7 Quick Takes: Viagra Edition

-1-

In an attempt to get more benefit from my calories, I've been trying to add protein to my breakfast.  Generally, I made a toad in the hole with low cal/low carb bread.  It's tasty.

Unfortunately, I've experienced something I directly related to low carb eating, but may have been the effect of eggs in my diet:  the great stomach revolt of 2012. 

Now I'm wondering:  Do I keep eating them?  (Because this route is clearly working and I like my tasty combination.)  Or do I realize I probably have some sort of allergy and eliminate the partial source of my success?

Decisions, decisions.

-2-

I have all this available time during the summer, but I accomplish a whole lot more during the school year when I'm really busy.  I don't understand this phenomenon.  Earlier this week, though, I was thrilled to death to know Favorite went to work wearing clean underwear.

I am Wife of the Year material, for sure.

-3-

On Monday, my hair shall be cut and colored which may be the ordinary woman's equivalent of being chosen as a finalist in American Idol.  The appointment will culminate with an obscene amount of hair flipping and head shaking.

My goal is to pretend that I've been cast in a Suave commercial.  I will look out of the corner of my eye at people and then flip my hair around pretending the director needed another shot of my perfectly shiny color.

-4-

Not to be one left out of an awesome debate on the internet, I'd like to share my opinion of Chick-Fil-A:

I love waffle fries with Polynesian sauce.

Tasty.

But you're welcome to your own opinion.

-5-

I just finished reading The Harry Potter series.  Again.  And even though it will make me a huge nerd to admit this, I feel like I should tell you so many parts of that book make me cry.  But more than anything, I find myself strangely overwhelmed by Neville Longbottom who finally realizes how much it inspires people to stand up to what is wrong.

You go, Neville.  You go.

-6-

You know what makes you cool?  A movie with perfectly choreographed dance scenes and a mirror.

It's not watching the movie that gives the coolness factor; it's participating in the scene.  I'm actually a double threat because my singing/dancing abilities multiply one hundred fold with surround sound.

-7-

Jeremy Renner,

I've made some mistakes in my life.  There was the time I took a laxative instead of an Immodium.  Epic moment.

But your story?  Infinitely better.

Thank you for sharing so the rest of us can feel just a little bit normal.

7 Quick Takes Friday (7/13/12)

-1-

I have such a large pile of laundry on my living room couch, it looks as though my clothing has procreated.  But the real marvel is I'm not ashamed.  I figure I'll get around to it when I get around to it.

Tomorrow.  Definitely tomorrow.

-2-

Every time we go running, I feel like I run a little faster or farther than the time before.  Last night, I was running 200 meters at a time.  I realize that doesn't sound like much, but in comparison to where I was when I started, it's huge. 

SILSheena asked if I still wanted to die during/after every run.  I told her it depended on the day, but the truth is that's happening less and less.  I still feel like I can't breathe toward the end of the running; however, I also believe every step is another step toward obedience to Christ.  And He has been faithful to push me and allow me endurance to stay the course.

-3-

Calorie watching always creates it's own set of challenges.  As a piece of advice, I'd just like to say that if you're going to eat really well and then you have enough calories to spend on a cheeseburger and fries, you might also want to make sure you'll also be near a restroom.  For most of the evening, preferably.

I'm not saying this happened to me, you understand.  I'm just pointing out that it's a possibility.

-4-

Our current governor in my great state is attempting to require high school students to earn four years of math credit in order to graduate.  I have a lot of thoughts about this particular subject.  If I were a perfect world educator, I would think this was the best idea since block scheduling.  We would give the students the opportunity to be exposed to more material!  The success rate would be phenomenal!  Colleges would no longer worry about preparedness!  Ad nauseum!

Realistically, though, I don't think it's going to be the answer to all of our educational woes.  Sadly, I think education reform is a near sighted attempt to fix something that has been perpetuated by societal expectations.  Entitlement, apathy and familial support seem to be largely discounted by a movement that is deeply affected by all these mentalities.

And there, I will get off my soapbox.

-5-

I've spent a lot of time on Pinterest pinning things to my "Things I Want to Wear When I'm No Longer Fat" board.  In the past, I pinned things there believing I would never really wear some of those offerings.

