Good bye summer and hello autumn!
I'm back! I took a little time off from writing my blog and going to WW, but I'm back on the plan ready to go. After my birthday I just lost motivation and really got a little depressed. Luckily I haven't gained any weight, but I haven't lost any either. I had tuned the big 5-0 and now what, I'm 50. So on to the next goals and adventures.
Remember how I wanted to run a half marathon? What was I thinking? First off, I don't like to run. Second, I have a bad knee and fallen arches from doing Foley for a million years so instead I entered a pie contest! You may not think they have a lot in common, but let me point out the similarities. They are both competitions, you get a ribbon if you win, your friends can come and cheer you on, you have to pace yourself...okay those last two might be for a pie eating contest, but the fact is I that I did it! I made my Grandma Golda's Sugar Cream Pie with a Ginger Snap Cookie Crust. It is a perfect combination of flour, sugar, vanilla and cream with a little sprinkle of nutmeg then add a delicious mix of butter and ginger snap cookies. Now what's wrong with that? I made two pies so I could choose which one looked and tasted the best. Plus, then you have a whole pie left to feed to your friends!
What makes someone enter a pie contest you might ask? I got an email from NPR about their 3rd Annual Pie Contest. For $10 I too could enter a pie so I paid the fee and then quite honestly forgot all about it. Two months later I get a reminder (and boy did I need one!) that the contest was this Sunday, September 18, at LACMA. I had no plans so I thought, sure I'll still enter. I had no idea that there would be over 200 pies! There were 5 categories: Cream, Fruit, Savory, Nut and Tim Burton themed. I think the cream had the largest entries . I didn't really tell any of my friends because I didn't think it was that big of a deal, but the ones I told were like, "Sure! We'll be there! Free pie?" Tyson and Bruce and Patsy, Dave and Davis showed up. The judging was between 1pm and 2pm, behind closed quarters and then after that they displayed all the pies. There was a pie for everyone even if you don't like pie. Chocolate peanut butter cream, fresh peach, macadamia nut, tomato, you name it they got it. There was one other pie that was semi similar to mine. It was called a Hoosier Pie, but it tasted more butterscotch than vanilla.
The judging was complete, now the time was near. They started pulling the pies. Would mine be picked in a sea of sugary goodness? The simple answer is no. Mine wasn't chosen, but to be honest I was just happy to enter! The winning pie overall was a good old fashion Apple Pie. After the ribbons were all handed out, the bakers positioned themselves behind their pies to serve them to the public. I was between a woman with a Bee Hive hairdo and a 3rd runner up in the savory category. Hundreds of people slowly perused the selection of pies to get samples. They walked past our pies, reading the descriptions, looking at the beautiful pastry lattice work on some and then they just kept on walking. This was worse than the pie competition! Finally, when some of the other pies were gone we started getting interest. I could care less if you like my pie, I just didn't want to lug it home!
All in all, it was a great experience. I'm already thinking about what kind of pie I want to make for next year. I may even enter two! I think something with Nutella and then maybe a savory one with bacon. I know, the bacon thing will be over by then, but then again, who doesn't love bacon?
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
One Bad Apple
So my birthday came and went. I didn't wake up on the 11th and suddenly feel old and useless and I certainly did not turn into a pillar of salt! I have wonderful friends to thank for ushering me in into this new decade of my life. Thank you very much, I am grateful for your kindness and friendship. I'm also grateful for the donations that were made in my name to the "ipad" fund and foundation! Yes folks, I'm getting an ipad. When they first came out I must admit I thought the ipad was an ifade, but the more isee the more ilike!
