, my mom is 5'10 and about 109 pounds. She isn't the heavy set, 36 year old woman in old lady clothes. She actually looked really nice. Even my brother, who wouldn't normally notice such things, noticed it right away.
So, this being MY mom, I didn't say anything, and just pouted all the way to the shower. Then over the course of the 4 hours, whenever I would stand near her, people would comment, "don't you two look cute, you're matching". I wanted to shout "this isn't a Laura Ashley catalog and I'm not 7 years old!". But, of course, simple decorum and manners prevented me from actually saying that. After about 3 hours of the comments though, I finally spoke up and said "well, I did show her my outfit last week, so she knew what I was wearing". I thought this would get a good laugh. But, my mom looked horrified, and all her friends were aghast. One of them said...."you both look cute". So, I slinked off into the corner. When another person mentioned it again later, my mom said "DON'T GET HER STARTED" and stomped off. I'll tell you what....if I hadn't started back on weight watchers last week, I would have had a few very stiff drinks.
So, after weeks of planning, the bridesmaids were able to pull off a surprise shower.......despite the fact that I was filling out the bridal shower invites while she was on the couch next to me.
It was a beautiful shower, lots of good food and nice guests. She got LOTS of new stuff. I was appropriately jealous.....a little mix of envy (for the new stuff) but happy for the new bride. As many of you know....I am in no mood to be married again. And since I was married already, nobody turns to me and asks...."when's your turn". So, I avoid the pity looks from the old people.
But, as is my life, the day could not go without some sort of drama. I have to start by telling your that all my clothes continue to be in storage. I have 3 pairs of shorts, a jean skirt and a couple of shirts that I wash and recycle. So, last week I went out and bought a new outfit and shoes. I bought a black skirt, black and cream top, and some black strappy heels. I pre-viewed the outfit for Madison last week and she told me that the top was an "old lady top". I replied that when you are as fat as I am, there isn't much of a selection. So, after that I previewed the outfit for my mom. So......she knew exactly what I was going to wear to the shower.
So, imagine my surprise on Saturday morning, when she came downstairs wearing an outfit so similar that you had to squint to notice the difference. She was wearing black PANTS, a black and cream top with a very similar design, and black strappy shoes. I was shell-shocked! Now, I'm no fashionista, but I know enough, that if you are arriving together from the same house, that different outfits are in order. Plus, my mother has more clothes than Queen Elizabeth in her closet. Also, my mom is 5'10 and about 109 pounds. She isn't the heavy set, 36 year old woman in old lady clothes. She actually looked really nice. Even my brother, who wouldn't normally notice such things, noticed it right away.
So, this being MY mom, I didn't say anything, and just pouted all the way to the shower. Then over the course of the 4 hours, whenever I would stand near her, people would comment, "don't you two look cute, you're matching". I wanted to shout "this isn't a Laura Ashley catalog and I'm not 7 years old!". But, of course, simple decorum and manners prevented me from actually saying that. After about 3 hours of the comments though, I finally spoke up and said "well, I did show her my outfit last week, so she knew what I was wearing". I thought this would get a good laugh. But, my mom looked horrified, and all her friends were aghast. One of them said...."you both look cute". So, I slinked off into the corner. When another person mentioned it again later, my mom said "DON'T GET HER STARTED" and stomped off. I'll tell you what....if I hadn't started back on weight watchers last week, I would have had a few very stiff drinks.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Stranger in my homeland....part 2
I just wanted to clarify for all you lovely people back in CA......I am not living in Philly. We moved to a community 45 minutes outside the city....maybe an hour if the traffic is really bad. So, all these stories involve people that have no idea about anything outside their very small lives. Now, I'm not saying I live in a hole.....but its not even as big as Torrance was. Not even half as big! So, as Lola has pointed out.........there are many more like minded people in the city....just not out here in the sticks. I guess it would be like if I had moved to Riverside.....except without the heroin.
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