Tomorrow Is Another Day...

Popping In Before I Pop Back Out

Remember back when I said it was going to get crazy hectic in a couple of weeks what with finishing up school, hosting visitors and heading out of town?  Well, is that any excuse for being an absolutely dreadful blogger lately?

Week before last was packed with Charleston Restaurant Week (which I'm still hoping to review at some point), the birthday celebrations for the two year old I'm still trying to figure out how to kidnap without hurting anyone's feelings or any legal repercussions, finishing two weeks worth of homework, keeping up with Insanity, and a few other random social outings.  I also had a misunderstanding with my hair dresser in which the dark hair I loved somehow ended up mousy brown.  Soooo... that's fun!

Then last week, one of my oldest friends came to Charleston for the first time, so I had a great time showing her around the area and enjoying the fact that we can go ages without seeing each other and then pick up exactly where we left off.  We've been friends since meeting at the bus stop when she was in 2nd grade and I was in 3rd grade, and we're really more like sisters at this point than anything else.

I was hoping to do a more thorough recap of her visit, but since I'm once again running low on blogging time, suffice it to say, I had an amazing time and hopefully she did too!  We visited the Irvin House vineyard and the Firefly vodka distillery for tastings (muscadine wine = BLECH!), the Charleston Tea Plantation, the Angel Oak, shopped, toured, and ghost hunted our way through downtown Charleston, and certainly did our part to stimulate the local economy!

My recovery day, after she left, was spent with a 3+ hour nap and an 8+ hour night of sleep.  I'm still trying to get my energy level back as I'm leaving tomorrow for a week in Vermont and New York City, followed up by a week at home in Louisiana, followed up by a few days back in Charleston with my sister.  I'm simultaneously completely excited and completely exhausted contemplating it all.

Hopefully you'll be able to find it in your heart to forgive my spotty posting and lack of commenting for the next couple of weeks, but soon school will be over, my visitors will have deserted me, and I will once more become Google Reader's bitch.  Till then!

I'm Losing It: Week 3

via

Starting Weight: 130.8

Current Weight: 127.6

Total Weight Lost: 3.2 lbs

Well, it was only a .6 pound loss this week, but considering how much food I've been eating, I'll take it! I was sure the scale was going to be moving in the other direction, so I'm pretty happy with this outcome.

It was Charleston Restaurant week, plus the 2nd birthday of one of my favorite little guys, so I ended up eating out all but one day of the week with plenty of dessert to boot.  I guess my body is just contrary like that.  Have a great week of eating well and exercising, don't lose a speck of weight.  Gorge myself on goodies and experience a (admittedly small) drop on the scale.

I don't expect the next week to be quite so successful.  One of my best friends is coming to Charleston for the week, and a big part of the Charleston experience is EATING, so I doubt I'll even be able to count as high as the calories are going to go each day.  But I'm entering the "recovery week" of Insanity, so I'm still going to try to work out before we start each day.

We'll see.

For now, I'll be reveling in the fact that I can fit in my size 26 Hudson jeans again.  Can we all just agree to ignore that little muffin top I'm rocking?

If You Can't Say Something Nice...

"I'm a very honest person.  Sometimes I hurt people's feelings, but I just tell it like it is."

"I can't help it--I tell the truth--at least people always know exactly what I think!"

I've been hearing a lot of self-descriptions like the ones above lately.  People declaring their own blunt honesty with a hint of apology and a smile.  It's gotten me wondering, where does one draw the line between honesty and hurtfulness and what ever happened to that old saying "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

I'll admit, I'm not always the most thoughtful person when it comes to the words that leave my mouth.  As I've gotten older, I've made more of an effort to watch what I say and think more about the impact my words could have on another person, but that doesn't mean I don't frequently stick my foot in my mouth or unknowingly say something that could offend or hurt another person.  And of course, if someone asks for a truthful opinion, I'm not advocating a lie.

But isn't there a difference between lying to someone and responding in a tactful manner?  In not taking so much pride in your own blunt honesty that you forget the fact that words can be the most painful weapons in our arsenal?

There's a lot of teasing about the Steel Magnolia approach of "Bless her heart" when you really mean "What a dummy", and I don't necessarily believe that's the perfect approach either.  But I think there is something to the idea of phrasing our thoughts in a kinder way and focusing less on our own thoughts and opinions and more on our friends' feelings.

I suspect that this new "honest" approach has a lot to do with how self-centered we've become as a culture.  We blog our every brainwave (guilty as charged!), we update our Facebook status every time we leave the house or think of a clever quip (um, yep!), we tend to think that our own thoughts and opinions are universally accepted and agreed upon.

So, I ask you:  Does honesty trump tact?  If a friend asks you if a pair of jeans makes her look fat, is there really a right answer?  Do you consider yourself honest to a fault or do you hear Thumper's voice on a loop in your head on a regular basis--"If you can't say something nice..."

