Think Kit 27: Stand out places

Think Kit Day 27: What place (event, celebration, etc.) stood out for you this year? Where was it? Who was there? What did it look like? How did it inspire you?

I went on a week long vacation with my friend Photographer this summer, to Florida, to spend a week in her parents condo. I blogged about it several times this year so here are the links. It was relaxing and peaceful and so much fun! And I know I wrote about here before but it was such a great and much needed trip, once in a lifetime to spend a week with my best friend on a beach... well, it's worth repeating!

Vacay
Vacay
Vacay!
Sunset
Moon on the ocean
Condo
roadtrip

Enjoy!
Maggie

Think Kit Day 26: I used a life line: food

Today's Think Kit topic is:  Draw a self portrait. Get as abstract or as real as you like!

Uhhh, no. I have NO art ability at all so I went to the lifelines and the topic is:  Did you eat an amazing meal this year? What did you eat? Who was with you?

Well, this year I did have a few amazing meals! I was able to go to Florida so I was in seafood heaven and I also had an amazing meal at a Brazilian Steak House in Indianapolis, downtown. It was so yummy!

Brazilian Steak House: There's a large salad bar with more than just salad: all sorts of seafood and veggies. All so yummy. I loved the variety of cheese and breads/ crackers.  Everything was also presented beautifully.

I'd never been to one before so I was tickled at the fact it was all the meat I wanted to have. Delicious. While I think I could go through life as a vegetarian this place is what makes me still be a carnivore. Lamb, all sorts of steaks, chops.... oh so yummy! The side dishes weren't the best but between the all I could eat meat options and the stunning salad bar, I was so food happy. It was so nice to have my boyfriends take me here!

My BFF Photographer and I spent a week in Florida and all food was amazing. Fresh seafood every day. Need I say more?!? I could eat my weight in shrimp and crab and I really tried! There isn't one place we went that stands out as the best but it was all good!

Yay FOOD!
Maggie

Florida vacation- moon on the ocean

Since Photographer is a photographer I'm learning to use my new Canon rebel and tonight was the perfect time for a lesson. The moon was full, there were clouds and a moon reflection on the ocean. Here is the result of my labours with my camera!

Oh yeah.... yeah.... I took those. Yeah, it was me.

Moonbeams and sweet dreams!
Maggie

Florida vacation- Orlando stop over

We had a 1.5 day stop in Orlando so Photographer could attend a conference. While she did that, I hung out in the hotel and read and watched tv. Not real exciting, I know, but RELAXING was the key for me!

 This is where I slept and watched tv and where I sat to read...

 I sat here to read and write letters...

View of Orlando from my hotel room window.

Leaving tomorrow for the beach condo tomorrow!!!

Mags
(PS and no I did nothing Disney related!)

Florida vacation- on the road

I'm going with Photographer to her folk's condo on a beach in Florida (ocean side of the great sunshine state). We left today. I'll be back sometime next week... I don't even want to think about it. I'm getting outta here for a week-ish! Yay me!

We left at 6 am and arrived in Orlando at 1am. We rock. We drove straight through, listening to music, talking, laughing and stopping to pee a lot.

 Olympic torch thingy in Atlanta, Georgia, a city we drove through.

View of Atlanta through the car window. We managed to hit the city at 5pm rush hour traffic. It was a delight! I did keep Photographer entertained with my constant GONE WITH THE WIND  ("I don know nuttin' 'bout dirvin' in no rush hour traffic!") references and commentary. And sprinkled in many DESIGNING WOMEN comments.

 The great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee...

More Smokies!

And I have no idea what happened to my photos of Indianapolis, Lousiville or Nashville... guess i can take care of that on the return trip!

Sunblock-y kisses,
Mags

Dragging butt

This title is not a description of what's happening to by own ass due to my diet (yet!) but a cliched way of saying I'm a wee bit tired.

I woke up this morning at 4:41am dreaming about bacon and having to pee. Imagine my surprise to find Mac frying a pound of bacon when I hit the bottom of the stairs.

Then I couldn't go back to sleep because I knew I had to wake up at 5:30am. Yes, on a Saturday. I- the Queen of the NOT MORNINGS- had to wake up to shower, dress and do the hair (all 4 minutes that can now take!) because I had to photograph a morning wedding in a town about 90 minutes away.

So I did do all that.

Then I went to work my second shift job as a weekend receptionist until 10 pm tonight.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Mags

Look at this Photographer...

I've known Photographer since 1996. She was the president of the not for profit board of directors where I worked as a case manager. Our friendship evolved from there.

I admire her so much. She has had some horrendous health issues but she still keeps on going and doesn't let it beat her up. She's an excellent English teacher and I love it that we compare lesson plans, talk classroom management styles and ideas and we love to analyze literature, too. We can also share classroom horror stories and we both "get it"; nothing like a little bit of teacher commiseration!

