Sleeping with Dogs

OK, first get your mind out of the gutter. That's yucky.

Since Jim got hurt, he has been sleeping in his recliner instead of the bed, so the pups get a little vacation from the crates and get to sleep in Crazydogmama's bed. It has been interesting, to say the least.

Maggie: Maggie is a rock. A warm rock with fur. Think about what sleeping with a rock would be like, and that describes it.

Louie: Louie is a temperamental little butthole. If I touch him or nudge him, he grunts and growls. He turns around in a circle at least 50 times before laying down, then lets out a big huff. He SNORES. LOUD. He audibly farts. He barks in his sleep with his little mouth closed. It sounds just like water dripping somewhere.

If either one of them hears the slightest noise, it's like a barking circus stampede.

I'm creatively evil!

Yes folks, it's official! Crazydogmama is "creatively evil", the quiz I took said so!

My new blogger friend Stephanie had this quiz on her site and of course I was completely compelled to take it right away. I thought I would be eviler, but the puppy question blew it for me. Kick a puppy, are you kidding me? If I saw someone kick a puppy, I would put on my Leatherface mask and get medieval on their ass! This only makes me *creatively evil" apparently.

Trying to get it in gear.

Well, my bag of peanut butter cups is almost gone. *Sigh* So it is time to get back on BFL and lose the holiday 2-pound gain. (Not bad considering I have eaten like a hell cow for the whole month.) I need to frantically lose those two pounds in the next two weeks so that my trainer doesn't give me the "there-is-no-reason-to-gain-weight-during-the-holidays" speech. I'm already gonna get scolded for the smoking. So far, the best I've done with the Eating for Life Book is the crackers with turkey because that is about the only healthy food I have in the house. I really want to try the Chai tea recipe. I'm thinking do some yoga, then drink healthy Chai tea. A little different from my run-until-I-want-to-puke, then have a non-fat iced mocha routine. Heehee. Yogagirl will be so proud!

Winter Wonderland

I finally got a white Christmas! It started snowing right after Christmas dinner at my mom's, so we hurried home. Got a picture of the pups frolicking.



Oh, and you will all be very jealous, I got a LAPTOP from Santa! Yaayyy! I'm still not eating good, I'm living on peanut butter cups and leftovers. I am reading the Eating for Life Book by Bill Phillips that I just got, but I think I might wait until Monday to cut off my holiday eat-whatever-I-want stint. I won't even be seeing my trainer until Jan. 9th. It is a TRUE vacation from EVERYTHING! Two weeks of sleeping, eating and playing with my new toys. Holiday chaos is over, the dogs smell good, and my house is picked-up. Now I must get back to Mr. Hanky, the Christmas Poo.

Hope you all had a great Christmas! Let me know what kind of toys YOU got!

The Breakfast of Champions

What is Crazydogmama having for breakfast today, you ask? Is it egg whites with salsa? Noooo. Is it high fiber cereal and a slice of lean ham? Noooo. Is it Nestle Tollhouse cookie dough? Yeeesss! We have a winner! My lean, mean lifestyle has taken a turn this holiday season. I have given in to the pressures of cookies, candies and pastries. It makes all the stress just melt away, however I can't say the same for the fat. I wonder how many calories I burn wrapping presents.

Force Feeding Liquid Fat Girl

I was somewhat disturbed this morning when I checked my stats to see who has been checking out my blog site. There was a google search for "force feeding liquid fat girl". WTF? How that directed that person to my site is a mystery to me but disturbing none the less.

When Dogs Go Shopping

Things I must do before I leave the planet.

I completely stole this idea from Otter. I think it is important to have goals, and here are mine:

1. Become a writer as my full-time job even though I might suck at it.

2. Become a "non-smoker". (Notice I didn't say QUIT smoking. I have already done that a hundred-billion times.)

3. Eat healthy for a whole month without cheating once.

4. Get into my favorite pair of jeans again. I haven't worn them since I was 18.

5. Pay off all my debts.

6. Go to the Bahamas and stay in one of those huts on the water.

7. Help someone who really needs it.

8. Own a hot tub.

9. At least DRIVE a 1967 Camaro RS SS for a day, if not own one.

10. Learn to fly a Cessna airplane.

11. Figure out how to EDIT video without wanting to throw my computer out the window.

12. Find a cardio exercise I don't detest.

13. Be able to do 10 pull-ups the hard way without my eyeballs popping out.

14. Make a scrapbook for someone (and get paid for it).

I'm sure I'll think of more later...stay tuned. Some of these will make good New Year's Resolutions, no?

Dog Abuse

Louie is always my Guinea pig for dog-outfits and fun stuff. Maggie is too hyper and uncooperative. The look on his face, and the ears back indicates a very unhappy, but very patient, dog. He knows I love him, so he lets me do what I want. Here is Louie's "Max" outfit. (The dog from the Grinch movie.) I know it's a little cruel, but its soooo amusing. Heehee. I AM CrazyDogMama, ya know!

Going Off the Deep End & A Christmas Cookie Recipe

I know, I know, you are thinking this is old news. Actually, most of the time I am pretty alert and focused, however lately, not so much. I am finding myself saying "What?" a lot and staring off into space for long periods of time. I think the stress of life and holidays has finally given me a lobotomy. I am not usually much of a drinker, but in the last few weeks you would think I needed AA. (Or as a certain member of my family calls it "AAA", which cracks me up every time.) I am not cranky or irritable as it turns out, just completely out-of-it. I think I just need a vacation.

You have all probably received this email 10 times already, but it was so perfect to how I was feeling this month that I thought I would post it:

Christmas Cookie Recipe

Christmas Cookie Ingredients:
>1 cup of water
>1 tsp baking soda
>1 cup of sugar
>1 tsp salt
>1 cup of brown sugar
>lemon juice
>4 large eggs
>1 cup nuts
>2 cups of dried fruit
>1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequilla

Directions:

Sample the Cuervo to check quality.

 
Take a large bowl, check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the
highest quality, pour one level cup and drink.

 
Turn on the electric mixerer, beat one cup of butter in a large
fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again.

 
At this point it's best to make sure the Cuervo is still OK, try another
cup, just in case.

 
Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 legs and add to the bowl and chuck
in the cup of dried fruit.

Pick the frigging fruit off floor. Mix on the turner. If the fried
druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver.

 
Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity.

 
Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who gives a sheet. Check the Jose Cuervo.

 
Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a
spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find.

Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner.

 
Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the Cose Juervo and
make sure to put the stove in the dishwasher.

CHERRY MISTMAS!

Everyone is Insane Everywhere

I must apologize for my lack of blogging lately; duty has been calling elsewhere. We actually got a Christmas tree (hooray!), so I have been a decorating Nazi. No one is allowed to place the ornaments on the tree except me. If they attempt such activities, I promptly move them to where they look much better. My husband used to try when we were married some 9 years ago but being the most understanding and wonderful human being ever, he has relinquished his command in this area.

The rest of my week was like this:

My mother-in-law, bless her heart, thought the kitty in the blog entry below had *actually* overdosed and was expressing much concern after receiving my email.

My boss called me into his office on Friday and told me that I may have to work a few days during my vacation. (I always take 2 and a half weeks off during the holidays and I look forward to it all year long.) He said it was "up to me", though. That is a nice way of saying "You don't have to, but unless you want to be the first on the lay-off list next year, I would suggest coming in and working." I of course smiled and said "OK", but really, inside I was saying, "Yeah, WHATEVER you MF, I'll get you for this."

There was not ONE happy person at the Christmas tree place. Like my fellow blogger Dooce says, "Deck the Motherfucking Halls."

I put big Jingle bells on my dog's collars. It is really quite amusing. Today, they went on one of their running and barking-at-everything-in-the-yard tangents, and it sounded pretty confusing. The dogs next door didn't know whether to bark or laugh. I will be dusting them in glitter on Christmas Eve.

I made cookies today. The package says "Makes 5 dozen". I have 2 dozen. Perhaps they are mistaken. Perhaps I ate too much dough.

Overdose

I don't usually like "cutsey" cat pictures, but this one made me just crack completely up. It was titled "overdose" in an email I got. This is me on free days with pizza. I needed some cheering up, and this definately helped. Also, thanks to all of you who sent me jokes, funnies and kind words. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it right now. Happy holidays, everyone. Try to enjoy them, no matter what is going on.

Is ANYONE having a good week?

Man, I keep hearing one sad tale after the other this week. A friend of mine just split up with his significant other, some of my fellow bloggers are blue, my co-workers are grumpy, my husband is trying to work in pain, and I am stressed, depressed and apparently, paranoid. (See below.) I don't even know if I can afford a Christmas tree this year. Pathetic, no?

Someone send me a joke or something, I just got called into work tonight. Although I need the money desperately, that will make a 16-hour day for me. Yikes.