Workshops and Shopping and Aliens, OH MY!

... Took part in a writing workshop at the center for women, and despite the fact that I already knew about the topics they covered, it gave me the opportunity to connect with some local women writers and I'll also get to have conversations with a marketing expert and the author of five novels to get some tips and tricks about the industry.  It got me pretty inspired to start writing again if I can ever finish my dern master's classes and spend some writing time on something other than case studies and examinations of the difference between management and discipline.

... Spent a lovely afternoon walking around downtown on my own, and then met some friends for lunch at a new favorite restaurant, Gaulart-Maliclet--or as it is better known round these parts--Fast & French.  And it was fast, French, and delicious!  I stayed virtuous with a fruit and goat cheese plate, then went completely off the rails with the most decadent chocolate croissant I have ever stuffed in my face.  Heavenly.

 

... Stimulated the economy with a little credit card use on King Street.  Fall has been in the air lately, and I know I'm fully back to my old self, as I am no longer dreading the Fall season, but looking forward to it with great anticipation of pulling out my sweaters and boots.  In honor of the crisp breeze that has been blowing here in the mornings, I shelled out the dough for these gorgeous over the knee boots.  I really was going to hold off, but then the shop girls offered me 15% off the listed price, and honestly, how could I say no to that?  I don't care how hot it still is next month, come October 1st, all bets are off and the Fall clothes are coming out of the closet!

... Worked my way through season 2 of The X-Files.  I've talked before about my obsession with The X-Files, so imagine my surprise when I found that there were multiple episodes season 2 that I'd never seen.  It was also funny seeing some future famous faces doing guest spots--including Terry O'Quinn (John Locke, Lost) and Tony Shalhoub (Monk).  I'm so happy that the show has really held up over time, and with the exception of a couple cheesy special effects and Scully's HORRIBLE 90s power suits, it's just as good now as it ever was.  I can't wait to start on season 3!

I'm Losing It: Week 2

Hey, these numbers look awfully familiar...

Starting Weight: 130.8

Current Weight: 128.2

Total Weight Lost: 2.6 lbs

And the really frustrating part is that this week I was actually remarkably well behaved and TRYING to shed some poundage.  Whereas those 2.6 pounds I lost last week were due to... nothing.  I blame the chocolate croissant I ate yesterday.  Worth.  It.

Oh well, I'm not giving up, just have to remember it's a process and despite the fact that I didn't see a decrease on the scale, I do feel better about myself when I'm eating better and exercising.

I'll be totally honest, I'm just too lazy to do South Beach when Colby isn't around to eat the food and help me with the cooking and cleaning.  It's a great diet if you've got the motivation or love for cooking, but I have neither.  I don't want to spend three hours a day chopping, stirring, cooking, and cleaning for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

So, instead I'm going old school and calorie counting.  Obviously based on this week alone, not a terribly effective method, but I'm willing to see if it pans out with more time.  It's sort of a bastardized Weight Watchers and I have a bunch of friends who've had great success with that, so we'll see!

I used the Mifflin-St. Jeor calorie calculator as it's been identified as one of the most accurate calorie equations by the American Dietetic Association.  According to that formula, my calorie intake for weight-loss should be about 1560 per day.  I've been writing down everything I eat (an amazing way to realize just how much random crap you put in your body without even realizing it) and trying to stay around the 1400-1450 zone since aside from doing Insanity, I'm admittedly pretty sedentary.

So, we'll see what this next week brings.  I have plans to be out just about every night, so it's going to be a struggle to stay the course and hopefully a little indulgence here and there won't hurt too much.  But it's Charleston Restaurant Week, and the Triple Chocolate mousse at Social is calling my name!

Santa Finally Came Through!

Between my parents, Santa Claus, and Colby, I've been begging someone for a cat for the past 27 years, all to no avail.  Who knew all it would take is a deployment, a 13 hour driving distance, and a hot summer day for my wish to come true!

Meet Kitty.

Boy?  Girl?  Who knows!  We like to maintain an element of mystery in our relationship.  Keeps the spark alive.

 
Not such a fan of being camera stalked.  I blame the paparazzi.

Through tuna, we have built an unshakable bond.  Next up?  Trust falls.

I'd say I'm trying not to get too attached, but um, obviously that would be a blatant lie.

Kitty has taken up residence under Colby's car for the past couple of days, and after a lengthy Facebook meeting of the minds with some of my most cat savvy pals, we're all pretty sure she's a stray.  Her fur is in fairly good condition, but she has what looks like some scarring above her eye, she's skin and bones beneath that lovely coat and she's pretty skittish, though she lets me pet her and didn't hesitate to come out when she smelled the can of tuna I brought.  I'm working on building up her trust so that hopefully I can eventually get her into a carrier and bring her to the vet for a check up.

Disgruntled Kitty says, "Aren't your precious with your little plans and ideas."

The Donut of Misery

Congratulations!  You're over the hump!