She's an extremely talented photographer and I admire her work so much. She still make pictures rather than photo shopping her photos into art. I love to work for her and I've learned so much from her as well. I think my love of picture taking comes from her encouragement and lessons.

She's really creative and has a positive energy. She's quiet but involved in some really cool projects: she took a photography class with world renowned photographers and paid for it with a grant she got from the Lily Foundation, she's authored her own cookbook, she's lost about 100 pounds in the last year, she's an amazing cook, a dog lover, so funny, brilliant, and an excellent friend. She's the person I aspire to be. She's go giving. Really. And she genuinely cares about her friends.

I love her and am blessed to have her in my life.

Mags

Love some 'new' clothes! And I didn't even have to shop.

My friend the Photographer is on Weight Watchers and is doing a great job. She was wearing size 22 and is now a 14/16, depending on how the clothes fit her.

I've been really blessed because as she looses the weight, she gives me her clothes. She and I carry our weight completely differently. She has no butt and skinny legs and I have a BOOTY and have some weight in my thighs. We both have it in the belly. I have broad shoulders and large boobs and she had to have a breast reduction several years ago for medical reasons, one being that she has narrow shoulders.

Anyway, I can wear most of her tops. And almost all her skirts. It's wonderful- my wardrobe has grown exponentially.

So SHE has a friend who is also on Weight Watchers and that friend went from a 24 to a 12. This friend gave Photographer all her clothes- 8 trash bags of clothes! It was like Christmas came early tonight.

I went to Photographer's house and we went through all the bags and I took what I liked that fit me, and she took what she liked and fit her. I got a 30 gallon bag, overstuffed with clothes... all tops. Because not a single pair of jeans or trousers fit me. I have tons of sweaters, shirts, t-shirts, polos, sweatshirts, dressy, casual... tops of all kinds and not a single pair of pants. Photographer, on the other hand, found all pants that fit her.None of the tops. We decided her friend had my upper body and her lower body. Well.... had because she's now a 12. And we reaped the benefits of her weight loss.

It's pretty awesome, too, because all her clothes are nice! Now, I own nice clothes from a boutique but I do not have a problem with wearing stuff from Wally World or Big K or Meijer. All these clothes came from exclusive boutiques, nice department stores, and are all well known name brands. Nice stuff. Not kidding- I probably got about $1500 on clothes today, for free.

I love it! I hate that I'm overweight but it's really nice to have some "new" clothes! My friends and I always laugh that when one of us is losing weight another one gains- this time I'm gaining a wardrobe!

The clothes horse,
Mags

Thinner me, soon to be

Next week I'm going to start Weight Watchers. Before you laugh at the whole "next week" thing, I do have a real reason why I am making a week from today my start date. My friend Photographer is doing Weight Watchers and she has been very successful. Since she know I don't make much money and can't afford WW, she's going to copy all her materials for me and go to the meetings. Then she and I will have a mini- meeting and weigh-ins so I can "do" it as well. Due to her schedule and mine, we can't start until next week- something about a start date.

Another awesome thing is that I'll have all the paperwork for the points system. She and I can also exercise together. I got a discount for a Y membership and I'm giving some serious thought to signing up for it. (I also found that my school system will reimburse me $10 a month if I join so it makes it even lower.) She's a Y member so we could do classes and working and swimming at the Y. If I don't join, she can come to Alcatraz with me and do the walking and swimming at least- and she said she would be willing to do that- less crowded.

We also both like to cook so we can cook together as well as exercise and give encouragement. It's gonna be awesome! A weight loss partner! I might reach my 40 before 40 goal of losing 10 pounds. I could even lose more!!!!

Even more inspiration for me- dad is going to eat WW with me, and keep track of points. So is ITSam. And, get this, Mac is even going to give it a whirl. For a few weeks, Mac said he'd try it but if it interferes with his summer vacation he's stopping. He's already texting Photographer his favorite foods to see what the points are (chicken nuggets= 10 are 13 points).

I do feel a little need to eat junk this week. And not necessarily sweet stuff but crackers and cheeses. I want breads and olive oil to dip it in. I want chips and dip. I want pasta and shrimp and salmon. (that's probably limited, I bet.)

So I have a new adventure for next week that will, hopefully, make me skinny and make all my clothes fit. Please let that happen!!!

A skinnier me,
Mags

Oh, and let it be said here and now, I am not going to turn this into a weight lose blog, or go on and on about my points and stuff. I'll report on the weight loss but it's not going to take over my life and be all encompassing like it is for some people. Hopefully I'll have weight loss news to report!