A Test

I took a personality disorder test, and it turns out that I am, like, highly paranoid and avoidant. This doesn't seem to surprise anyone. After I read my results, I all of sudden felt nervous and twitchy, saying to myself "Oh my GOD, what if it is TRUE? I should probably stay away from people." My reaction to the results, ironically, prove they are correct. :-) 

These are a few of my fav-or-ite things.

Yes, I am humming Christmas tunes this morning, despite all the crap happening to me right now. Although, why the hell is this considered a Christmas song? Isn't it from "The Sound of Music"? They are playing it on the radio as a holiday favorite, though, so I will go with that. As a matter of fact, while I was humming this tune, it occurred to me to get silly and sappy and actually write what MY favorite things are. So here we go.

Raindrops on my naked body and whiskers on puppies
Bright copper money and warm woolen socks
Brown paper bags filled with new stuff for me tied up with string
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored Frappuccino's and crisp pastries from the bakery
Doorbells ringing with packages for me and Mongolian stir fry with noodles
Wild times when I fly out of an airplane wishing I had wings (skydiving, OK?)
These are a few of my favorite things

Men in white t-shirts with ripped up old blue jeans
Snowflakes that stick on the ground and allow me to stay home from work
Silver in my pocket during winter that stays in my pocket until spring
These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites, when the bee stings and sends me to the hospital because I'm allergic, and when I'm pissy and cranky, I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel soooooo baaaaddddd. Not really, though, it takes more than that to snap me out of a funk.

Ok, so it doesn't exactly rhyme, but this is real life people!

Happy Monday.

Crazydogmama is not happy.

I guess you could call me stressingdogmama right now. Jim's cracked ribs are really hurting him. He missed all of last week at work, and because his job is labor intensive, he is afraid he will be sent home this week, and possibly more until he is able to lift heavy things again. Missing two weeks of my husband's pay will be disastrous for us. L&I will pay some of it, but they are so damn slow that no telling when we will get that. We used up all of our savings with the unemployment stint we had earlier this year, so we are what the white man calls screwed, lewd and tattooed.

 
On the upside, this makes Christmas shopping easier.

 
Me: "So what do you want for Christmas this year? I got 5 bucks!"

Advice for the day: Never vacuum while intoxicated.

Christmas Ideas

If you are wondering what to get those people in your life who have everything (besides a kick in the ass for having everything), here are some suggestions:

Fat Mama's Knock You Naked Margarita Mix

Chicken Enema Cooker

Corgi Butt Bottle Opener

If they have any of these things already, I guess you are SOL.

Windstorm!

It's a tad windy here, lights are out all over the place. Not at my work though, of course. What good is a damn windstorm if you still have to go to work? If the restaurant has power, I will be insane by the end of the evening. Power outages = lots of restaurant customers. The last time we had a power outage in the area, I made like $300. This is a good thing, though, for my broke ass. Jim is still out of work and won't be going back until Monday. Lucky duck. I wouldn't mind suffering a little pain for a week off work. I would get PAID! I need to go find some coffee. I have a meeting. Here's a little wind-tossed Lou-dog for ya:

Another Funny Girl

Otter is my star today. She made me feel better by making me laugh and pee my pants a little. If it weren't for this blog, I would have no one to talk to or cheer me up.  I'm thankful.

Not having a good week.

Sooooo, I have a gimpy husband at home, I am working too much, I am broke and stressed out, and to top it off, after my training session last night, I yakked in the parking lot of Rite Aid in front of a bunch of Christmas tree shoppers. Nice, huh? It just suddenly hit me, and there was nothing I could do. I couldn't even finish my training because I was feeling all shaky and sweaty and nauseous. I should have known, everyone I know has had this 24-hour flu-thing. Yuck. I just ran to my car and drove away. So embarrassing. They probably thought I was drunk or something. I feel OK this morning, except for the feel-like-a-mac-truck-hit-me thing. I'm huuunnggrryy. Haven't eaten anything. Afraid to.

Things that fall down and go boom.

That would be my husband, Jim. Yesterday afternoon at work, I get a call from my hubby. "I am in the hospital." He told me he might have a shattered kneecap. After two minutes of not breathing, I finally say I'll be right there. When I get to the hospital, I find out nothing is broken (thank GOD) but that he just has a cracked rib, a sprained wrist, and is in a walking cast for his purple knee. How lovely. Since he started his job last May, he has dented the company truck by running into a Metro bus, fallen off the loading dock and hurt his back, and now fallen off the company truck 4 feet onto the pavement resulting in an ambulance trip to the hospital. Luckily, he has an understanding boss (so far), but he doesn't get paid for sick time, so we are screwed for a while, and just in time for Christmas. Yippee. He is doing OK this morning, just a little stiff and sore, but OK. He gets to take the good drugs and sleep all day.

Things you shouldn't do at 3 am.

Make Brownies. Saturday night (or should I say Sunday morning), I got a wild hair up my ass to make brownies. My husband was snoring in his recliner, and the only light on was coming from the TV. I had just finished watching a movie (surprise) and I was hungry. Since I wasn't interested in eating anything healthy (who is at 3 am?) I decided on Triple chunk chocolate brownies. I mixed them well, sampled half of the mix (now wondering if there was still enough left to bake) and put them in the oven. It takes 52-57 minutes. OK. Set the timer. Fall asleep. Wake up to obnoxious beeping. Dogs and husband still snoring. I wasn't sure how long the timer had been beeping, but to my glee, the brownies were not burnt. As I cut the gooey, steaming chocolate mass, I kept telling myself that I should let them cool first. So, I put a piece on a plate and decided to wait 5 minutes before shoving it into my face. While waiting, I robotically stuck the spatula into my mouth to lick off the chocolate residue. DOH! 4 am: CrazyDogMama is doing a version of the "African Anteater Ritual" in the kitchen while her tongue is on fire. Dogs start barking. Husband never wakes up.

The Couch Potato Emerges

I slept most of the last three days, either on the couch or in my cozy bed. I don't think I was awake more than 4 hours at a time without a nap. It was WONDERFUL. After 3 months of constant running here and there and everywhere, meeting deadlines and trying to keep commitments, I feel I am finally caught up on some much-needed sleep. Of course, I did wake up late this morning, and had to rush off to work. It makes no difference how much sleep I get, I still don't want to get up to go to work. Now, if I was getting up at 4am to go, say, skiing, I would be wide awake and ready to go. Speaking of skiing, the passes are open and I'm trying to figure out what it will take to get my arse on the slopes this year. It has been several years since I have been able to go, but this year I feel I need to get back at it. I only live about 40 minutes from one of the ski areas, and there is no reason why I shouldn't be going! It is hard to get motivated to work out in the winter, and skiing would be perfect for those winter-workout blahs! There's nothing like leg cramps, snow-chapped lips, sweating in long underwear and a nice array of bruises! I could just see myself now, in my 30's, haven't skied since my 20's, trying to get on the chairlift, and BOOM! Yard-sale! (Yard-sale = each ski, each pole and me, scattered all over the hill.)

Anyway, I did get to watch a few movies this weekend so here are some more reviews:

28 Days Later
I liked this one! It held my attention well and had some cool camera effects. I do have one question, though. Why didn't "the infected" attack each other? Things that make you go hmmmm.

Finding Nemo
Very cute flick. Great Pixar-animation. I'm not much for kid's movies, but it was cute. I especially liked the ending, the very last line in the movie, "What now?" The story of my life!

Bruce Almighty
It was OK. I wasn't especially impressed. Typical Jim Carey antics. I got bored half-way through.

Party Girl
This was a very odd movie. One of my Netflix movies that took me two months to watch. I kept putting it off because my husband said he would rather watch commercials than watch this movie. But I finally fed him enough to keep him from wrestling me for the remote. Now, I really like Parker Posie, so that is why I chose this movie. It was actually entertaining, and I wanted to keep watching just to see where it was going. All-in-all, I liked it, but you really had to pay attention to figure out what was going on. We both watched this one with one eyebrow raised the whole time.

Tomb Raider II - Cradle of Life
The soundtrack for the first Tomb Raider was much better, I actually bought it, it is great to do kickboxing to! The only entertaining part of this movie was getting to see what Angelina Jolie was going to wear next. She is a very unique looking person. My husband has no interest in her, he is a Jennifer Aniston and Drew Barrymore fan. Me? I like Sam Elliott (Yes, I know he is ancient, but he is so manly!) and I also like Vin Diesel, but his movies suck big-time. Anyway, don't waste your time unless you like looking at Angelina.