I haven't been posting much about Colby's deployment because... well... it's just easier to not think about it.  Between my trip to Japan, my mom's visit, never-ending classes, and spending time with pals in the local area, the first half of the deployment has gone by pretty quickly.

Yes, that's right, we are officially well into the second half of the deployment!  And really, I thought I was handling it with aplomb.

But part of me wonders if the deployment isn't what's taking a toll on my energy levels.  If there's a subconscious stress there that I didn't even realize I was feeling with Colby gone.  If that is the case, it does make sense that the exhaustion would have peaked over the past couple of weeks as we're in that dreaded mid-deployment hump.  Those few weeks in which half the deployment is behind you, but the second half still stretches out before you in an endless parade of lonely days.

It bugs me when people complain constantly about deployments.  We knew what we were signing up for when we attached ourselves to these military men, and unless anyone was told a bald-faced lie, we knew there would be plenty of nights alone.  There's also a tendency for military spouses to pull out their rulers and start measuring and comparing--there's always someone who has it so much worse and wants everyone to know.  And you can't help but feel envious of those who have shorter deployments to get through.  Honestly, it's just a minefield of a conversation, and I try to avoid it as much as possible.

But I think every now and then you just have to get it out, and I'm taking that opportunity now:  This deployment suuuuucks.  I'm so tired of Google chat and Skype crapping out on us and having to fill out customs forms and having questions that can't be immediately answered and cooking dinners for one and making plans for one.  So there.

The good news is that the deployment IS more than halfway done, and the next month or so is incredibly busy.

Next week is packed with fun activities with friends, the following week my San Francisco bestie is coming for a visit, then I'm visiting my sister in NYC for a few days and heading to Vermont for a wedding.  I'll have one day in Charleston to recharge before driving to Louisiana for a week and then my sister is driving back home with me to spend some time in the Holy City.

By the time she leaves, just a few measly weeks will stand between me and Colby's return.  So, the exhausted part of me is pretty overwhelmed by all of this upcoming activity, but the lonely part of me is looking forward to the craziness and the fact that when it's over, it really will be almost over.

And then my vote is for two weeks of re-constitutional leave spent sitting on the sofa, watching tv, eating Dominoes Pizza. It will be so nice to be boring WITH someone else again.

Nothing to See Here...

... But if you check out the Hindsight Letters, you may recognize today's guest star:

Dear me at 13:

Let me begin by saying, stop stressing about your boobs.  They’re never going to get any bigger, so let’s just move on.  (Also, that kleenex in your bra is totally obvious and so very overdone, I’m cringing at how cliché you are.)  On the positive side, you’re going to discover makeup soon, and after an unfortunate tarantula eye phase, I think you’ll be quite pleased with the outcome!

For the rest of my letter to myself, click on over to the Hindsight Letters and read all about my post-traumatic trip down memory lane.

I'm Losing It: Week 1

I have to make a confession.  I did not attempt to lose weight this week AT ALL.  Dealing with this recent bout of exhaustion has been... exhausting.  I think I got myself so spun up about the possibilities, that I tired and stressed myself to the point of illness.  Fortunately, the test results all came back negative, unfortunately, that means I have no idea what's wrong with me.

My doctor suggested adding Vitamin D to my lineup of supplements and that I start taking melatonin before I go to sleep at night.  Since doing both of these things, I am feeling a bit better, and starting tomorrow I vow that I will start to eat healthfully and exercise regularly once more.

So, given these circumstances, I was not looking forward to my weigh in today.  I don't feel great about myself, but I figured at worst I'd give myself a new baseline from which to start my weight loss.  Miraculously, despite lounging on the sofa 24/7, awaiting my approaching departure from this world, I somehow managed to shed a bit of weight, so it wasn't a complete waste of a week.  I wonder what the effects of stress are on raising your metabolism?!

Starting Weight: 130.8

Current Weight: 128.2

Total Weight Lost: 2.6 lbs

This next week I'll do a sort of bastardized version of of South Beach, hopefully the following week I'll be able to do the real deal.  But I have a lot of whole grain food items and fruits in the house that are perishable, and I just can't bring myself to throw away.  So, each day I'll allow myself one or two whole grain items and fruit mixed in with the vegetables, protein and dairy until I run out.  Then, depending on my progress I'll either cut back to the official phase 1 or continue on with phase 2.  I'll also get back to Insanity.  I thought about starting over completely, but instead I'm just going to start at Day 16, the day after the first fit test.

Finally, I just want to mention that I think  a woman's body and weight is a very personal thing, and by me sharing my stats here, it's not at all a judgment on anyone else's "numbers".  We all carry our weight differently, and everyone has their own goals for what they want to see on the scale and when they look in the mirror, and I hope that no one takes any offense as I record my own journey here.  I just want to feel healthier and make sure I can still fit in my clothes for at leas a few more months!

And thank you all for your support!!