I couldn't decide which one to get 3G or just Wi-Fi, 32 GB or 64 GB? Black or White? So many choices. After much consideration and research from John and Kyle, my Apple adviser's, I decided on the 64 Wi-Fi only model. I can use a "Hot Spot" form my Droid and use it on the ipad and my laptop so that's why I decided no to get the 3G. I planned my trip to the Apple store so I could make my purchase and hang out with all the cool people who either want to be in the ipad club or who are in the ipad club. Little did I know, this is a club that is really hard to get into to even when you have the initiation fees! I first wanted to exchange the cover I received with my gift certificate. It was gray and I wanted to return it for a pink one. Since I didn't have the receipt I grabbed the first "Apple Associate" I came in contact with so they didn't think I just grabbed it off the wall stuck it in my purse and then tried to exchange it. This is how I think, like I'm always guilty. For those of you unfamiliar with the Apple store, even when it's most crowded, they still have more people working there than customers. The recession has not taken a bite out of Apple! So I grab the first guy, let's call him "Joe" and I pull the cover out of my purse and tell him I like to exchange it. "Have you opened it?" he asks, like I'm trying to get away with something. "No, I haven't opened it." he then wants to know what color I would like to get, because, you know, they don't have all the colors in stock. I say pink. Okay, he says and we make our way over to the floor Manager. Joe says "She wants to exchange this" the manger inquires "Have you opened it?" again, like I'm guilty of something. "No, I have not!" As we're standing there I see what color options I have because behind the Manager are all the covers. I mean ALL the covers. Every color imaginable. So I get my pink cover and Joe just walks away. Doesn't ask if I want anything else? You mean, like an ipad! So I have to say "Hey! Wait a minute! I want to get an ipad!" He seams completely bored, "Which one? The AT&T or Verizon?" I explain that I just want a White 64 GB Wi-Fi only. "Oh, we're out of those." Period. Huh? When will you get more in? Don't know. Can you check at another store? He goes over to the computer pulls up a store list and says, "Why don't you call the Pasadena store and I'll call Glendale." How about you call both! What has happened to customer service? Especially when I'm paying a premium for an Apple product! Well, guess what? No one has just the Wi-Fi version of the ipad. You have to order it on line.So I left the store, my head hanging low and went home so I could order it from the Apple store on line. The beauty of ordering on line, besides not having to deal with Apple Associates, is that I got it engraved! It will say on the back "Alyson Dee Moore" and underneath that it will read "Established 1961" (thanks Shannon!)
So here's what we've learned today. Apple has great products, but lousy service. If you want an ipad just order it on line. And if you're thinking about stealing mine, think again, because I have my name engraved on the back!
I couldn't decide which one to get 3G or just Wi-Fi, 32 GB or 64 GB? Black or White? So many choices. After much consideration and research from John and Kyle, my Apple adviser's, I decided on the 64 Wi-Fi only model. I can use a "Hot Spot" form my Droid and use it on the ipad and my laptop so that's why I decided no to get the 3G. I planned my trip to the Apple store so I could make my purchase and hang out with all the cool people who either want to be in the ipad club or who are in the ipad club. Little did I know, this is a club that is really hard to get into to even when you have the initiation fees! I first wanted to exchange the cover I received with my gift certificate. It was gray and I wanted to return it for a pink one. Since I didn't have the receipt I grabbed the first "Apple Associate" I came in contact with so they didn't think I just grabbed it off the wall stuck it in my purse and then tried to exchange it. This is how I think, like I'm always guilty. For those of you unfamiliar with the Apple store, even when it's most crowded, they still have more people working there than customers. The recession has not taken a bite out of Apple! So I grab the first guy, let's call him "Joe" and I pull the cover out of my purse and tell him I like to exchange it. "Have you opened it?" he asks, like I'm trying to get away with something. "No, I haven't opened it." he then wants to know what color I would like to get, because, you know, they don't have all the colors in stock. I say pink. Okay, he says and we make our way over to the floor Manager. Joe says "She wants to exchange this" the manger inquires "Have you opened it?" again, like I'm guilty of something. "No, I have not!" As we're standing there I see what color options I have because behind the Manager are all the covers. I mean ALL the covers. Every color imaginable. So I get my pink cover and Joe just walks away. Doesn't ask if I want anything else? You mean, like an ipad! So I have to say "Hey! Wait a minute! I want to get an ipad!" He seams completely bored, "Which one? The AT&T or Verizon?" I explain that I just want a White 64 GB Wi-Fi only. "Oh, we're out of those." Period. Huh? When will you get more in? Don't know. Can you check at another store? He goes over to the computer pulls up a store list and says, "Why don't you call the Pasadena store and I'll call Glendale." How about you call both! What has happened to customer service? Especially when I'm paying a premium for an Apple product! Well, guess what? No one has just the Wi-Fi version of the ipad. You have to order it on line.So I left the store, my head hanging low and went home so I could order it from the Apple store on line. The beauty of ordering on line, besides not having to deal with Apple Associates, is that I got it engraved! It will say on the back "Alyson Dee Moore" and underneath that it will read "Established 1961" (thanks Shannon!)
