Cat antics

I really need to get some more pictures of my cats. They are so funny these days!

Last week Kitty wanted outside, so I let her, but when it was time for her to come inside (so I could go upstairs and go to bed), she didn't come! I called and called, and finally went to bed anyway. I had a really restful night's sleep. Hmmm. She was ready to come in in the morning, though.

Ani has been getting braver. When I go downstairs to feed him I sit and read for a while, and he's been slowly getting closer to where I sit. Someday I hope he'll be brave enough to come close enough for me to have him smell my hand. Maybe even let me pet him. I have been leaving the door open between the basement and the rest of the house whenever I'm home, and I think this has been helping. I find him in the mornings on the main floor curled up in Kitty's place. Well, she doesn't actually sit there anymore ;) One morning I didn't see him--until he leaped up from the couch where he'd been sitting and ran for the basement! Yup, he still runs from me :(

Sunday mornings are way more fun. I lay on the couch reading quietly, Kitty sitting somewhere near by--on the rocking chair, or the floor, or even up on the window sill (just not where That Boy has been sitting). Ani will slink upstairs, making little mewing noises to Kitty, calling to her. Kitty will growl. Ani will edge closer and mew. Kitty will growl. this continues until Ani gets inside Kitty's personal space, and she hisses (it's about 3 feet from wherever she is). One morning Ani lay down and presented his cute white belly to her. "See," he seemed to say, "I'm not a threat. I just want to play with you." "Go away," she growled. "I don't like other cats!"

Ah Kitty. I hope she will accept him someday. I hope Ani will accept me someday. I hope Kitty will stop attacking me because she has an appropriate play friend (who can defend himself if necessary). I think I'm in an odd sort of relationship triangle with my cats...

My week has been crazy. I'm trying to fit in some extra hours at work so I can take off next week and not have to dip into next year's vacation (yup, I'm almost out). Then, of course, things keep coming up in the evenings so I have to leave, and then after I get home I stay up too late so it's hard to get up the next day (for example, last night I was getting things ready for tonight's Ward Halloween Party). Exercise has gone out the window, and actually so has tracking, though i was very good on Monday and Tuesday. Today not so much. Tomorrow should be better. I was going to help with the Stake Service day, but one of the events was canceled, so I think they're all going to descend upon the Stake Center where I was going and as much as I love hanging out with these people, large crowds make me anxious. Kind of like Ani, only the size of crowd he can handle is, well, one. Sometimes. Anyway. But in the afternoon I'm going to see Disney on Ice with a friend and her daughter, so that will be very fun (and keep me out of the kitchen). Then in the evening I have a fun thing planned, but don't want to say anything until I do it. I promise, you'll be among the first to know.

And then next week I have Mon, Tues, and Wed and then I go to CALIFORNIA!!! :D Definitely will post about that then too :)

In other news...

I love having Home Teachers. Last night my HT came over with his little sons and he replaced my smoke alarms. No more going off because of the humidity!! I think I mentioned that I like to have my windows open, but then when it's humid outside the humidity comes in and that set off the old smoke alarms which I'm sure were indigenous to the house (installed when the house was built). But now I have nice new ones, and I'll have to remember to change the batteries and everything, but they also came with a mute button just in case they decide to go off for random things.

Another performance of our Fairy Tale Theater tomorrow, in Columbia this time. If someone records it I'll be sure to post the link again. Hopefully some people from my ward will come, it would be nice to have more friends in the audience.

I upgraded my iPhone with the new OS 5. I can now access iCloud. Not that I have any other Macs at home or whatever, but still. I feel so... so... 'NOW'. Just wait until I get my iPad! I'm thinking probably sometime before my trip in November. I'm going to put my movies on it so I can watch them on the plane. Yay!

And basically keeping up with my TV shows. A couple new ones start this week: Once Upon a Time, and Grimm. Chuck finally starts back this week too. And I may be adding the one about the police detective that remembers everything. I watched it last week and it was intriguing. I like cop shows. Can you guess? No, please don't suggest CSI or L&O. Been there, done that, got really, really paranoid. I prefer the unrealistic ones.