Gorging and Scrappin'

I had a nice relaxing turkey day, and I hope you all did too! I cooked, then ate, then slept, then scrapped. It has been a whirlwind week (that's why I haven't posted) and I'm exhausted. This is the first weekend in two months where I don't have anything planned, and I've been a movie-watching, face-feeding couch potato. It's soooo great. The dogs love it when I don't leave the couch for hours on end. All that said, here are some pics for you.

Maggie, Louie and Molly (my mom's dog) scavenging the kitchen floor on Thanksgiving, and one of my favorite scrapbook pages to date.

The Joy of Potlucks

We had a company potluck yesterday. This is a day of no egg whites, no fat-free or low-carb foods, and definitely no low calorie anything. It is graze all day until you feel like you are going to puke day. You are probably wondering by now if I EVER eat right. Well, yes I do, but it has been a challenge lately. Smoking is also still a challenge. I am doing better and better every day, though. I haven't had a venti mocha Frappuccino for a whole week! Ha! You also must know that I didn't eat any bread at the potluck, and I did have quite a few veges. OK, OK, YES, I HAD A COOKIE. (Or two.) I have added some different things to my workouts to keep them interesting, and I did 120 lunges in a ROW a couple of days ago. (Still recovering.) I wanted to see how many I could do before falling over. For the last 30 I had to drop the weights and just use my body weight, which of course was, ENOUGH. My next thing will be to see how much I can bench-press (weight-wise). Everyone always asks me, and I've never known!

OMG

They make LEATHERFACE HOLIDAY LIGHTS!  Must. Get.

More Movie Reviews!

Legally Blonde 2:
Don't waste your time. Now, I loved the first one, but this one was just plain ridiculous. I really like Reese Witherspoon too. I can't believe my husband sat through the WHOLE THING without saying a word. He must really love me.

Freeway
What a great flick! This is also a Reese Witherspoon movie, but in this one she is a badass! It is a dark comedy (my favorite kind) with some great "unconventional" twists. It is older, made in the mid-nineties, and also has Kiefer Sutherland in it. A must see!

Wrong Turn
Not great, not horrible. Entertaining, with some good killing scenes, but still a little too "teenagy" for me. The Netflix envelope described this movie as "License to Drive meets Deliverance". Based on that, I had to watch it.

Terminator 3
So-so. I do love Arnold, though. There was some really cool big-trucks-flipping-over and crashing scenes, and the female terminator (Terminatrix) was a great foe, but all and all, I was disappointed. Not a gripper like the second one. I missed Linda Hamilton and the guy playing John Connor was a little "femmy". If they make a fourth one, Skwigg should play the woman kicking ass. :)

Anger Management
Not as good as the hype. Two great actors in a mediocre movie, in my opinion. Very predictable. OK, but wouldn't watch it twice.

About Schmidt
You know, people either loved this movie, or hated it. I loved it! I wasn't grossed-out by seeing Kathy Bates naked, come on people, not everyone looks like a super-model, and quite frankly I like a little reality once in a while. I think this movie dealt with issues that no one likes to think about. I liked it because the main characters were controversial, meaning you didn't know whether you liked them or not. Something different! I'm tired of the same old movie.

I still need to watch 28 Days Later. I can't bring myself to watch the Matrix movies yet, they just don't do anything for me. Everyone keeps telling me to watch, but people flying through the air doing flips and kicks and shooting guns just seems stupid to me. Apparently, I am a minority in this one.

Lip Issues

Today, I look like I got beat up. I have a crack down the middle of my bottom lip, and two, count em' TWO fever blisters, also on my bottom lip. I thought about wearing my Leatherface mask to work today to cover it up, but somehow, I don't think the nice auditor lady would find the humor in it. So, I'll just dress up and wear lots of lipstick on my diseased and scary mouth. We have another freaking audit. I so need a vacation. No snow today, so I couldn't call in cold. I am going to beg all my blogger-friends not to write anything funny today because if I laugh, my lips will bleed, and I will cry. My trainer would be so disappointed in my wussiness.

Rain, flooding, wind, snow and sunshine?

That's Washington for you. I went to bed to high winds. I woke up to rain and flooding. The commute to work resulted in massive snow to the point where I couldn't tell if I was on the road or the grass because I couldn't see anything. The weather report says sunshine by the afternoon. There are power outages everywhere and traffic lights don't work. Weather report today: EVERYTHING.  For up-to-the-minute weather reports: LOOK OUT YOUR WINDOW. I live an hour from work and live in the mountains. Every other mile or so, something different was happening. My husband can't even GET to work. The lucky rat! All this going on, and of course, my work is operating quite nicely. Damn.

Spilling Stuff

We all have skills. Mine happens to be spilling stuff. I have replaced 3 keyboards at work from spilling liquid on them, and every day at lunch I spill some sort of food content on my shelf. (My breast-area.) My co-workers howl in laughter at me every day. When someone else does it, they have just done a "Cheryl". I do this so often, that if there is NO spot on my shirt, I get comments like "We know you are an imposter, has Cheryl been taken to the mother ship?" This morning was no different. I had to wash my shirt in the bathroom sink to get all of the coffee off of it. I am walking around with a completely sopping wet shirt, and no one has said a thing. It is a normal day. I have been told that my secret Santa this year will be getting me an adult sippy cup.

Fake the Funk to Facilitate the Fraud

This is my favorite quote ever in the history of the world. It is a "Jiminism". (A quote made up by my hubby, Jim.) Not only is it fun to say, but it can really describe some situations well, like yesterday for me. It is really funny to say it to co-workers and watch their facial expression go from blank to confused, then out comes the word, "What?" EVERY TIME.

I had an OBGYN appointment yesterday that I forgot about. I looked at my wall calendar at 12:45 pm and the calendar said the appt. was at 1 pm. HOLY CRAP! Not that I wouldn't mind missing one of THOSE appointments, but it is nearly impossible to reschedule and I'm out of birth control pills, yikes. So, I do Mach 4 trying to get there on time, and I get a call on my cell phone right as I'm pulling into the parking lot saying, "Can we reschedule you, the Dr. had a delivery." How dare he deliver a damn baby during my appointment! Now, I told my boss I would be gone for 2 hours. Do I go back to work and tell him what actually happened? HELL NO. I take a nap in my car. Faking the funk to facilitate the fraud.

Camp Nut-job

Just got back from scrapbook camp. It is usually 48 hours of pure bliss for me, but this time there was a nut-job among us, and the weekend turned out to be somewhat of a catfight. There is always one bad apple, I tell ya, but really, this is a given when you get 40 women together. Women are just plain PITAs sometimes. (PITA = Pain In The Ass) This person was as uptight as they get and had run-ins with several of us. You might think of scrapbookers as docile and hen-like, but you are sorely mistaken. We use things like razor blades and hammers as we put together our cute little scrapbooks. (My scrapbook pages consisted of pictures of our Halloween night and was titled "Leatherface, the saw is family.") So, really, it is not a good idea to piss off a scrapbooker. There was squabbling about what music was playing, too much noise, food not cooked right, etc. Sometimes I think it would just be easier to go scrapbooking with men. We could belch, fart, drink beer and have the latest sport playing on a TV somewhere nearby instead of some gay-ass soothing CD. Although, that is how my personal scrapbook workshops usually are, my customers KNOW how to scrapbook properly. If I get some time, maybe I'll post some of my pages. You may get a kick out of them, and the obnoxious amount of time it took to create them.

Duck and Dog Drama

My birthday is over. Poo. Dinner was great, we all shared duck in a plum sauce, 7-flavors beef, sambal coconut prawns, spicy pepper and onion asparagus and Szechwan green beans. Our appetizers were buddha spring rolls and lemongrass chicken! YUUUUMMMY. I had a glass of red wine, then we ate chocolate torte and ginger ice cream for dessert. OMG! Then, when I got home, my awesome hubby had an ice cream cake with candles and a CD waiting for me! What a sweetie! Especially since I didn't get home until about 10:30! Oh, and YES, I had another piece of cake.

Since I only got about 4 hours of sleep, today will be a joy. I am working a double. 6 am to 11pm. Fun.

Dog drama. Louie and Maggie got in a fight. Louie weighs about 22 pounds, and Maggie is a petite little 17-pounder. She kicked his ass. Jim called Louie a "vagina-dog". If it hadn't been so funny, I would have scolded Jim.

OK, What the Hell is going on?

My birthday has had a rough start. I accidentally slammed my head into a door. No kidding. I was bending over to pick up some paperwork I dropped and bumped my noggin' on the DOOR HANDLE. YEE-OUCH! I yelled some cuss words. (Not always a good idea at work.) Now I have a nice red mark on my forehead along with the ZIT I woke up with. Nice. Especially when I'm going to a posh restaurant for dinner. The first work-thing I started today was, of course, a nightmare. No one communicates with anyone, and so we all duplicate work (in a rush) and then have to do it 5 more times at a freaky stress level. Every job we do, or so I'm told, is of utmost importance, and the company's future depends on it. Yeah, whatever. Me typing a memo can't possibly affect the fate of the company. Unless it was a memo saying we were no longer allowed to eat chocolate. That would shut us down in 2 seconds flat.