So here's what we've learned today. Apple has great products, but lousy service. If you want an ipad just order it on line. And if you're thinking about stealing mine, think again, because I have my name engraved on the back!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The Tale of the Pee Green Pinto Station Wagon
I remember when my mother turned fifty. I was eighteen and my sister was twenty-three. My father decided that we should do something really special so he made reservations at the Beverly Hills Hotel for dinner...in the fancy restaurant not the Polo Lounge. It was July of 1979 and my father drove a lime green Ford Pinto Station Wagon with faux wood paneling. It was atrocious and he loved it! Once he was stopped at a red light and the guy in the car next to him recognized him, "Hey! Aren't you that guy from Green Acres?" he yelled across at him. My father was playing it cool and modestly said, "well, yes, I am." The guy then got a confused look on his face and said "Then why are you driving a Pinto?" Classic. We never let him forget it. My sister and I begged my father not to take the Pinto to the Beverly Hills Hotel. We were embarrassed to ride in that car to the supermarket let alone Beverly Hills, but he refused. "They'll get a kick out of it!" he said, trying to persuade us, but we weren't buying it. So we all piled into the green Pinto station wagon, in our fancy clothes with all the birthday presents neatly arranged in a Neiman Marcus shopping bag. At least we could show that we had some taste. We pulled up in the driveway and stopped for the Valet. My sister and I tried to act sophisticated, but it was just so humiliating. If I had paid better attention, I think I would have noticed that only did no one really care, the Valet was really nice and happily drove the car as far away as I'm sure he possibly could have! So off we go in to the beautiful lobby of the Beverly Hills Hotel, each step me and my sister are shedding the Pinto vibe and walking just a little bit more confident now that the car is safely out of eye shot. We arrive at the restaurant and it is old classic Beverly Hills. The maitre'd was at the door and welcomed us into a very elegant dining room. Obviously, he did not see what we drove up in because he treated us like royalty. He grabbed the Neiman Marcus bag and led us into the room. I think it was done in pale pink with a big circular booth in the center that sectioned in four separate booths each facing out into the main room. This was where you sat to see and be seen. Again, we were feeling pretty special as he sat us down at one of these booths. Just as we got to the booth the Neiman Marcus bag with all our beautifully wrapped gifts made a terrific ripping sound and tore apart like a trailer in a tornado, cascading the gifts all over the floor. We froze, all eyes upon us as. Did I have a sign on my head that read "Arrived in pee green Pinto"? The maitre'd didn't skip a beat, "Neiman Marcus?" he said, as if "I can't believe Neiman Marcus makes such crappy bags!" After that, we settled in and had the most wonderful meal. It was special, like what a 50th birthday should be. We were having such a great time that I couldn't care less what sort of transportation brought me here. We all walked out feeling rich in so many ways. Rich in family, rich in memories and rich in thought as we waited for the Valet to get the car, juggling the presents in our arms, surrounded by Rolls Royce, Mercedes, BMWs and the like. Then up come the Pinto. As the Valet got out of the car he said to my dad, "Hey Man! Do you have a Rolls Royce engine in this car because it drives like a dream!" And there you have it. Happy Birthday to my dad, who's birthday wasn't until December, but it totally made his year. We laughed the whole way home and I still get a chuckle when I think about the sincere look on that guys face that he thought someone who had a lot money would buy a crappy Pinto Station Wagon and put a Rolls Royce engine in it. God bless him and my dad for giving us so much to laugh about.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
50 Random Thoughts
I thought I would celebrate my 50 years on this earth with 50 random thoughts about what I've learned. Here goes...
