I Eat, Therefore I Exercise

Uggh!  I thought that I took it easy this past weekend focusing more on the shopping, cleaning and organizing and cleaning than eating.  WRONG!  Apparently these thoughts happened in a turkey/ cranberry induced haze.  Turkey is a lean protein and cranberries are a fruit and anti-oxidant, so why were my pants so tight today?? Oh yeah, that pound and half of cookie dough chased down with approximately 10 decaf lattes from Starbuck's over the course of 3 days may have had something to do it.  Oh well I guess that's why there are treadmills. So I went to the gym tonight to work off my holiday butt and I noticed a disturbing trend...male nipple exposure.  What is it with this new trend where men cut the sleeves off of their shirts and make them into loose fitting tank tops.  Now I have many issues with this fashion trend starting with the flashing of male nipples.  I swear one them was actually pointing at me while I was on the elliptical machine.  Why is it that men are free to wear whatever they want, even if it pushes the bounds of good taste?  While we women are subject to criticism & ridicule and that's before we even leave the sanctity of our bedroom! Think about it, how many times have you seen a fat, hairy man walking around shirtless in the summer?  Why is that socially acceptable, yet if a woman wants to do it it's a misdemeanor?  Well I got news for the men, this chubby girl is putting her razor down and growing her pits out.   can't wait to do jumping jacks and pull-ups in front of you at the gym while wearing a tank top! How you like them apples?

Black Friday Madness

It's here!  The 3rd/4th most wonderful shopping day of the year.  I say that because as a because I have a black belt in shopping and I have been competitively shopping for the past 15 years.  Yes I do refer to this as a sport, because when done right you can achieve an endorphin high similar to that of a runner. 

Many rookies make the mistake of thinking that today is the best day for bargains, on most things it is not.  Most retailers will continue to have sales well into the season with the discounts getting deeper the closer to Christmas the calendar moves.  Black Friday is one of the best days for getting things while they are still in stock.  For instance I am proudly typing today's post from my laptop, purchased 8 hours ago!  It was a great price and it will probably get marked down again before the holiday.  Thankfully Best Buy will honor their price match guarantee until January 24th, 2013. 

Surprisingly the stores were not overly crowded this morning or afternoon.  In fact it felt like a traditional Saturday out shopping in many of the locations.  Hmmm...maybe the economy is not doing as well people think.  Or maybe, we have all wised up to the retailers game and we have had enough.  Who knows....but I will continue to do my part to keep the economy growing

Reality Tv Wasteland

I am convinced that I am becoming a bad person from all of the trash tv that I watch. If it is Bravo, the I watch it! I have recently expanded my channels to include TLC and Style. Nothing of any value is on these shows. Yet, I am addicted! From the backstabbing, over the top fashion, hair weaves and lavish parties I am drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

What I love most is watching virtually everyone on these shows become consumed with the idea of fame and their delusional belief that they are stars. The progression from season to season is what keeps me coming back for more.

Big Brother (and a couple of other freaks) is Watching

We all have seen the reports on the Today Show or GMA about how people are being targeted for what they put on Facebook, Myspace or blogs etc. It can be anyone and everyone from long lost friends, to possible stalkers to future/current employers who are using the internet to gather information.

At some point I think we have all wondered how stupid can some people be to put really personal information out on the web. But I think the more important question that shold be asked is who is out there surfing the internet looking for your indescretions? I want to believe that many of these people were randomly caught by someone innocently surfing the net and stumbling upon the damaging information. You know, a friend sends a link to a site and you are shocked when you log on and see someone you know....Unfortunately that is not how many people are being caught. In a lot of cases people and companies are actively surfing the net looking for information.

Million dollar question...if you have to worry about everything you post (predators, theives, stalkers and now your employer) is it worth posting anything? What exactly are we so desperate to share with the world that we are willing to take these risks? Is it our generation's attempt at quasi-fame? What are we trying to communicate to the world with out posts? And does anyone really think that posting pics of themselves doing jello shots in a bikini on a bar surrounded by 30 servicemen won't be misunderstood???

I have the best self-policing answer for the internet, friend your mother and a few of her friends on Facebook or Myspace. Trust me, knowing that everything you post will have instant visibility to your mother, is a great way to censor one's self and postings! Lord knows it works for me, and will too for most people. That is unless your mother is next to you on the bar doing jello shots! If in that's the case, my favorite flavor jello shot is sour apple. Bottoms Up!