Happy Birthday TO ME

Another Birthday! Yikes! I'm gettin' old. Stopped off for a Frappuccino this morning (yes, I was a little late), and I'm looking forward to a nice half-day at work. My co-workers are force-feeding me (ha!) fattening food today for lunch. I will then proceed to a nice hour-long massage. Following the massage, I will shop, then I will eat again at a fabulous Seattle hotspot called the Wild Ginger. MMMMMM. My OTHER co-workers are making me go there. This is the only time where it is good to have two jobs! This weekend I will be scrapbooking with 40 other women up at a lodge at the pass. It's all about me.

Somebody Wake Me Up

I feel like someone slipped me a Mickey this morning. I cannot keep my eyes open! I'm even typing while my eyes are shut. Just one of those mornings, I guess. My husband is all upset. He is a veteran from the gulf war (the 1st one) and he has to work today. He says everyone has the day off but the veterans. I think he is right, he should have the day off, but then again, I think I should have the day off too, cuz it is the day before my birthday (send presents).

Bath time or Armageddon?

For Louie and Maggie, it may as well be Armageddon. My husband begged me to give the dogs a bath on Sunday. (Apparently, they were stinky, I never notice.) You don't even have to say the word "bath", all you have to do is go into the bathroom and say "Maaaaaagieeeee, Looouuuuiieeee!" and they know. It took me a half an hour to get them in there. Then, Louie was my first victim. There was howling and yowling when I clipped his nails, the most pathetically depressed look when I was brushing him, and utter misery and the end of the world when I soaped him up. I tried to get him to give me a kiss, but he actually turned his head away from me. The hair dryer was death. He buries his head in my crotch with his butt sticking up when I'm trying to dry him. (He is trying to hide.) But when I'm done, OMG he is the happiest dog on the planet. He jumps and plays and wags his tail when I say, "All done handsome boy!" Then he gets a yummy carrot.

Giving Maggie a bath is like trying to innertube behind a hydroplane. I was sopping wet and exhausted afterwards.

Justification for reading other people's blogs.

"You can make more friends in a month by being interested in them, than in 10 years by trying to get them interested in you."
- Charles L. Allen Roads to Radiant Living

Happy Monday morning to you all. I am eating chicken and vegetable stir fry and a nonfat mocha for breakfast. What on earth is wrong with me? Normal people eat eggs, oatmeal, cereal, but not me. I'll be having my egg whites for lunch.

Another justification for a blog.

"There is no such thing in anyone's life as an unimportant day."
-Alexander Woollcott, Long, Long Ago

Ponder that one.

Oh Happy Day!

You are all most likely really sick of me talking about the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but with the new movie out, I have rekindled my fondness. I ordered the Special Edition of the original movie on DVD (it just became available, and it has "meat" packaging!), and it came in yesterday! So, you can guess what I did last night. What a great movie the original is! I had forgotten! Marilyn Burns is truly the scream queen! I had not seen the original for a while, so it was great fun. Louie and Maggie and I all curled up on the couch together to watch. Jim fell asleep. Oh well, guess we'll have to watch it again tonight!

A week without a trainer.

So, my trainer is going to a competition and therefore cannot train me this week. She says to me "Be a good girl this week without me". Yeah, right. If I eat ONE MORE freaking piece of Halloween candy, I will swell up like Violet in Willy Wonka and Chocolate factory.

The Cauliflower Dance

The vet says I need to stop giving Louie and Maggie treats and start giving them raw veges instead. Apparently, they are both too fat. Welcome to my household. So, last night I gave them both some cauliflower. Maggie, as usual, just inhaled it and kept looking at me for more. Louie, on the other hand, performed some odd ritual. He grabbed the cauliflower, started wagging his tail very fast, then started leaping and jumping around in a circle, with the cauliflower sticking out of his mouth. He made no attempt to eat it or chew on it. He just danced around with it wagging his butt. There was rolling and frolicking and many grunts. He finally took it into his crate, buried under his blanket and came trotting back into the kitchen. It was the strangest and funniest thing I have ever seen.

What Irritates Crazydogmama

As I promised, there are a few things in life that irritate me. I already did the list of what I like, so here is the "Dooce" inspired list of how to annoy me:

1. Be all snobby and say you "don't drink coffee because all the caffeine is bad for you" as you shove a triple-layer chocolate chunk brownie in your face.

2. Walk around the back yard for a half an hour sniffing the grass while the house is freezing over from the door being open, then 2 seconds after you come inside, poop on the newly cleaned carpet.

3. Pass me on a two-lane highway when its pouring down rain while I'm going 65, splashing so much mud and water on my windshield that I can't see.

4. Be a high-maintenance, bossy/bitchy customer while ordering food from me, then don't tip at least 15% after perfect ass-kissing service.

5. Don't control your kids at the store, and then act all surprised and offended when I tell them Santa won't be coming to their house this year.

6. Stand right in front of the DVD and book section with your cart at Costco for 10 minutes, then wonder why I am ramming it.

7. Act like my dogs are "annoying" you. Chances are, I like them more than I like you, and I will kick you out of my house.

8. Change the radio station I'm listening to without asking.

9. Tell me how to drive.

10. Get drunk and belligerent around me.

Busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest.

Geez, this is the first time I have sat down since Thursday afternoon! Thursday night we started setting up our Halloween stuff and I got my nails done, Friday I got a massage, got my hair colored, worked OT and then stayed up all night charming Leatherface. Saturday, I worked out with my trainer, went to a Stampin' Up party to make Christmas cards, then worked at the restaurant. Then on Sunday I went to a "color-blocking" class for scrapbooking, cleaned and did laundry. We also had Billy (my stepson) and his friend over all weekend, so I was tripping over kids and dogs too. I need a vacation! Sometimes I don't even know what day it is. I just know I have to be SOMEWHERE doing SOMETHING. I have tried to take a picture of my hair and nails, but they keep coming out weird and fuzzy, so I'll keep trying so you all can see my new look. I've received quite a few compliments, so I'm not quite as freaked out as I was. I like my hair, but it was a pretty dramatic color change for me. Platinum blonde streaks, honey blond streaks, and natural blonde streaks. My nails are bright red.

As far as our Halloween went, we had a blast, but I can imagine that there are some miffed parents out there. You know how uptight people can get sometimes. We toned it way down, and most people loved what we did, but when I was in my straight jacket trying to pick up a beer, and Jim was arranging the rubber body parts in the garage, we were shot some interesting looks. Ha! Oh well, the kids had a great time, so we were happy. Now it's time to get out the Christmas decorations! I love Christmas!

The Sultan Chainsaw Massacre

OK, already! Here's some pictures from our Halloween fright. Leatherface, in sneakers!

Hair victory!

I found a place at the last minute that was willing to do a foil for me! They are also willing to stay late at night! (Foils take, like, 3 hours on my long hair.)

I think I'm gonna buy new shoes, too. Aren't they CUTE? I have all these girlie, pretty shoes, and then just my regular sneakers. I needed something a little retro.

Hair Stress

Trying to schedule a foil one day ahead of time at 5 pm is IMPOSSIBLE. I've called like, 20 places. I have a hair emergency. (This is how my finances go awry.) My blonde hair is looking mousy, and in order to look good for my Halloween party, I must have a foil by tomorrow, DAMIT. I even re-scheduled my training session for this. You gotta have priorities.

Jim is all out of sorts because he can't get the chainsaw to start for our little tribute to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Friday night. All these little problems we have.

Whew!

OK, got my period. Must have been premenstrual eating disorder. Back on track today. My boss is out of town this week! Woohoo! PARTY! Not. That just means I have double work to do, except that I am writing in my blog instead of doing it.

I read something very inspirational recently. Did you know that Walt Disney was fired from a job for not being "creative enough" and then he had to claim bankruptcy twice before he built Disneyland? Wow! There is hope for me yet! My finances are always in shambles. I pay my bills on time and everything, but I have this incredible debt hanging over me that just won't go away no matter how many jobs I have. It's the spending thing. The more you make, the more you spend. I need to have someone just beat me over the head. Maybe Skwigg could help? Ha! All I'd have to do is sneak up on her, and POW! I wouldn't be able to spend for weeks! :)

I may be pregnant

I just ate a giant chocolate chip muffin from Costco with fat free butter and asteroids (spicy Cheeto balls), then washed it all down with a Corona. I found it generally tasty, but I'm still hungry. If I'm not pregnant, I think I may have other issues.