1. Be kind, especially to yourself.
2. There are always two sides to every story.
3. Being raised by "carnie folk" wasn't so bad.
4. Be patient with your parents.
5. Home ownership is overrated.
6. You will eventually turn into your mother, but will be the last one to see it.
7. Do something that you've never done every year on your birthday.
8. Meditation in underrated.
9. When you have your health, you have everything.
10. No matter what anybody says, High School is not the best years of your life.
11. Don't believe what fashion magazines claim as "beauty".
12. My dog will always love me just the way I am.
13. Life is not fair, get over it.
14. You can have anything you want, you just can't have everything.
15. If you put 80% into a relationship the other person can only put in 20%.
16. Always check yourself in the mirror when leaving a bathroom.
17. Lipstick makes me feel like I got my "face" on.
18. You can't help others until you've taken care of yourself first.
19. Expensive shampoo is better than cheap shampoo.
20. Floss.
21. You don't always have to win or be right all the time.
22. Change is good.
23. Laugh at yourself at least once a day.
24. Your first instinct is usually right.
25. No is a complete answer.
26. Question authority.
27. Always max out a slot machine, because if you win you win big!
28. Sometime in your life, visit Venice, Italy. It's magical!
29. Be the calmest one in the room in a crisis.
30. The most dangerous part of a flight is the drive to the airport.
31. Afternoon Tea at the Hotel Bel Air is priceless.
32. I'm blessed to have the greatest friends in my life.
33. Take a vacation.
34. Hawaii is more beautiful than I ever imagined.
35. Be tolerant.
36. Take an art class. You might be surprised at your hidden talents.
37. Take time to enjoy a beautiful sunset.
38. Life experience is something you can't learn in school.
39. When faced with a difficult situation, feel the fear and do it anyway.
40. Quit smoking. It's the best gift you can give yourself and your loved ones.
41. Buy yourself flowers.
42. The rug can be pulled out from your feet at any time so learn how to fall gracefully.
43. Be a girl scout, always be prepared.
44. Being present at someone's birth or death is an honor.
45. The biggest lessons come from the worse mistakes.
46. Do what you love and love what you do.
47. Splurge and fly first class at least once in your life.
48. Create your own luck.
49. You can't change someone's action you can only change your reaction.
50. Age is only a number, it's not what's in your heart.
Happy Birthday to Me!
1. Be kind, especially to yourself.
2. There are always two sides to every story.
3. Being raised by "carnie folk" wasn't so bad.
4. Be patient with your parents.
5. Home ownership is overrated.
6. You will eventually turn into your mother, but will be the last one to see it.
7. Do something that you've never done every year on your birthday.
8. Meditation in underrated.
9. When you have your health, you have everything.
10. No matter what anybody says, High School is not the best years of your life.
11. Don't believe what fashion magazines claim as "beauty".
12. My dog will always love me just the way I am.
13. Life is not fair, get over it.
14. You can have anything you want, you just can't have everything.
15. If you put 80% into a relationship the other person can only put in 20%.
16. Always check yourself in the mirror when leaving a bathroom.
17. Lipstick makes me feel like I got my "face" on.
18. You can't help others until you've taken care of yourself first.
19. Expensive shampoo is better than cheap shampoo.
20. Floss.
21. You don't always have to win or be right all the time.
22. Change is good.
23. Laugh at yourself at least once a day.
24. Your first instinct is usually right.
25. No is a complete answer.
26. Question authority.
27. Always max out a slot machine, because if you win you win big!
28. Sometime in your life, visit Venice, Italy. It's magical!
29. Be the calmest one in the room in a crisis.
30. The most dangerous part of a flight is the drive to the airport.
31. Afternoon Tea at the Hotel Bel Air is priceless.
32. I'm blessed to have the greatest friends in my life.
33. Take a vacation.
34. Hawaii is more beautiful than I ever imagined.
35. Be tolerant.
36. Take an art class. You might be surprised at your hidden talents.
37. Take time to enjoy a beautiful sunset.
38. Life experience is something you can't learn in school.
39. When faced with a difficult situation, feel the fear and do it anyway.
40. Quit smoking. It's the best gift you can give yourself and your loved ones.
41. Buy yourself flowers.
42. The rug can be pulled out from your feet at any time so learn how to fall gracefully.
43. Be a girl scout, always be prepared.
44. Being present at someone's birth or death is an honor.
45. The biggest lessons come from the worse mistakes.
46. Do what you love and love what you do.
47. Splurge and fly first class at least once in your life.
48. Create your own luck.
49. You can't change someone's action you can only change your reaction.
50. Age is only a number, it's not what's in your heart.
Happy Birthday to Me!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Road Blocks Are For Sissies!
The Revlon Walk was yesterday and I thought I would share the letter I am sending off to the organization regarding my experience. I want to thank everybody who donated money for the cure for women's cancers. Although I did not officially do the walk, I did get one in! I'm expecting a form letter back, but I'll keep you posted.