Just exactly how old do I think am....

So can anyone explain to me why at 41 years old I have decided to get in the best shape of my life??? I am down 31 pounds and 4 pants sizes!!! Isn't that good enough? Apparently not. Now my goal is to make everything firmer and possibly lose another 10 pounds. My quest for this new goal has led me to TRX class. A sick, twisted form of exercise where you use your natural body weight while hanging from straps as resistance. Oh my gosh, this class kicked my butt. I have cramps in places that I didn't know that you could cramp. But if I can get strong like Heather (instructor) then it will all be worth it. It will won't it??? The only that stinks is that class doesnt end until 9:15, which means that by the time I get home and shower, it is 10 pm. Who wants to eat dinner that late at night, ME. But I didn't, glass of milk and a protein bar is my dinner tonight. It doesn't help that I am watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives right now. Damn that Guy Fieri! He is just making me even more hungry. Maybe I am too old for this crap and I should quit while I am ahead....Oh yeah, did I mention that the husband is baking cookies at 10:45 pm! I really believe that he is a closet chubby chaser, he knows that cookies are my crack! It is going to be a long night....pray for me.

Ready for The Betty....

I am so ashamed to say that the cliche of getting drunk while on a business trip is alive and well! Hmmm...I just got back from spending the past 5 days in Las Vegas for a major national tradeshow. Crazy! 5 days is too long in Vegas...at certain point between dinner and cocktails you begin to actually feel your liver pickle. I can't remember the last time I drank so much, consistenly for multiple days in a row!! On the plus side, with age has come a freakish tolerance, that allows me to drink ALOT. And for those of you who remember the curb incident of 2008, there was no repeat accident.

Being "stuck" with co-workers for 5 days is a little weird. Your relationships start to take on a different dynamic, in other words sometime you learn more about people than you wanted to. On the other hand sometimes you are pleasantly surprised by the things you learn. Alcohol can spark deep introspection and lead people share stories of life, love and disappointment. What is weird is that all of the shared experiences/lessons you discussed the previous night are never talked about in the light of day. I guess it is one of those what is discussed in the bar, stays in the bar....Strange bedfellows in deed.

While I enjoy my co-workers, most are really good people, I do not know that I would willingly spend 5 straight days with them if I were home leading my normal life. Yet in Las Vegas, they were my best friends, unable/unwilling to make a move without them. We were like an old gang, a demented version of the Sharks or Jets from West Side Story and it didn't help that we were all wearing the same company jacket everywhere we went!! Thanks Becky! Oh yes there was dancing, but nothing Jerome Robbins or Bob Fosse would be proud of. There were definitely some embarrassing moments, but all in all it was a good trip, but I don't know if I will be making eye contact with certain people for a while and I am still not sure how much work was accomplished. I am jsut glad to be home. Being away makes you appreciate what's waiting for you at home.

2010 - New Year

Happy New Year! 2010, another year the beginning of another decade. Or is it? They are still debating it, so who actually knows. So this is the time of the year when you take stock of your life, make changes, committments to do better, be better. So I am curious, how did I do....my number one resolution is always to lose weight. So far I have lost 30 pounds, give or take the day. Sometimes it's 30, other days it's 27 other days it's 32. But no matter what, I finally have put myself on the road to weight loss. Still need another 10 pounds gone and then I can concentrate on firming everything up. My goal is to wear shorts this summer and not feel self-conscious. I think that is an attainable goal. Everything else, all of the other goals, kinds of a wash. No better, no worse than last year so I guess that is good in some respect.

My focus for 2010 is learning how to relax and be present. I spend so much time worrying about the next thing, that I never really enjoy the moment. I am going to work really hard at this, because with a small child all of the fun happens in the here and now. If I am constantly worrying about tomorrow I am going to miss all of the really cool things that Ben does and is! The other thing is I have to let go of my desire to be the "good/fun" parent. I let Mike play the heavy role too often. I have to make sure that I am reinforcing all of the lessons/discipline that Mike is trying to instill. Besides that, I want to recommit to my faith and making it a priority as well as realy focusing on my family and those who love me. I am going to try and let go of all the pettiness that has been a focal point of my life for so long. Big goals...i don't know if all of this is attainable, but if I am on path working towards them then that is progress.