Sunday Pychosis

Holy crap. I just spent WAY too much money. I think I have a spending problem. Scrapbook stores are very dangerous for me. I am designing a journal cover, and the supplies I had to have cost triple what the actual journal did. Oh well. Then there are the clothes. Every time I lose, like, 5 pounds, it is an excuse to buy more clothes. Then, because I was so tired from shopping, I had to eat out. (of course). My evil boss at the restaurant brought in M&M's for us last night while we were working. She said we could have a handful every time we sold 100$. Apparently, I sold about $4000. So much for the 5 pounds.

If you don't mind a little comedic cussing and a raw sense of humor, I just peed my pants from rolling around on the floor laughing at the website (Dooce) I just found. Go to the "How to annoy me" section. I died. Also check out the "How to charm me" section, the very first entry on that one sent me into a fit of laughter where my stomach cramped so hard, I couldn't breathe. I admire people who can be that painfully honest. What a hoot!

Permission to NAP

I found the coolest thing today. They are called "Permission Cards" and they were created by a cool chick named Keri Smith. I clicked on the bowl, and I have permission to NAP!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

A Scary Thought

Apparently, my dream means that there is a conflict going on between my naughty and devious side, and my inner moral standards. Hmmmmm...THAT'S a scary thought.

My Dream

I am going to get personal today and tell you about my dream. I have been having very vivid and memorable dreams lately and I'm wondering what it all means. (If there are any dream analysts out there, please feel free to email me.)

I dreamed that my husband and I were police officers again. (It has been almost 10 years, and neither one of us has the desire to go back.) We were investigating the homicide of a woman, apparently a wife and mother. We knocked on the husband's door, and he let us in. We were also being "graded" by our superiors. This was a test for us or something, but it was real. The man was not acting like anything was wrong. He was acting like his wife was still alive. We looked around, talked to his weird son, and then left. We came back later to eat dinner, but we were actually trying to secretly investigate. The weird thing was, we were in uniform, but we did not have our guns. Some woman was there posing as his wife, and it was obvious that he had changed all the pictures in his house to her picture. All family members were there, and everyone was in on the lie. I went to the bathroom, and wiped out the bathroom garage can with Windex? Then, when I came out, the man came after me very violently swinging his fists. I ran away. Actually, I just ran around the house and told him to chill out. He did. We left. My husband and I smiled at each other because we now knew that the husband was the killer and we had probable cause to go back and arrest him. We had to go get our guns first, though. :)

My dreams usually NEVER make sense like this, most often they are nonsense. I have not watched any cop-type programs or movies lately, and I don't recall thinking about my time as a cop recently. Weird, huh?

Toilet Boy

One more post today and I'll shut up. I had to put this picture up. Louie is hilarious when I chase him down for his bath. Just don't look at my dirty toilet.

A Sign

I went to cheat and have a cigarette AND some pizza today, and this is what happened:

I lit the wrong end of the cigarette and choked and burned my finger. (For any of you who have done this know how toxic and disgusting this is.)

I went to take a big bite of pizza and all the toppings slid off onto my shirt.

If that isn't a sign, I don't know what is.

Just another little tidbit for you. I somehow channel surfed onto Fear Factor last night, which I never watch. (I hate reality shows, and the like.) They had 2 girls and 2 guys putting COW EYEBALLS in their mouth without hands, then popping the juice out of them into a glass until filled to a certain level, then DRINKING the eyeball juice. OK, YUCK. Who in the hell wants to watch that? They were only getting 50 thousand bucks, and that is only if they win! I wouldn't do that for a million! I like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, yes, but that is NOT REAL. I was so grossed out that I thought I was gonna barf up my chili. Those are some seriously macho women, I tell ya. I thought I was tough because I can lift more weight than most of the guys in the gym and I've jumped out of an airplane, but if I had to go anywhere near my mouth with cow eyeballs, suddenly all my tough-girlness would vanish into a sea of barf, and then I would probably do the "Oh, ick!" dance and spend an hour drinking and gargling mouthwash. I've even seen dead bodies when I interned for the police department. I handled THAT.

New Shoes

I bought new shoes yesterday. The heel on my old shoes broke off. I loved those shoes so much that I wore them until they fell off my feet, literally. My new shoes are shiny and hip, and they are GIVING ME BLISTERS. They are leather, but they need to be broken in. They are a good brand, cost me a fortune, and when I tried them on, they felt great, until today. I have a horrible time with new shoes, that is why I procrastinate buying new ones until it is absolutely critical. I am supposed to work at the restaurant tonight in them, but I think I may have to find another pair to wear until these ones have been worn a little more because I am walking like Frankenstein. The leather is stiff. Yikes, I didn't know I could write this much about a stupid pair of shoes.

It is raining like hell here, lots of flooding. Thankfully, I live on a hill. This sucks when it snows, though. OH! and I almost forgot to tell you! I purchased a "Leatherface" mask yesterday for Halloween. My husband is going to wear it and scare all the little kiddies in the neighborhood! Hehehe, I'm evil, aren't I? We are borrowing a chainsaw without a chain, too! OOOHHH the joy of seeing terrorized children, it will be like my own little haunted house. I'm not sure what I'm going to be yet. Leatherface's wife, I guess. I'll get my nails done and painted black, maybe wear an Elvira wig or something. I don't know.

Crazydogmama's Movie Reviews

Miss me? Ok, it is time to start doing movie reviews. I watch TONS of movies. Not just at the theatre, but I get movies every week from Netflix. I don't watch a whole lot of regular television, just a couple of sitcoms. I consider myself a movie-watching pro. I like some stupid movies, and I like some great movies, but I know the difference between the two and I'll give you my honest opinion. Here goes:

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Remake 2003)
I must admit, I LOVED IT! Is it going to win an academy award? No. Does it have stellar acting? No. BUT, what a fun ride! Lots of gross stuff, lots of running and screaming, and it wasn't "stupid" like most horror movies over the last decade have been. The acting wasn't actually that bad, just not the best I've ever seen. I wanted the good guys to get away. (Not usual for me.) The picked-up-on-the-side-of-the-road girl dilemma was a great touch. Some really good cinematography on that one. My husband and I held hands during the movie, and yes, he liked it too. They could have done better, yes, but I will be buying the DVD when it comes out. Some other favorite horror movies (and thrillers) of mine: Texas Chainsaw Massacre (original), Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Silence of the Lambs, Poltergeist, The Exorcist, Aliens 2, The Thing (remake).
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Cabin Fever
What a disappointment. I was excited to see this one, but it was lame as hell. Too predictable, not scary, and not enough originality. REALLY BAD acting. The gross parts were even fakey. I wanted all the characters to die. They were irritating. Oh well.
Rating: 1 star out of 5

House of 1000 Corpses
Also disappointing. Rob Zombie could have done better. The DVD has some great stuff on it, however. I will probably buy the DVD just for the intro and the extra features. I wrote in a previous blog entry about this. The killings weren't original, it wasn't scary, and the ending blew. It did have some good lines and a few good moments, though. The characters were great, very memorable. I wanted the bad guys to win in this movie, they were more fun.
Rating: 2 1/2 stars out of 5

Identity
I love John Cusack, so I had to see this movie. It wasn't bad. It was interesting to watch, and the plot twist was original and unpredictable. I didn't like it enough to buy it, but I enjoyed going to see it.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Thirteen
Acting was really good in this one. The fact that it was based on a true story (one of the actors was the real-life girl whose story it is) made it enjoyable. I would never have believed it otherwise. Makes you not want to be a parent. I recommend the movie for a rental.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5

Igby Goes Down
I watched this movie a week ago, and I couldn't tell you what it was about. Some disturbed guy, or something. Not memorable, just weird. Good soundtrack.
Rating: 1 star out of 5

Adaptation
Not for everyone, but I liked it. Good acting, but the storyline was odd. Nicholas Cage plays a very different part in this one. I think he should stick to movies like "Raising Arizona".
Rating: 3 stars out of 5

That's it for now, more to come later.

Busy Day Ahead

The audit is FINALLY over! We didn't do so well, but it wasn't as bad as I originally thought it was going to be. Whew! Wednesday sucked bigtime. I was so exhausted and overwhelmed. I did smoke a little *sigh*, but I did AWESOME this week (for me). Maybe cold turkey will work next week. ;) Diet is going pretty well, I'm eating my tenderloin beef, Granny-Smith apple with peanut butter, and water right now. Getting ready for my training session at 1. THEN, and THENNNN, I'm going to see Texas Chainsaw! I'm dragging Jim to it at 3. I haven't been this excited for a movie since Signs. I think there is something wrong with me. No one else is excited that I know, and I'm getting those "You are psycho" looks today. Oh well, that really isn't anything new. After the movie, I am going to a "Stampin' Up" party to make holiday cards. So, SEE, I'm kinda normal, right? I guess, though, doing those two things in the same day make me look like a split personality or something. ANYWAY, I will do some movie reviews in the next blog post (whether you want me to or not) so stay tuned. CrazyDogMama the movie critic is off to work.