To Whom It May Concern,
I signed up for the Revlon Walk after my disappointment with the organizational skills with the Avon Walk For The Cure. I knew friends who had done the Revlon walk in the past so I knew it would be a great event. Also, my sister Janet died in 2001, at the age of 44 to Colon Cancer so it had double meaning for me. I raised over $1500, got my t-shirt a few weeks early so I could write the names of friends and family, battling or who had battled with cancer and left my house at 6:45am to pick up my friend and then take the short 20 min ride downtown. I thought I had left in plenty of time. Boy, was I mistaken! I hit the traffic at aprox. 7:25am a mile before the off ramp for Exposition Park. We did not get off the freeway until 8:25am. One full hour on the freeway. We then traveled a painful 50 minutes up MLK to Vermont only to find that all the parking was full. There was nobody there to tell us if there was an overflow lot. No information at all. We drove up to Normandie hoping that there would be some signs to direct us to the event, but no luck. The race had started and we were in an "unfamiliar", not so safe, part of Los Angeles with no direction to go except north to the 10 freeway.
I'm disappointed on a few levels. The first at myself for not anticipating that kind of crowd. The second to Revlon/EIF for not realizing that there were a ton of people that would not only be able to do the walk, but also would not be at the finish line to see the vendors and get more information on Woman's Cancers. Isn't that really what the event is all about? Raising money and awareness? I feel a bit cheated out of the experience. I don't regret raising the money because I know it's going to a great cause, but next time, if there is a next time, I'll know to come extra early just to find a parking spot.
My suggestion to you is that you should pre sell parking passes to specific lots so that everyone won't be traveling to the same place at the same time and participants will know that there is a parking spot specifically for them. No walker/runner left behind should be your motto for the next one. I know I wasn't the only one who turned around and headed home.
And just for the record, we did do a walk around Lake Balboa. I wore my shirt with the names I had written on it the night before and still honored my friends and famliy, but it would have been nice to cross that finish line at the Colosseum. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
Alyson Moore
To Whom It May Concern,
I signed up for the Revlon Walk after my disappointment with the organizational skills with the Avon Walk For The Cure. I knew friends who had done the Revlon walk in the past so I knew it would be a great event. Also, my sister Janet died in 2001, at the age of 44 to Colon Cancer so it had double meaning for me. I raised over $1500, got my t-shirt a few weeks early so I could write the names of friends and family, battling or who had battled with cancer and left my house at 6:45am to pick up my friend and then take the short 20 min ride downtown. I thought I had left in plenty of time. Boy, was I mistaken! I hit the traffic at aprox. 7:25am a mile before the off ramp for Exposition Park. We did not get off the freeway until 8:25am. One full hour on the freeway. We then traveled a painful 50 minutes up MLK to Vermont only to find that all the parking was full. There was nobody there to tell us if there was an overflow lot. No information at all. We drove up to Normandie hoping that there would be some signs to direct us to the event, but no luck. The race had started and we were in an "unfamiliar", not so safe, part of Los Angeles with no direction to go except north to the 10 freeway.
I'm disappointed on a few levels. The first at myself for not anticipating that kind of crowd. The second to Revlon/EIF for not realizing that there were a ton of people that would not only be able to do the walk, but also would not be at the finish line to see the vendors and get more information on Woman's Cancers. Isn't that really what the event is all about? Raising money and awareness? I feel a bit cheated out of the experience. I don't regret raising the money because I know it's going to a great cause, but next time, if there is a next time, I'll know to come extra early just to find a parking spot.
My suggestion to you is that you should pre sell parking passes to specific lots so that everyone won't be traveling to the same place at the same time and participants will know that there is a parking spot specifically for them. No walker/runner left behind should be your motto for the next one. I know I wasn't the only one who turned around and headed home.
And just for the record, we did do a walk around Lake Balboa. I wore my shirt with the names I had written on it the night before and still honored my friends and famliy, but it would have been nice to cross that finish line at the Colosseum. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
Alyson Moore
Monday, April 25, 2011
Those Feelings Don't Taste So Good
I've been feeling a little sad lately. I'm turning 50 and the two most important women in my life who helped to make me the woman I am today won't be there to share in the celebration. They won't be there to take care of the details and they won't be there to take care of me. I'm not depressed, I'm just sad. Let me explain the difference.
