Back on the Diet

Three years ago, August 06 I reached my highest ever weight, 160 lbs. I went out one day to find a new dress and discovered I did not look good in a single thing I tried on. I was overweight. And I didn't like it.

I joined a website called SparkPeople and by keeping track of everything I ate, over the following 8 months I dropped 35 lbs. And I kept it off for 2 years.

But last summer, I had a miscarriage. I went from a job I liked to one I did not. And I just quit paying attention to what I ate and over the last year (or more) I have gained 25 of those pounds back.

I don't like it.

So I started over on SparkPeople. I've finished the first week and I've already lost 4 lbs! Yeah Me! I also am doing something different this time... I'm exercising. Actually, I started running. And since I haven't done that in YEARS (not since the Army really) I am using a program called Couch to 5k which over the course of 9 weeks gradually gets you from being a couch potato to being able to run a 5k (if you wanted). I don't have any race in mind, but it's a great way to get back into it. I know from personal experience that running works for me. When I was working out several times a week including running, I could eat what I wanted when I wanted, never paid attention and kept my weight around 130 easily. I'm 10 years older now but if I work out I should be able to keep me weight where I want it with minimum of effort (hopefully!)

Anyway. I had day 2 of my first week of running. I was surprised how much easier it was today then it was for day one (last Thursday). That's promising.

This week I did well on - tracking everything I ate. If it went in my mouth, it went in the log. I also worked out twice, prolly should have been three times, and this week it will be. I only went over my allowed calories once and was under twice. That's good.

I need to do better on - my water intake. I simply don't drink enough water.

So, I'll try to report at the end of this week and we'll see how well I'm doing.

4 lbs the first week, I'm proud of myself!

Vampires and Authors

The current issue of Entertainment Weekly has a 10 page spread on vampires and impact on today's pop-culture. Very interesting stuff.

But they did a quick interview/profile on six authors in this genre and Laurell K Hamilton was one of them. In answer to the question, "What are your thoughts on the Twilight phenomenon?" She has a long reply which starts off with this...
"Stephenie Meyer has come and she's taken the genre that I sort of pioneered."

Oh really? I do believe that honor belongs to Ms Rice, who was also featured in the article. She was asked this question, "What's unique about your vision of vampires?"
"Their glamour. What I thought to do with Louis and Lestat was make them very beautiful and very appealing. I thought to myself, Why should this supernatural being be repulsive? Why should he be feral like Dracula? What if he was more like a dark angel? It was kind of a radical idea. And now, 30 years later, no one would even question vampires being beautiful and magnetic."

Exactly. Which is why Anne Rice shall always be the premier vampire storyteller... even if she has left the genre.

Back to Phantom Happiness!

Before I get any comments or emails asking if I need a new companion for my Phantom tickets (*grin*) I wanted to say that the boxoffice was very helpful. I was able to exchange them for a night a week earlier, one row closer and just slighter more off center then the old tickets. I'm very happy. I did have to pay a $25 fee for the excahnge, but that's well worth it. Now our tickets are for Tuesday the 21st of July.

I'm very happy now. :)

Digital Scrapping

I've been getting more and more into scrapping, although so far just about all of my scrapping has been done at my upline Nancy's house. Her layouts, my pictures. But while going through some pictures on my hard drive, I found three pages I did digitally, and I thought I'd post them. I made the pages shortly after the date on the first page, so you can see how long ago I made them ... I'd like to think if I did them now they'd look better, but not bad all in all. whatcha think?

Phantom Sadness...

As I posted last month, I bought tickets to Phantom for this July. First of all, realize that this isn't a 2 week engagement, these people are going to be performing 6 days a week for FOUR weeks, a total of like 24 performances. The problem? Hubby is going to be out of town. Yes folks, the company he works for has decided to schedule their GM conference for four days that just happen to be at the same time as my Phantom tickets.

What can I do? All I can, is call the box office and see if there is any way of exchanging them for comparable seats for a different night. One where he will actually be in Houston and can attend the show. Oh, and to add insult to injury.. wives are expressly NOT invited to go with them to Napa, CA. Hurmph.

A little of my own Bits & Pieces....

My mom has been doing Digital Scraping lately, and she just posted some new layouts to her blog - Micki's Bits & Pieces - including one of little 'ol me!  Go check it out!!

In other news.... Phantom is coming to Houston this summer.  I have known about this 

for months of course, and I put the date that the tickets go on sale in my calendar (April 19th) - but the other day I get an email... the tickets are going on sale early for eClub members - of which I am one - and I could buy them now.  so, of course I go and see what the prices are and what kinds of seats are available... I wasn't actually going to buy them yet... but I found tickets for third row, center!  Of course I bought them!  I mean, they were only $85 a piece!  LOL  

So my husband and I will be at the Hobby Center come Wednesday night on July 29th! I am very excited.

This will be my fifth live performance.

38 so far this year, and counting!

I never posted my February reads, so this is for the last two months.

February

• How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire - Kerrelyn Sparks
  
• Vamps and the City- Kerrelyn Sparks
  
• Hunters Moon - CT Adams and Cathy Clamp
  
• Moons Web - CT Adams and Cathy Clamp
  
• Bone Crossed - Patricia Briggs
  
• Naked in Death - JD Robb (re-read)
  
• Be Still my Vampire Heart- Kerrelyn Sparks
  
• All I want for Christmas is a Vampire- Kerrelyn Sparks
  
• Pride - Rachel Vienct
  
• Promises in Death - JD Robb
  

March

• Daemon - Daniel Suarez
  
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - JK Rowling (re-read)
  
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - JK Rowling (re-read)
  
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling (re-read)
  
• Kitty and the Midnight Hour - Carrie Vaughn
  
• Deal Breaker - Harlen Coben
  
• Kitty goes to Washington - Carrie Vaughn
  

I'm up to 38 so far this year (not counting the 2 I've got for April already)

I didn't get much read in march because I promised that after I finished the HP books, I'd put the books aside so I could catch up on the TV shows on the DVR. I had DOZENS of shows, some going to back before christmas! LOL But I got all caught up and went back to my books.

I've got the rest of the Kitty books here, I've got 4 more of the Coban books on the way from PBS. I read Men of the Otherworld by Kelly Armstrong, and that made me want to finish THAT series, so I picked up the last three, and I just (re)started the first one, Bitten... I also bought the newest Kerrelyn Sparks vampire book.... too many books!!!!! (I love it!)