They're all gone!

No more cigarettes. Gone. Holy crap. The only thing keeping me going right now is the fact that I got on the stupid scale this morning and I was down 3 pounds from last week. Yay! I gotta keep my mind on progress.

While I was in the shower this morning, Louie stuck his head in and started licking my leg. After the terror of wondering what the hell that was, I was delighted by the gesture. It's like he knows what I am going through. Louie is usually the macho, independent type, but when I am stressed, or sad or upset in any way, he is so cuddly and affectionate.

Found a Good Idea!

It may sound a little cheesy, but I like it! I read about this idea this morning: to list 10 things I'm thankful for really fast. (Thank you Keri and Penelope.) Here goes:

1. That I can play on the internet while I'm at work.
2. Fall weather.
3. The looks my doggies give me when I am talking to them.
4. My husband and his sense of humor.
5. My digital camera.
6. Lexapro.
7. That my parents live close and like to be around me.
8. That everyone I know is rooting for me and my desire to become a freelance writer.
9. That I can eat steak on my diet (it is a bodybuilder's diet).
10. That I can go to the gym on my lunch break instead of in the morning or at night.

Whew! There are so many things, it was hard to narrow it down.

Oh, and for any other horror fanatics out there, the remake of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre comes out Friday!!! I am so excited! Cabin Fever sucked, or as my husband said, "wallowed in lameness". The TCM remake will be better (I hope) than that movie, but nothing can compare to the original. I will let you know.

The Challenge is On!!!

As I write this morning, I have food all around me. I have my 1/2 cup of old-fashioned oatmeal with Splenda, my 5 egg whites with low-carb salsa and my 1/2 cup of fat-free yogurt (strawberry!). My boss just came into my office and said "Looks like dinner, not breakfast!" Yeah, yeah, yeah. You guys can make fun all you want. I am going to have a "10" week. My trainer has me rate my week between 1 and 10. 10 being eating/working out like a champ with no cheating, and 1 is lost total control and ate everything in sight. My weeks have been bordering on 3's lately. I want to not only win this challenge I'm doing, but I want to get my head back on straight. The smoking thing is going OK, today I will officially run out of cigarettes. My husband is going to attempt to quit with me, so this might get a little ugly. When I'm feeling stressed and cranky at home, my plan is to get the boxing gloves on and go wail on the punching bag. Hopefully I will make it to the garage and not start wailing on Jim. :) Wish me luck!

The Weekend is Here!

The audit is still not over, but I have a reprieve until Tuesday. Gotta work at the restaurant Fri and Sat, but at least I get to sleep in. Louie and Maggie miss their momma when she is working too much. My coordinated husband fell off the loading dock at work this week and hurt his back, so now I have a whiny little boy at home too. When men are sick or hurt, they are impossible. ANYWAY, I was rocking back and forth in the corner yesterday, mumbling things.

Here is a picture of Maggie (a.k.a. MAGALOPE) doing her "jumping" thing.

STRESS-O-RAMA

Yes, it is stress-factor-four around here. Not only am I running around for the audit I told you about in the last post, but my trainer has informed me that to win this contest I am entering, it is imperative to quit smoking. Smoking apparently messes up your metabolism. Crap. I knew it messed up your lungs, but YOUR METABOLISM TOO? Double-crap. Guess I gotta quit. I was completely bitched out by two trainers, actually, because they smelled smoke on me. (I guess no one knew previously.) I have quit before, but I always seem to go back to it because I love to smoke. See, eating healthy is easier because I get to HAVE bad food once in a while, but with the no-smoking thing, I NEVER get to have a cigarette again. Oh my. Crazydogmama will be cranky for a bit. WATCH OUT.

It's going to be a fun week. NOT.

So, I get to work this morning ready for a nice, normal week, nothing hectic. Yeah, right. My boss tells me that we have an FDA audit on Thursday. SURPRISE! FDA audits are about as much fun as sticking toothpicks up your fingernails. They are very stressful because the FDA can shut a company down. Without getting into the specifics of what I do (it will bore you to death) I can just say this, don't expect a whole lot of posting this week. Ugghh. I will be working OT because of the audit, and on top of that, I am scheduled to work all weekend at the restaurant. I am also starting a new challenge, instead of BFL, I am doing a MAXFORMATION through Max Muscle. That is where my trainer works. So much for relaxing, huh? Make way for SUPER- CRAZYDOGMAMA.

The kids are home and Dogmama is happy!

 

All went well at the vet. Doggy teeth are sparkly. I really like the whole "groggy" thing, they are so mellow! They are normally so spazzy, so it is nice. I took a picture of them when we got home. Here are the dopey doggies.

I'm Nervous

Louie and Maggie are going in for their dentals on Friday. Anytime they have to be anesthetized I get real nervous and panicky. They will have fresh breath again, though! It is also going to cost a fortune. I swear, I will never get ahead in my finances, there is always something pay for! It is Murphy's law that if you get extra money set aside, something will break, blow up or need cleaning. Just for fun, take a look at those choppers!

Makes you wanna buy a puppy, huh?

 

This is little Maggie-girl when she was 10 weeks old on the very first day we brought her home. Look at that full tummy! Puppies are the cutest things ever in the history of the world.

 

Trains, Automobiles and Coffee

I woke up late today by ten minutes. My work clothes were in the dryer and all wrinkly. Jim was in a hurry too, so we were bumping into each other and growling. The dogs sat quietly and watched us, probably snickering to themselves. Jim left before me and called me on the cell phone to say the fucking train was in the way and going very slow. By the time I got to the railroad tracks, the train was completely stopped. I live in an area where you must cross the railroad tracks to get out of town, unless you take the freeway. Well, the freeway was, of course, backed up to the moon, and there were many angry travelers. I knew I was going to be late for work. This did not stop me from getting my coffee at Starbucks. I was already 20 minutes late, what's another 5 minutes? So here I come, waltzing into the office almost a half hour late, holding my coffee. Oh well. What are ya gonna do?

Doggy Porn

Louie looooves his belly scratched. 

Good Story

There is a short story by Karawynn Long that I really like. It's called "Discovering Water".  If you can find it, it's worth a read.

More Random Cheryl Facts

I can't think of anything to write about today so I thought I could do part 2 of "The Real Cheryl". Not too exciting, I know, but when I look back on my ramblings 10 years from now, it will be fun to see if I've changed any. So, here goes:

I can't decide what my favorite color is. Sometimes it is green, sometimes it is purple.

My lucky number is 7 and I don't care if that is 10 billion other people's lucky number too.

I hate talking on the phone to people I hardly know, and avoid it at all costs. I would much rather email.

I would rather lift weights than do cardio.

If I had my way, I would be nocturnal. Up all night, sleep in the day. I get my best work done (cleaning, writing, etc.) after midnight and before 5 am.

Spiders scare the hell out of me, but I could sit in a pit of snakes and not flinch.

I hate people who think they are better than other people. I tell them we are all screwed, get over yourself.

My favorite thing to do with my husband is to go to a cafe either really late at night or really early in the morning and drink coffee, smoke and talk about good times, goals and silly things.

I never take a "quick" shower - 20 minutes minimum.

A face only a crazydogmama could love.

Isn't he a handsome boy, my Louie?  

Just a bunch of random nonsense today.

I saw the movie "Thirteen" recently. It was actually very well done, I was impressed. Makes me want to never have children.

I have been experiencing this extreme fatigue thing lately. I just can't seem to get enough sleep. Don't know what the problem is, and I hate going to the doctor.

I'm reading a new book, too. It's called "The Honk and Holler Opening Soon" by Billie Letts. She is also the author of "Where the Heart is" which I loved. So far, the book is great. Any book that starts off with the rescue of an injured dog gets my vote.

That is all for now.

Look what I made!

I made some pretty little bookmarks! How domestic and girlie of me!

Food!

Here is a picture of a meal I am proud of. I baked Copper River salmon in a roasted walnut glaze and put it over buckwheat soba noodles tossed in a little olive oil, soy sauce and sesame seeds. Asparagus is tossed in as well. It was yuuuummmmy. I came up with it myself! I must give credit where credit is due, however. Skwigg came up with the whole "putting pictures of your food on your webpage" idea. I think it is a great idea!

Miffed

OK, so when did groceries get so freaking expensive? I spent $200 at the store yesterday and didn't get hardly ANYTHING! Just barely enough for 1 week of groceries for 2 people! Then, I go to the gas station. My bill is double what it usually is to fill up my tank. Let's not even talk about cigarettes. I need to quit. $40 a carton,YIPES! No wonder I'm broke. Dog food is even more expensive. It is CRAZY! OK, enough complaining. At least I have a job (or two, or three). They had Halloween decorations at the store yesterday. Time flies, doesn't it?