I once read an article about Gloria Steinem where she talked getting married. She had always said that "marriage was the model for slavery in this country." She explained her change in attitude toward marriage, saying "I didn't change. Marriage changed. We spent 30 years in the United States changing the marriage laws. If I had married when I was supposed to get married, I would have lost my name, my legal residence, my credit rating, many of my civil rights. That's not true anymore. It's possible to make an equal marriage." So when she was 66 she got married to David Bale, Christian's father, an environmental animal activist. They were married for almost 3 years and then he died of brain lymphoma. She was devastated. She said that her friends would come around and tell her that she needed to get out and that she was depressed, but she said "I wasn't depressed. I was sad." She explained the difference so eloquently. "When you are depressed you don't care about anything and nothing matters, but when you are sad everything matters and everything is poignant."
I know that was a long explanation, but I tell that story a lot. I was a young girl when Gloria Steinem first came into the public eye, but I remember how powerful her presence was. Subconsciously I know she had an impact on my life because from a very young age I never thought that I would just get married and be a housewife (not that there's anything wrong with that!). I always thought I would have a career and was really attracted to male dominated fields. If they can do it so can I! My mother really inspired me to become my own person. She was always encouraging me to be brave and break out of the mold. Whether it was a career choice or fashion choice, she was always on my side. She was my biggest fan.
In my sadness I've been neglecting my commitments I've made to myself. I feel like I've "hopped" off the wagon. Get it. With Easter and all. "Hopped." Anyway, I had Easter and two birthday parties to attend this past week and a Bunco party and I can feel it on my hips and thighs. I made not such great choices like buying those Cadbury Mini Chocolate Easter Eggs or the triple cream brie cheese that ate BEFORE Easter brunch. I just really ate too much, not all at one sitting, but through out the week snacking, like I use to do.
I guess the key here is "like I use to do", because I don't want to eat like that anymore. I don't want to live with the consequences and the weight gain. I know that I'll be a pound or two up today and we can use a pass to skip a weigh in, but I'm ready to face the scale. I have to or I'll run, just like "I use to do". This is the time to be patient with myself. I'll get the weight off. It may take a while, but that's okay. I'm not going anywhere and I've got all the time in the world.
And you know what, it's okay to feel to sad. It's not okay to use that as an excuse to "eat your feelings" or more importantly to let your feelings eat at you. So I'm back on the plan today and motivated to walk the track after my meeting. It will make me feel and look better in the long run. Making progress one step at a time.
I once read an article about Gloria Steinem where she talked getting married. She had always said that "marriage was the model for slavery in this country." She explained her change in attitude toward marriage, saying "I didn't change. Marriage changed. We spent 30 years in the United States changing the marriage laws. If I had married when I was supposed to get married, I would have lost my name, my legal residence, my credit rating, many of my civil rights. That's not true anymore. It's possible to make an equal marriage." So when she was 66 she got married to David Bale, Christian's father, an environmental animal activist. They were married for almost 3 years and then he died of brain lymphoma. She was devastated. She said that her friends would come around and tell her that she needed to get out and that she was depressed, but she said "I wasn't depressed. I was sad." She explained the difference so eloquently. "When you are depressed you don't care about anything and nothing matters, but when you are sad everything matters and everything is poignant."
I know that was a long explanation, but I tell that story a lot. I was a young girl when Gloria Steinem first came into the public eye, but I remember how powerful her presence was. Subconsciously I know she had an impact on my life because from a very young age I never thought that I would just get married and be a housewife (not that there's anything wrong with that!). I always thought I would have a career and was really attracted to male dominated fields. If they can do it so can I! My mother really inspired me to become my own person. She was always encouraging me to be brave and break out of the mold. Whether it was a career choice or fashion choice, she was always on my side. She was my biggest fan.
In my sadness I've been neglecting my commitments I've made to myself. I feel like I've "hopped" off the wagon. Get it. With Easter and all. "Hopped." Anyway, I had Easter and two birthday parties to attend this past week and a Bunco party and I can feel it on my hips and thighs. I made not such great choices like buying those Cadbury Mini Chocolate Easter Eggs or the triple cream brie cheese that ate BEFORE Easter brunch. I just really ate too much, not all at one sitting, but through out the week snacking, like I use to do.