I love a good sale!

To know me is to know that I love to shop! My true passions are shoes & accessories, but let's face it, it doesn't really matter. I can get the same high from shopping at the grocery store or CVS that I get at the Macy's one day sale, as long as the items are on sale. Now if I have a coupon, all bets are off because I am in overdrive. Recently I have decided to channel my love of retail into something positive, like saving money for my family. So yes, I have become one of those crazy coupon Moms and I am damn proud of it! Anytime you can go into the supermarket and buy chicken, pork chops, bacon, cereal, milk, bread, fruits, veggies, miscellaneous snacks and spend less than $50.00!!! Yes I am a coupon clipping MOFO! Since I started doing this I have been able to reduce our weekly grocery bill from $100.00+ per week to less than $60.00 per week. Hey, in this economy it adds up. I love it. I come home from the supermarket and put my register reciept on the refrigerator right next to my son's art projects from daycare. These are my gold-stars for the week.

Now I can't lie, my next big sale target will be at Parisian this week. They have the Goodwill sale going on right now, which means for every donated item of clothing they will give you a 20% off coupon. I have already been to the sale and maximized my old clothing inventory. However, I just found out that for the next 3 days they are offering double coupons on all purchases!!! (THANK YOU SUE FOR HOOKING ME UP WITH THE INFO). So I am taking back all of my receipts from last week's shopping binge to see if I can get an additional 20% off all my purchases. I added up all of my receipts and if they give me the additional 20% that is a nice little chunk of change that could send me back to the shoe and accessory departments again! :) Pray for me!

Flip Flops...Not Appropriate

Okay so this is a continuation of my earlier Cultural Anthropolgy blog, sort of. As I have been walking around Washington DC, I have been struck by the number of women who think that flip flops are appropriate footwear that go with all outfits. Let me be the first to say, they are not! I get the whole comfort thing, especially when you live in a walking city, being comfortable is key. And lord knows I don't support the whole sneakers and power suit look, (Think the movie Working Girl) but at least sneakers have support for your feet! Being a person who is sort obssessed with bad feet, I am amazed that more women have not realized that the lack of support and cushioning in a flip flop, will lead to corrective foot surgery in their later years. I am not a medical professional but I have common sense enough to know that a 2 mile walk in flip flops is going to make my feet hurt worse than if I wore sneakers or flats! And don't even get me started on the whole hygiene thing! Don't get me wrong, I love the flip flop, I own at least 5 pairs but I don't think they are acceptable for all purpose use.

I guess I just don't understand, there are so many cute styles of flats, that wearing flips is just a cop out. Anybody who knows me knows that I never met a high heel I didn't like. I not crazy, no 5-6 inch heels, mostly 2-4 inches. (I look thinner when I am taller!) But even I have given in sort of to the whole flat/ballet slipper craze. Well sort of...I just bought two pairs both have a little bit of heel (approximately 1/2") but that is flat for me.

I would also like to give a shout out to the crazy women trying to walk around in 4-6 stilletto heels! These even more than flips, were not made for walking around a city! These are shoes that go from home to the car, to the bar, where you promptly sit down, cross your legs and allow everyone to admire your shoes from a seated position! Again I say why, when there are so many cute flats!

Fallen arches, bunions, calluses, split/cracked heels, etc. this could be your future.

By the way, after random comments from people, I am going to start carrying my digital camera with me so that I can post more photos and random pics. It should definitely liven up the blog! :)

Our Nation's Capital

So I am in Washington DC for the next few days attending a conference for work. While here I decided to take advantage of the alone time and power walk through the city. I have been here countless other times but I dont know that I have ever been here by myself. This city is wonderful! It is truly awe-inspiring...from the monuments to the park greens that populate the city this place showcases all that is good about city living. I love the fact that the downtown area is designed as a walking city. Everywhere you look there are people walking...old, young, tourists, city residents. Not having an actual city in Detroit really makes you appreciate a real city when you visit one. What is really cool is that cars actually respect/defer to pedestrians here! They wait for you to cross the street!! Being from the New York/New Jersey area, I am used to a survival of the fittest contest when it comes to crossing city streets, so this is a definite change of pace.

Back on-line....