10 Things to do when you're broke.

1. Make your 5$ Venti Mocha Frappuccino's at home instead of going to Starbucks.

 
2. Go out to lunch with your co-workers and give THEM a check for your part of the meal while they pay on their credit card. In my experience, they wait forever to cash checks, especially when everyone has direct deposit and no need to go the bank ever.

 
3. Play with your pets. They will never invite you to do something you can't afford.

 
4. Organize something. Your office, your bookshelf, your digital pictures, etc.

 
5. Take a nap.

 
6. Make a crazy Christmas list.

 
7. Draw something and put it on the refrigerator, whether you are an artist or not.

 
8. Come up with a new exercise. I came up with leg extensions while sitting at my desk with a heavy hole punch between my feet.

 
9. Look at all the food you have in your house. Figure out a new recipe from it, and make your spouse try it first. Do not tell them you are experimenting. Come up with a name for your recipe and act like you know what you are doing. If you drop some of it on the floor, and the dogs won't eat it, throw it away and go to your parent's house for dinner.

 
10. Ask your friends if they have any books that they like that you could borrow. Reciprocate.

Waking Up

Not quite awake yet, my typing may reflect this. I could have very easily stayed in my nice warm, cozy bed this morning. Maybe get up and have a little coffee, get online, then go back to bed. Unfortunately, though, I am sitting in my cold, windowless office. What will today bring? I have no idea. I took a different route to work today thinking it would be a nice change of pace. It wasn't. I was 5 minutes late because of traffic I'm not used to. Sometimes things don't need to change. :) Well, I am going to cut it short right now because the marbles in my head are still rolling around. Need more caffeine.

Its raining, its pouring!

Yay! I love the rain. I love the grey and gloom. The sun can be fun, and I love warm summer nights, but fall is my very favorite time of year. There is just something about curling up in a soft warm blanket on the couch next to the window with a crisp breeze and the smell of fresh rain. It is a great time to get caught up on my reading and my mocha-drinking. (Not that I ever let those things slide too much.) My husband complains about the dark when you get up, dark when you come home thing, but I really enjoy it. I like driving in the dark. I don't get depressed by gloomy weather; I actually feel energized! It is so nice to go workout and not feel like I'm going to die from heat exhaustion. I hope it rains all weekend!

It is the anniversary of "911" for the US today. I don't want to dwell too much on it, but I do want to say that I am proud to be an American, and that day will forever be in my memory. It took me a day and a half before I cried after the tragedy, but when I did, I really did. Last year on the anniversary, the business complex I work in had a "pay your respects to the flag" moment on the hour the first plane hit. I cried then too during the moment of silence. It was very moving. I fully support what the President has done and is doing. There is no need for "hate" mail, it is my freedom to feel that way and to express it!

I'm so excited!

I really have to see the new movie coming out called "Cabin Fever". Its right up my alley! A flesh eating virus and lots of gore! I won't be able to see it Friday because I have a whole slew of people coming over to scrapbook until midnight. I'll have to see it Saturday during the day before I have to work at the restaurant. Oh, what fun! I'll get to ruin all my guest's appetites by talking about it!

The Countdown

We have finally decided on a long-needed vacation. Walt Disney World! Neither of us have been there, and Disneyland is not ideal right now. So to Orlando we go, but not until late April early May. I now have something to research online! (I love little online research projects.) Now, for my fit goals. I feel I must lose some more inches before this trip in order to not keel over and want to die after all the walking I will have to do. For those of you who have not been on a Disney trip before, it is definitely something you want to be "prepared" for, or your feet will look like raw meat at the end of the day, and you will want to sleep for a week. I could lose quite a bit of weight before then! You also must think of all those pictures that will be taken! Here is a picture that was taken in December of 2001 on one of our Disneyland trips. This is Jim and Pooh.

Pictures with My Trainer

I got pictures taken with my trainer this weekend. It was the end of my first 12-week challenge with her, and so we took comparison pictures, fun pictures, measurements and weight. I was really excited about my progress and my finishing stats until I looked at the pictures of me next to her. Now, I know we are supposed to focus on our own improvements, of which mine were great, but I couldn't help but be a little depressed that I still made 3 of her in the pictures. I have thought about putting the pictures on my blog, but I need to get over the initial shock of body-realization first. Bare with me.

Haven't got a minivan yet, can't quite afford the one I want yet. I am devastated over the fatality at Disneyland this past weekend. Another horrible tragedy! And of all places! This also happened on Friday, the same day of the fatal car accident I got behind. Bad day. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is my second favorite ride! Now, Space Mountain AND Thunder Mt. are closed, not to reopen this year! I won't ever feel completely relaxed on that ride now. Even though Disneyland has only had 10 fatalities since its opening in 1955, it seems things are getting worse quickly with all the cutbacks they have been doing. Disneyland is going downhill in my opinion. And I'm MAD about it!!!

Woohoo!

I'm down 3 pounds and lost some more inches! Visiting my trainer today wasn't depressing like I thought it was going to be! My metabolism must be higher because I have been eating like CRAP lately. Even my husband is on my case. (He says if I'm going to pay for a personal trainer I have to do what she says. I hate it when he makes sense.) I took out one of my inspirational books and my Muscle Media magazine that just came today and decided to kick it up a notch and get back on track. My trainer had me doing some Thai Chi punches today, and whoa, that gets the heartrate up in a quick hurry. I took kickboxing for a while and LOVED it, but I had to choose between a trainer and kickboxing for my checkbook's sake. I think what also got me thinking again was the fact that I was behind a horrific fatality car crash this morning on the way to my workout. Instead of being an insensitive twit and thinking "Now I'm going to be late", I thought about how precious life really is and how it can all end in a split second. I wondered if there were children orphaned and how the families of the crash victims would be feeling today. We all take our lives for granted too much, don't we? Oh poor me this, and poor me that. I called my mom on my cell phone as I took the detour. I asked her about her day and told her I loved her. Too bad it took an awful tragedy to get me to do that this morning.

Who are all y'all?

I checked my stats today, and to my pleasant surprise there were quite a few hits onto this blog! That is exciting and scary at the same time! So, this is what I want to know who is my audience? What are you interested in? Will you be returning? Email me and tell me about yourself.

I have completely fallen off the wagon. I haven't worked out in several days, and my eating is less than poor. I had a Venti Mocha Frappuccino (whip-less) this morning for breakfast, then a zone bar for a snack, then PIZZA for lunch. Why I had a DIET coke with that cracks me up. It is not a free day. I have to weigh-in, get photos taken and get measured tomorrow with my trainer. I am going to have to come clean about my effort. The last time I did that a few weeks back, the results were so-so. No weight loss (or gain), but I did lose a smidge in inches. As a result, I have been tired, irritable and non-productive. Time to find some motivation!

The Real Cheryl

OK. Where is it appropriate to ramble on about yourself? 1.) Therapy. 2.) An Interview. 3.) A Blog. So, I have decided to post random and trivial facts about myself. Why I have decided to pick these particular facts will remain a mystery to us all. Does it make me vain and self-centered? Probably. Do I care? No. Not really. I love reading other people's blogs too, I think reading blogs are a great way to broaden our horizons, learn stuff and see things from someone else's point of view. It also kills time. There are a few rules before you start reading. Please try not to get offended by anything I say, I am a freak like everyone else, and I have many quirks and issues. Also, remember, this is a BLOG, this is just for FUN. Here goes:

I check my bank account balance EVERY day. Sometimes more than once. I am extremely anal-retentive about my account, and if my checkbook doesn't balance, it is a vendetta until it does. I have been known to call my husband ON the golf course on his cell phone to inquire about a debit. I have been told this is not such a good idea, so I stopped doing that. I have never bounced a check. (Knock on wood!)

I was born blonde, and I will stay blonde. I don't care what it takes.

I think my dogs are the greatest dogs ever, even though they are Tasmanian devil-dogs. I hate cats. No, I will NOT like your cat. Everyone says I will like their cat, that their cat is different. I promise you, I won't. Kittens are cute, though. All baby animals are cute. Human babies, not always.

I love to lay or sit down in the SHOWER. Not a bath, a shower. I also love warm summer rain, the real thing, AND the movie!

I am obviously a hopeless internet junkie. I should be working.

I prefer Cream of Wheat or Oatmeal to any dry cereal, with exception to Captain Crunch with Crunch Berries.

I HAVE to have teriyaki on my steak, unless it is very gourmet.

I generally don't eat candy or popcorn, although I like Junior Mints and Reses Peanut Butter Cups if I go to the movies.