Now, I pin with hopeful expectation that someday is a lot closer than it was five weeks ago.

-6-

This week I discovered that my good friend, DM resembles Neville Longbottom from the Harry Potter movies.  Personally, I'd like to use this as a selling point on the "About Me" section I'm writing for his photography website.

But as a magnanimous blogger, I've decided to let you decide is the resemblance actually exists:

This is DM.  He's darling.

This is Neville Longbottom.

Truly, I wish I had a picture of DM smiling with his teeth so you could see the magnitude of their twinhood.  But this is as close as I can get.  Weird, right?

The weird part was when I texted DM to share my discovery, he commented, "That's insane...I look just like that dork."

You're welcome, DM.  You're welcome.

-7-

My dogs are no longer allowed on my furniture.

I made this decision after the little one (Corky) decided that everytime he pooped, he had made himself a snack.  The grossness of this particular discovery reached maximum potential when he decided to eat said snack in front of my niece and cousin (6 and 4 respectively).

Stealing "snacks" from a dog and trying to keep two kids under the age of 8 from vomiting on my floor was more than I could handle.


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7 Quick Takes Friday (6/8/2012)

-1-

After a frustrating turn (again) with Fat Tuesday, I went to see a nutritionist yesterday.  I had spoken to a nurse before I met with him, and she assured me their "plan" was much lower in carbs than the diabetic diet I had been following.  When I sat at his table, however, he showed me a plan that accounted for approximately 120-140 carbs a day.  I was confused; he noticed my confusion and asked a question:  "You look like you don't understand?"

I told him what the nurse said and stated I'd already been following a plan that kept me at or under 80 carbs per day.  He leaned back in his chair and asked for details.  I slowly began recounting carb choices, how I determine how many I get per meal and how I attempt to make that happen.  Then he said something no doctor has ever said to me before:  "It sounds like you're really trying.  How did you learn all of this?"

I told him I read until it made sense.  And I fought it for a long time.  But my insulin resistance demands attention--no matter how much I'd like to pretend that any traditional plan would work.

We chit-chatted; he said he really didn't have anything to teach me.  And, for the first time since losing a bunch of weight in a really questionable way, I felt like I knew what I was doing.  So slow-going or no, this is where I am.

-2-

I hate my legs.  I love maxi-length dresses.  I will buy as many of them as I can while they are "in" so I can wear them when they aren't.  Don't judge me.  (I bought another one at Sam's the other day.  To date, I don't think I've paid more than $25 for any of those dresses, and I've gotten 2 from Walmart.)

-3-

Laundry is no bueno.  I'm envious of the women who know how to get smells out of under armor and how to keep mixed color clothes bright and clean.  I did learn to use aspirin on my whites so maybe I'm getting the game?

-4-

For the first time in a while, Favorite and I cooked at home last night.  We roasted asparagus with garlic salt and fresh cracked pepper.  This is totally the way to eat asparagus.  Actually, with a few exceptions, this is the way to eat most vegetables.  Get yourself some grapeseed oil and get on it.

-5-

I've never participated in more than one Bible study at a time, but thanks to the prompting of my friend, Courtney, I am doing just that this summer.  The first study is based on a book I read last year--Made to Crave--and is a focus in learning to fill our needs with God instead of food.  There's a little more to it, but for simplicity, we'll leave it at that.  The second study is Kelly Minter's Nehemiah we are hosting at our church.  Courtney is leading; I'm doing the behind-the-scenes work.

Oddly, instead of being overwhelmed, I'm pretty excited about both of them...even when I found out our study has at least 25 women.  (25!  Women!)  So I'm way outside my comfort zone and scared to death.  But ready.  So, so ready.

-6-

I need to set an exercise goal.  Here's the deal, though:  I have no idea what sort of goal I should be setting because most long term goals seem to focus around the idea of running.  I hate running. 

So now I'm left wondering if I should get a gym membership or go it alone.  Classes are out at this point, because I can't afford to get a rec membership for the summer.  Thoughts?

-7-

I so need a summer schedule.  I don't do well with large blocks of free time. 

So I guess I'll be sitting down to determine what my Mon-Fri will look like for most of the rest of the summer.  Of course, exceptions are always welcome for people I love and miss.  Blue Sky, anyone?