Taking a break

I'm taking a break from tracking this week. Tracking every little thing I eat. I haven't been good at it for months now, and it shows in my lack of progress in the weight-loss arena (no, I don't get to be Glinda this year for Halloween, I'll just pull out my purple witches cloak and go from there). So I thought I would give myself a break. After about two days of not tracking. So I really just made it official. I can maintain this weight fairly easily without even trying. So why am I paying Weight Watchers to maintain my weight? We're coming up on a new session starting Monday, so this really is the time to give this some thought.

Pros of keeping with Weight Watchers

• Support Group. these people are amazing. Like J who came in starting at the middle of last year and has lost ove 150 lbs. B who has lost over 60 lbs--she started when I did three years ago, and while she hasn't made goal yet, if I'd followed her example I'd have lost 60 lbs by now too. Diana, our leader, is inspirational and motivating, and sends out a weekly email as well as keeping a blog (Thin Thinking, she's on my list).
• materials. I love stuff. They have trackers and books and snacks and worksheets and booklets and recipe books and all kinds of stuff. All designed to help you keep focused.
• eTools. They have an app for that. I can track on my iPhone, look up recipes, make meals, check out nutritional information at restaurants, just about anything.
• I did actually lose 15 lbs. When I followed the program. And I have kept it off for about three years.
• I do actually have better eating habits than I did, and I know what foods I really just need to not buy (potato chips--actually, just about anything with potatoes--bread, crackers--sensing a theme here?)
• My activity level is actually higher than it was three years ago.
  

Cons of staying with Weight Watchers

• Price. It does cost. It's about 80% cheaper than any other diet you can try (mostly because you eat all your own food, not theirs--they want you to eat normal food so it's easier to maintain once you reach goal). Once I reach goal and become a lifetime member, I won't have to pay anymore, but it has been three years of virtually no progress.
• I don't follow the program. I don't track, or rather, I track until I get home from work and then I eat constantly until bedtime. If I want something and I'm out of points for the day, and out of weekly points for the week, I just eat it anyway. This is the behavior I really need to change.
  
• No Mexican Mondays. My friends at work go to El Azteca for lunch on Mondays. My meeting is on Monday at lunchtime. Conflict!

Desire: I really do want to lose weight. Reasons for doing so (and yes, I do believe these ar ein order:

• Health reasons. I need to lose weight in order to be healthy and live well. Still not convinced I want to live to be 100, but living to 80 to be with my nieces and nephews and their children would be really nice. Plus that whole, "Run and not be weary, walk and not faint" thing is quite attractive.
  
• Clothes. I can never find cute clothes in my size, and when I do, I have to alter them because I'm 5'1" and the world isn't made for short fat people. Even petite sizes, while better, don't often come in big enough sizes.
• Sisters. Oh yes, really want to lose weight so they will tell me I look great. Is that sad or what?

So it seems fairly obvious what I need to do. Stick it out, track religiously, and maybe by Christmas there will be noticeable improvement. but meanwhile I have the weekend. I think I'm going to make cupcakes. With all the little lower-fat tricks, of course, but still!

Quote of the day

“I believe when we determine within our hearts that by and with the blessings of God our Heavenly Father we will accomplish a certain labor, God gives the ability to accomplish that labor; but when we lay down, when we become discouraged, when we look at the top of the mountain and say it is impossible to climb to the summit, while we never make an effort it will never be accomplished. “ Heber J. Grant

I tell myself that I don't expect results with my weight loss goals as long as I continue to not follow the guidelines of Weight Watchers. However, I still wake up every morning wishing I had.

Went to the PA Rennaissance Festival on Saturday (more on that in a different post, this one is more introspective), and as we were leaving I once again tripped and fell. I used to fall a lot more when I would insist on wearing shoes that were slightly too small, but once I started wearing shoes that were big enough I stopped falling as much. Now I'm thinking one reason I fall is because I have small feet, and it's too easy to overbalance when I weigh this much.