I guess the key here is "like I use to do", because I don't want to eat like that anymore. I don't want to live with the consequences and the weight gain. I know that I'll be a pound or two up today and we can use a pass to skip a weigh in, but I'm ready to face the scale. I have to or I'll run, just like "I use to do". This is the time to be patient with myself. I'll get the weight off. It may take a while, but that's okay. I'm not going anywhere and I've got all the time in the world.
And you know what, it's okay to feel to sad. It's not okay to use that as an excuse to "eat your feelings" or more importantly to let your feelings eat at you. So I'm back on the plan today and motivated to walk the track after my meeting. It will make me feel and look better in the long run. Making progress one step at a time.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Milestones
Back down 1.6 pounds this week. I'm three weeks away from being three months on the plan and I'm 2.8 pounds away from losing 20% of my weight. Both big milestones in WW. I'm also three weeks away from the anniversary of my father's death (14 years ago!) and four weeks away from my 50th birthday. I just calculated how long a go my father died and I'm shocked how fast time is passing.
So May really starts the Milestone season for me. My father, my birthday and Mother's Day. I've always enjoyed my birthday, but it was because my mother always made a big deal for all of us on our birthdays. I am lucky to have friends to pick up the slack this year especially being a big one, but I still miss my mother and the joy it gave her to plan out a party.
Speaking of my mother, then we sail into June and the 18th is the anniversary of her death (2 years). This is a tough one of course. And her birthday, just a few weeks later on July 9th. Last year we went to Knott's Berry Farm and had my mom's favorite meal, Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner. This was something we did a few weeks before she died to celebrate her 80th birthday. This will be a tradition to do with whom ever wants to join and celebrate my mother's sweet spirit and love of food! My mother entertained a lot and she always took pictures of the food! She was a foodie at heart!
Also in July is my sister's birthday on the 24th. She also died a few weeks after her birthday on the 6th of August (11 years). This is also just another reminder about how much I miss her. I don't have anything I do traditionally for her, but it's never too late to start. My parent's friend had a place on Balboa Island and we would go every summer and I have such fond memories of us as kids and adults. I think I would like to start a tradition and go there at least once during the summer and walk around the island with a Balboa Bar or Frozen Banana.
Funny how we remember people and places and food! It truly is the meaning of comfort food! Fried chicken, rhubarb compote, boysenberry pie, Balboa Bars. Rosie my WW mentor says it's okay to eat these things on occasion and then she creates an occasion to have them! I can't think of a better way to honor the memories of my family than old fashioned favorites from places from my childhood. I'm going to take this occasion to remember my father and mother and sister and the great times we had as a family. I don't need to eat this stuff everyday, but on occasion works for me!
So May really starts the Milestone season for me. My father, my birthday and Mother's Day. I've always enjoyed my birthday, but it was because my mother always made a big deal for all of us on our birthdays. I am lucky to have friends to pick up the slack this year especially being a big one, but I still miss my mother and the joy it gave her to plan out a party.
Speaking of my mother, then we sail into June and the 18th is the anniversary of her death (2 years). This is a tough one of course. And her birthday, just a few weeks later on July 9th. Last year we went to Knott's Berry Farm and had my mom's favorite meal, Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner. This was something we did a few weeks before she died to celebrate her 80th birthday. This will be a tradition to do with whom ever wants to join and celebrate my mother's sweet spirit and love of food! My mother entertained a lot and she always took pictures of the food! She was a foodie at heart!
Also in July is my sister's birthday on the 24th. She also died a few weeks after her birthday on the 6th of August (11 years). This is also just another reminder about how much I miss her. I don't have anything I do traditionally for her, but it's never too late to start. My parent's friend had a place on Balboa Island and we would go every summer and I have such fond memories of us as kids and adults. I think I would like to start a tradition and go there at least once during the summer and walk around the island with a Balboa Bar or Frozen Banana.
Funny how we remember people and places and food! It truly is the meaning of comfort food! Fried chicken, rhubarb compote, boysenberry pie, Balboa Bars. Rosie my WW mentor says it's okay to eat these things on occasion and then she creates an occasion to have them! I can't think of a better way to honor the memories of my family than old fashioned favorites from places from my childhood. I'm going to take this occasion to remember my father and mother and sister and the great times we had as a family. I don't need to eat this stuff everyday, but on occasion works for me!
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