Today is MY birthday!

Happy Birthday to me! Yup, I'm 41. Wow! g

Sam's apartment

Three weird things in Sam's apartment. And please note that I'm making an observation and not judging.

1. I opened a cupboard that holds towels and other assorted bathroom sundries. It's a very nice, neat and clean, well ordered closet. Except for one weird thing: in a pile in the cupboard was a pile of mismatched socks. Not sure why it strikes me as funny but I usually have my mismatched socks in the bottom of the hamper or in a laundry basket, not stacked neatly on a shelf in a cupboard.

2.Another odd pile: in the living room, on the corner of the floor, was a pile of purses and wallets. And they didn't belong to me. It was a conversation to be had. Nope, he's not a cross dressing (but with my luck with men it wouldn't surprise me and it would figure) and he's not seeing someone else. These are 3 purses that belonged to his ex-wife. His son brought them her to give to a grandmother but he forgot. So the purses were left there. And now they belong to me. One is a Vera Bradly with a matching wallet, and the other is creme-sicle orange Liz Claiborne. Pictures will be forthcoming.

3.I have a key to his apartment. He had it made especially for me. It's pink with a crown on it. and pink sparkles. It says "Princess" on it and it's damn cute. Hey he gave me a key. And something pink and shiny. How cool is that?

Just some odd stuff at his place...

Mags

Diet Week 21

Well... I'm happy to report that I've officially lost 31 pounds. We can't count the entire month of July. If there was a month version of me, my diet and July it would be something like "The Girl Who Ate Independence" or "The Girl Who Swallowed July"... I gained weight, and then lost again...

But the total is 31 pounds if we count all the weight I've lost, gained back, and then re-lost. That's 2 whole pants sizes!!!!!!

And I am thrilled!

I have all sorts of cool problems, now.

Let's see... none of my pants fits. I can add a belt to my jeans and that is solved, mostly. A couple pairs look like I have a load in the seat, or a "wee-nis" (when your pants create the illusion of a penis by tenting in the front and you're a woman) but for the most part, I can get by with jeans fine. With tailored dress pants it's a whole other story. They ride low on my hips so they are waaaaaaaaaaaaay too long, even with 3 inch heels. The crotch hangs to mid thigh and the seat is really baggy. Most of my dress trousers do NOT have belt loops so they slide to my hips regardless. Lots of shirts just are TOO BIG.  Shirt sleeves reach the elbow, the armpit hangs to my hips, they swim on me! Again, I am completely NOT complaining- it's a very cool problem to have. And thankfully my birthday is in 2 days so I might get $$$ for clothes! And thankfully Photographer has gifted me 3 garbage bags of clothes that I've been pulling stuff out of to wear. And Third thankfully, I found a few vintage clothing shops that are super reasonable so I have a place to get some affordable, nice quality clothing (I got a pair of Cato jeans, a pair of Tommy jeans, and a pair of Lane Bryant Blue Dot Right Fit- all in a size smaller- all three pairs for $19. And the Tommys still had the store tags still on them!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love, love, love the weight loss. I'm not sure how much more I can continue to lose without exercising. At this point, I have a feeling about 10 more pounds then I'm going to have to start walking or swimming or something. (I wish I lived where I could paddle a kayak!)

But it's coming off. Slow and steady wins the race, I know. And with the holidays approaching, if I'm totally honest, I just want to maintain (and lose if possible) but with cookies and candy and yummies, it will be a struggle.

But I'm still hitting it hard, eating right, doing shakes and it seems to be paying off!! Off the hips, off the thighs,...!

Mags

My blog problem

I have not given up on blogging. I promise.

My problems are actually the following:

1. I HATE this new blogger interface crap. I can't find what I want and I hate the new buttons and it just frustrates me. It sucks. And lately I don't have LOTS of extra time to blog so when I sit down to do it, I just want to be able to zip through. And with the new, I can't. Also, I type faster than this can display which throws off my typing mojo because my head is saying something that's not appearing on the the screen which my fingers are typing.
2. I'm busy. Like really busy. Our corporate headquarters is doing a HUGE fundraiser this weekend and I was hand selected to be on the committee. And the woman in charge was just sent to a conference for the 3 days before the event so all the details are falling to me.
3. I don't feel like I have very much to write about
4. I have discovered Pinterest. Oh. My. God. Now, I've never done crack but this has to be what crack is like. I think I'll just Pinterest for a few minutes and I look at the clock and three hours have flown by. I'm a junkie. I'm addicted. It's like hoarding, but on the Internet. Holy Moly!
5. The Voice: I've never watched this show until this year and it's WOW!!! So I spend time watching TV that I wouldn't normally had spent- it's on 3 times a week!!!! I think I'm more committed to The Voice than I have been in previous relationships.

And this is why I haven't blogged for awhile. But I'm going to be better. Soon.

Mags

Remember

I've thought a lot about today, about that it's September 11th.

I stood in the library, looking at my students and most of them were just toddlers when it happened. To them it's a piece of history, something their parents talk about, something that, overall, doesn't "affect" them. Oh, they weren't cruel or blase, but they just don't get it. Just like those of us who weren't alive when JFK was shot or when Armstrong walked on the moon--- I know these are important and have a huge impact on the world but it doesn't imprint on me like it did my dad, who was alive for both.

I feel like I should say something but I can't seem to put into words all the thoughts I have surrounding this particular anniversary...

Just...

I remember.

Good bless.

Peace.

Maggie

Diet week 19

Last June, Photographer gave me three bags of clothes and none of them fit. I tried everything on and kept clothes that I liked that I hoped would someday fit.

Then one morning last week, I was running around getting ready for work and was late AND because I was a bum who didn't get her laundry finished, I was trying to find a shirt to go with pants. I had put on about 4 different ones and didn't like any of them.

I saw a blue shirt that would match nicely on the top of the pile of stuff that didn't fit. I grabbed it and thought if it fit a tiny bit better than it did a few months ago, I could layer a sweater over it and survive the day.

A few months ago, it pulled really tightly through the bust and the arms were so snug it made my arm fat bulge, and it was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too tight through the hips. When I put it on a few days ago, it fit perfectly. It hung nicely, not snug, no pulling. Just perfectly!

Nothing tastes as good as thin fits.

Mags

I have a legit reason for not posting for 4 days

It's all because of the slugs, and I'm traumatized.

I came home from hanging with with Photographer, late in the evening last Wednesday. It had rained. I was talking on the phone and I just sat down on the swing in the yard and gabbed. It had rained, as I said, and the grass was still damp and cool brushing against my legs as I sat swinging on the swing.

When I got off the phone I walked in the house.

And you know that moment when you're used to having wet legs and then dry air hits the wet and it feels all wrong and itchy? I reached to scratch my leg and right there, on my bare skin, on my shin, was a SLUG!! As in a snail with no shell sort of slug.

OMG! OMG! OMG!

I shrieked and jumped around and flung it to the ground and practically hyperventilated. I squashed it with my shoe, on the sidewalk, and just felt all heebee-jeebee about it.

I went into the house, went into the bathroom, and flipped on the light and I saw ANOTHER one on my leg, which I grabbed off with a tissue and then flushed. My heartbeat was about out of my chest and I just felt really ick-o.

And I thought I was going to lose it when I found a third one on my foot. I got it off and then jumped around like an idiot. It was gross and creepy and yucky and it was nasty. I was flinging my body around and just was a mess about it. I had to go upstairs, take off all my clothes and check in the mirror to see if there were more.

I think my heart is finally beating normally right now. Maybe.

And that's why I haven't been able to blog. I was traumatized by a slug family.

Mags