POS work laptop crapped out on me this week. I didn't realize how dependent I was on my work computer until it crashed. I am definitely going to have to invest in a new laptop and I already know what I want...now I just need the cash. Which unfortunately is in short supply right now...hmmm...I will figure it out, I always do. Which brings me to my newest endeavor, I am starting my own business! I think??? It's all very murky right now, without a clear direction, but I do know this..I will never have the freedom financially and emotionally that I need if I continue to work for others. I have to take control...find my own path.

Losin It

So that is the name of the company weight loss challenge. By company I mean, a contest run byt he sales guys to see who can lose the greater percentage of weight by the National Sales Meeting in December. It's a $50.00 buy in and the grand prize is almost a $1000.00! So of course, I wanted in. Getting in this thing means that I had to publicly disclose my weight to everyone in the contest...a prickly endeavor for any woman. But I rationalized to myself that the momentary embarassment that I would face for broadcasting my weight would be worth the money if/when I won. So four days into this contest I am having buyer's remorse. Men can take a crap and lose 5 pounds! Me, I am going to have to starve and work out like a dog for 2-3 weeks to lose 5 pounds...what was I thinking??? I was blinded by the thought of using the prize money to buy a new MacBook Pro laptop that I became a little delusional. What I have on my side is that this contest lasts 3 1/2 months and the men like most men, will start out hard and strong in the beginning and by the end they will limp weakly to the finish line. At least now I have a reason to get refocused. I fell off the wagon so to speak in July and have had a hard time getting back into gear. The thing about the wagon is, it is very slippery. Apparently mine has been coated in french fry grease :) So here it is, a new day in my blogging as a write down for all to see that my starting weight is 173 pounds...God that hurt. But hopefully that will be the last time I ever see that number unless there is a baby growing inside of me...though at almost 41 I don't know that, that will happen again either....but that is a topic for another day. Wish me luck and stay tuned! Something tells me that the next 3 months will be interesting.

New family photos

Cultural Anthropology

Airports are a crash course in cultural anthropolgy. Even though I hate the constant travel, I love sitting at the airport watching people. Not regional airports, for good people watching you have to go to a large international airport, where you get people from all over the world! I have to tell you, foreign women are getting it done! Latin, Asian and Italian women are pimping when they travel. I mean 5" stillettos, fantastic outfit, hair, make-up all done as if Tyra Banks is doing a casting call for ANTM at the airport. I see these women and I have a true appreciation for the presentation, especially when you compare them to the throngs of American women who have opted for extreme comfort sweatpants, flip-flops, hair in a top knot with no make-up. Jackie O, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn, we have failed you! Now I am not crazy enough to wear stillettos in the airport when travelling, that is just madness especially if you have to run for a plane. But I do make sure to look extra cute when travelling, even in flats....Another observation, women from ethiopa/somalia are stunning. I watched an entire deplane of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. Everybody looked like Iman or Zahara Pitt, definitely not good for the ego when you have been up for 12 hours and you look like you have been beaten with a stick.

Crusin for a Bruisin

Uggh! Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise...for those of us who are not from Detroit and who are not "gear heads", dream cruise is nothing but a self-induced traffic jam that lasts for days! I honestly don't get it. People sit on the side of the road to watch traffic! Sure there are some cool custom cars, but couldn't they just rent a parking lot and make them all go there? No, instead they choose to clog the main artery through multiple towns for this hillbilly fest! So in an effort to miss this "Extravaganza" we went north and took Benjamin to Huckleberry Railroad. Huckleberry Railroad is a "historical" village that you can tour to see what life was like at the turn of the century. They have rides for the kids, carousel, ferris wheel, river boats, etc. but all of that is an additional cost! By the way did I mention that Thomas the Train and Bob the Builder were both there yesterday? Benjamin was jacked through the roof! Between the rides, games and Thomas, I think yesterday migth have been the best day of his life. We spent a small fortune up there, but Ben was so happy, it was worth it. I am kind of tired today, butI will definitely post pictures tomorrow of the trip.

I kill myself

I just read my last entry, I crack myself up! But here is what is so crazy, still on the exercise band wagon and still no sign of muscle tone! I think the new problem is that regular TV ended! You know summer hiatus when all of your favorite shows go into repeats for the summer. So I have had no choice but to watch cable shows. I am now officially addicted to th food network! Which might be why I have no muscle tone! The funniest thing is that I think after watching the food network for 2 months that I am gourmet chef...I critique Michael's cooking and even worse I have started cooking. But I am only into cooking desserts right now...hmm the trials and tribulations of a fat girl...in any case at least I am having a good summer. Lots of fun with Ben and Mike, which all that matters.