So today I have bruises and scrapes on my arms and knees--actually not as bad as some I've had, I can still kneel down if I need to, but the pain is making me grumpy. Mostly my arm where I have a nice bench-shaped bruise from where my arm landed. I was grumpy all yesterday at church too, and at home all I did was read because that's all I wanted to do. Time for some Tylenol, I think. Ibuprophin is ok, but didn't really help the pain, just the mobility.

So this week's goal is to have three carb-free days, not necessarily in order, but today is the first day. Because carbs are my weakness. Which is how I got to be this big in the first place.

heaven help me stay focused.

Fairy Tale Mashup

and this is how I've been spending my time since Rumors ended...



It's about 26 minutes long, so be prepared! This was recorded by Scott Stanchfield (Papa Pig) on Sept 24, 2011

Pictures!!

My sister is putting me to shame on the pictures! So here are some from the Maryland Rennaissance Festival. I've been twice this year, once with my real camera, once with my iPhone (well, it was there both times, but when you have a real camera, you use it). So obviously I only have the pictures from the day I took them with my iPhone. I went on Sept 17, by my lonesome, but was far from it. Puss in Boots was there!! I even got a poster, and I'm so going to see that movie when it comes out!My friend from the APL Drama Club was there, performing with her madrigal group (Camerata Musica). They even did a song I remember doing in high school!

This is Lynn. She's fabulous.

While wandering about I heard screaming, and the next thing I know this crazy woman all dressed in purple was hugging me!!! Lady Ravenwolves, my good friend, who actually just retired from the Navy the day before and was there celebrating with her family.

Later that day her daughter Armanda did the exact same thing. Didn't get a picture with her, though. Or Goldilocks, a woman from VA who stayed with me several years ago when she was working at the RenFest and needed a place to stay. Ran into her too. Didn't get a picture of her either. Drat!

Did all my shopping that day, picking up my favorite honey (Killer Bee), a new dress from Wolfstone Kilt company. No picture, but I will be taking it with me in November to my nieces' wedding. I'm sure there will be pictures from that.

It was a fun day. I may go again this year, if I can find some friends to go with. It's always better with friends.

New Seasons

It's finally Fall!! course, we really only know that because the temperature is much cooler. It's still cloudy and yucky most of the day, as it has been for the last several weeks. I'm hoping for a nice, long fall, at least a couple of months, but we'll see.

And with the lower temperatures come the new TV Season!!! Yes, I'm still addicted to television, but this season I've dropped several shows I was watching last year and am really only watching four or five new ones--and at least three of them are 1/2 hour shows. Course, there are still a couple more coming... But what it really means is that I only have one night where the shows I want to watch are 'doubled', and there are about three nights where there's nothing on I record at all. Ok, maybe only one night, but the other two there's only one show recording. And yes, I do still record everything. so here's what I'm watching this year:

Monday: Terra Nova, Hawaii 5-0, Castle, How I Met Your Mother, and Two Broke Girls
Tuesday: NCIS, Body of Proof, Raising Hope, New Girl
Wednesday: Harry's Law, Revenge
Thursday: The Mentalist, Person of Interest
Friday: Fringe (may be dropping this soon--I like the characters, but it's kinda creepy, and I'm four seasons behind--will catch up on DVD)
Saturday: Dr Who (will be ending soon)

Considering the 20 or shows I was trying to keep up with last year, this is much better. Course, the USA/TNT shows will start back up in November for a few episodes, but I've cut that list down too.

What will I do with my extra time? Exercise, practice piano, learn Spanish, and sew. I have lots of sewing I want to do. Course, I can sew and watch tv at the same time, but generally I only sew during the commercials, and if I've recorded it, why do I need to watch commercials?

OH, and sleep. I really have got to start getting enough sleep.