Mike and Ben at the Berkely Fire Department!

I Am Lance Armstrong...Not Really

So about 4-5 years ago I bought a bike at WalMart. Nothing fancy just your average mountain bike, which I thought would be good for riding around town. For the past few years I have ridden that bike intermittently, basically whenever I decided that I needed to lose weight. Well this year I decided to get serious about geting into shape, so I have been riding with reckless abandonment. I took the bike in to the bike shop to get serviced, I bought a helmet (finally), I actually adjusted the bike to fit me! So I get out there, all geared up and I ride like I am in the Tour de France. I pedal my little heart and I have actually built up to 10-14 miles! I vary my routes like all the health magazines say to do so that my muscles don't have a chance to adapt to the workout. (Oh yes I am reading health magazines now, but I'll get to that later) I am doing all of this regularly, 3-4 times a week and I have come to 2 conclusions....1. After 3 months of riding I still have no discernable muscle tone and 2. I think I got lapped yesterday by a senior citizen! I don't know if I was truly lapped, because I don't know when he started his ride, but I do know that he passed me and he looked pretty spry! Obviously, I need to kick my training up a notch to say the least. The goal is to wake up at 5 and ride in the morning. It is going to be almost 90 degrees in the D and that is just too damn hot to be out there! Wish me luck

Who knew people were reading

So I go through these phases where I write, because I think I have something interesting or funny to say. Then I stop writing because I don't get any feedback...then a few days ago I posted a random note on my facebook page about trying to figure out Twitter and people actually posted that they enjoyed the blog more than the potential 140 character posting! Well back by popular demand I will start writing again! I have been on facebook and now Twittering instead of blogging. All of uit has led me to wonder is all of this really necessary? Do we really need 3 different ways to tell people what is going on in your life? I don't know, but it did feel good to know that people were reading.

Zumba!..That's Spanish for there's a cramp in my butt!

So I went to Zumba class tonite. I absolutely love it but it is a crazy work out. For those of you who have never taken a Zumba class, picture an aerobic class set to latin dance music. It is kind of like being held hostage in Baja Fresh and being told to dance your way out. It is totally fun except that it makes you feel completely uncoordinated. Now I have rhythym and in my own mind I could be a back up dancer for Janet Jackson at any moment and this class makes me feel like a klutz! Maybe if I paid more attention in class I would be better at it!

What is really distracting is that you take this class in a dance room so one wall is fully mirrored from the ceiling to the floor. I get distracted looking at myself in the mirror, critiquing my choice of workout outfit (note it is never the right choice), watching what my hair is doing or obsessing over how much I am sweating! Fretting about all of these things is much better than acknowledging the reality that when I Zumba I look like a cross between Oprah (the fat one with no make up) and Rerun from What's Happening! Neither is an attractive option...What is funny is that when you don't dance in front of a mirror you think you are Janet Jackson or Beyonce and then when you see yourself you realize that it is more like Mo'Nique imitating Janet Jackson & Beyonce. If I cared, I would probably never dance in public again! But let's face it, I will dance again and what is worse I will do it while I am drunk! Which means Elaine from Seinfeld will envy my cool dance moves!...

I know many of you are too "young" to remember What's Happening so here is a video post, illustrating my shame! All I need is beret and suspenders! Viva La Zumba!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myLpUAmFYsY

Fun in the Snow

So it snowed in Michigan...again. We are in for a long winter. I don't know the last time it snowed this much in Michigan! Just before Christmas we got hammered with 8-12 inches and it has snowed off an on since. We got another 6-8 inches on Friday night. The only good thing is that Ben got a snow suit and sled for Christmas, so yesterday was his first time out in the snow! As you can tell from the picture, he had a ball yesterday! We wanted to go out again today, but the temperature din't get above 20 degrees this morning and then we had plans. By we, I mean Ben and I. Mike is down at the Auto Show, still. For those of you outside of Detroit, Auto Show is the biggest event that happens in Michigan. It is crazy and Mike is really busy. Can't bitch about it though, because my work schedule tends to be way crazier than his. And in this economy, I am just grateful we both have our jobs, long hours and all!