I live for Frappuccino's and mochas.

I smoke like a chimney, but I rarely drink.

I love the holidays. I like hearing Christmas songs 3 months before Christmas, and I love snow. I become a silly little girl in the snow. I will get up in the middle of the night to check to see if it is snowing, and then if it is, I get giddy and wake everyone up. The same silly girl appears at Disneyland. I have many Christmas CDs and DVDs. Rudolph and Charlie Brown being my favorites. (I also have "The Official Disneyland Album" and actually listen to it in my car. My husband does too.) I also like cooking Thanksgiving Dinner. I want to try and go Thanksgiving-gourmet someday - but my family would probably go ballistic. Ironically, I have no kids.

I am an adrenaline-junkie. I love theme parks, skydiving, snow skiing, waterskiing, driving muscle cars - pretty much anything that gives me that "adrenaline" high.



One of my eyes is a little smaller than the other one.

I love to laugh. Who doesn't?

My scrapbooking/stamping stuff probably adds up to more than the price of my car, and my car is a 2001.

I drink milk with pizza and my favorite pizza is pepperoni, green pepper and jalapeño.

I live in the Seattle area, and I LOVE the rain! I can only handle the hot sun if my butt is planted next to a pool with a margarita.

I like the way my dogs smell. (Not after they roll in poop, though)

I believe that if my house is vacuumed, it looks better than if it is dusted and scrubbed. I have a thing about clean and spot-free carpet. If I buy another house, it must have brand-new carpet.

I could eat Italian food every single day, not just pasta, but ALL kinds of Italian food. I am very picky about quality, though. Il Bacio is my favorite Italian restaurant.

I love to workout (especially with weights) and eat healthy (most of the time), but if I could get away with smoking while running on the treadmill, I would.

Last but not least, I think Jesus is cool.

I'll post more later, I'm tired of typing.

A Picture of Moi

 

OK, here it is. I don't like pictures of myself, generally, but I thought it would help readers who don't know me to put a face with the insanity. I like this picture because for some reason the angle, or the lighting, or something makes me look thinner than I actually am. The picture was taken awhile ago, though. I know it looks funny. I took a self-portrait to test my new digital camera. Check out the cleavage! (That was unintentional, I am fairly conservative normally.) Currently, I am reading "Succulent Wild Woman" by Sark. It is wonderful! It is inspiring me to finish writing an article I'm working on. I love silly, inspirational and colorful books. My interests go all over the place. When I go to Borders and buy books, CDs and DVDs all at the same time, I get really funny looks. For example, the other day I bought a gory horror movie on DVD, a colorful little blank journal, an alternative music CD, the Succulent Wild Woman book and a golf book for my husband. The cashier didn't say a word, but I saw his face crinkle a little when he was ringing up my purchase. It was one of those "these must all be gifts for different people" looks. I wanted to laugh. But instead, I went and had a protein shake and sang loudly to my new CD in the car.

Pictures, Finally!

Here is Louie; a.k.a Loudog, Lou, Loubear, Mr. Lou-man, Boo-Bear & Boo.  

And here is Maggie; a.k.a Magadog, Magalope(she's a jumper), Mag, Magpie &Mags.

Time to Regroup

I have had many wonderful ideas lately for photos, articles and journal entries. The problem is, though, that I have not made time to write any of them down. I have done 2 double-shifts in a row and working much OT. I am working over the weekend as well as having a garage sale, getting the dogs groomed and looking for a minivan to buy. The time has come for a minivan. I do not have children (my stepson doesn't live with us) but it would be easier with the dogs and all my craft supplies. Someday, when I can afford to get a laptop, I will be a little traveling photo/writing shop!

Yesterday I ate a fortune cookie, and the fortune said "You will dine in many exotic places". Now, although I don't believe in fortunetelling cookies, this got me thinking. I have never been anywhere. My traveling consists of Washington, Oregon and California. I went to Idaho and Canada when I was little, but I don't remember it so it doesn't count. I have just driven through Oregon. So, basically, just Washington and California. Pretty sad, huh? My dad works for United Airlines, which makes it even sadder. My husband and I have discussed taking a road trip (hence the minivan-buying) next spring to GUESS WHERE? Yes, Disneyland in CALIFORNIA. I really need to regroup and expand my horizons. I think it will help my writing. Yeah! That's it! I need to travel and go on vacation to help my future career! Great justification! I think I will waltz into my boss's office and tell him! Now, where to go?

Crampy but Happy

OK, so I am a little "crampy" today. It is part of life (as a woman, anyway) but there are miracle drugs such as Aleve to make everything right in the world. My word for the day is "Wish". If I were to take the advice of my word of the day, I would wish for contentment. Not money (although that would be nice), not world peace (which would also be nice, but unrealistic) but contentment. Contentment with my job, contentment with my body, contentment with all the things in my life. I am fairly content now, especially happy in my marriage (9 years today! Happy Anniversary to me!). I thank God for the things in my life, but I always feel a little unsettled. Maybe it is because I am not taking enough risks. Maybe it is because I am in a bit of a rut. I don't always stand up for what I believe in (I get a little complacent sometimes) and I am not pursuing my dream of self-employment as a writer/artist/photographer hard enough. I get so scared of leaving my comfort zone that I do not move forward. I play with my camera, I write in my blog, I keep two journals (one food journal, one personal journal) and I scrapbook, but I do not really do what it takes to succeed. What do I need to do? I need to give it 100%. My fitness goals, my dream job goals - I need to give it 100%. The first step is: What is 100%? That is my task for today. What is my 100%?

A day of meals.

OK, for those who have expressed interest, here is an example of one of my meal days, and please don't scream, hide your eyes and then laugh hysterically if you are one of the yahoo group BFLers:

6:30am - meal 1 - Chocolate protein shake with glutamine, banana. Some form of coffee (either cappuccino or brew) - separate from the shake. Vitamins.
8:30am - meal 2 - Zone bar or Detour bar, ostrich stick
10:30am - meal 3 - egg whites with red, orange, & green pepper and white onion. Topped with salsa and Udo's oil. Strawberries with Splenda. 2 thermogenics (I use Maxlean or betalean)
12:30pm - meal 4 - 5oz of Chicken or tenderloin with Fat Free cream cheese rolled in 2 La Tortilla Factory wheat low-carb tortillas (the small ones). Cup of broccoli or zucchini.
3:00pm - meal 5 - strawberry/banana whey protein smoothie with lechtin, barley, minerals and glutamine. 2 more thermogenics.
6:00pm - meal 6 - Atlantic salmon (barbecued) with lemon pepper and oil, asparagus and either a yam or a sweet potato.
9:00pm - meal 7 - egg whites with broccoli. (Sometimes I forget to get this meal in)

That is approximately 2050 calories and a ratio of 40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% fats (the good fats).
I work out 5 to 6 times a week for about 45 minutes each session. I do High intensity interval training (HIIT). 3 cardio days and 2 to 3 weight training days. I do not mix cardio and weight training, but sometimes I wait tables on weight training days and that is almost like cardio. I have lost almost 30 pounds in 14 weeks and lost many inches. (I'll put the exact inches on an entry in the future). I have lost about 3% body fat. There are lots of people who do much better than that, but that is MY personal best so far. I do have cheat meals and/or a cheat day depending on how I am feeling that week. Occasionally, I have an unscheduled cheat - like a mocha Frappuccino! MMMM. I don't worry about it a whole lot, I just keep going. Never give up!

Holy Heavy Plates, Batman!

As you may have read in one of my previous blog entries, I work in a restaurant part time as a server. It is quite amusing to work in a restaurant, and YES "The Restaurant" reality show is fairly accurate on how a restaurant runs. There are many colorful personalities, and there is much DRAMA. There is no such thing as a restaurant employee who does not possess a life of mega-drama. It cracked me up the other night when our sweet little hostess/busser girl comes busting into the kitchen with a huge pile of plates in her arms exclaiming "HOLY HEAVY PLATES, BATMAN!". You had to be there, I guess, but it really was funny. I have worked in restaurants my whole working life (16 years) in some form or another. I have bussed, hosted, done bookkeeping, served, cocktailed, a little bartending and room service. I have seen it ALL. and I have even met some famous people. It is great money FAST, and it helps buy all those little extras like DVDs, CDs, books, craft supplies and tickets to Disneyland. It is also very social, and it keeps your heart rate up. It can be really interesting to do a 6-hour run-your-ass-off busy night after a hellacious workout. By the end of the night my legs are a rubbery mass of flesh, and I usually can barely get up the two whole steps to my front door. When I wake up in the morning, I have to hold the walls to get to the bathroom because walking becomes nearly impossible. I have a wonderful chiropractor, though, who takes very good care of me, and keeps me upright.

Soorrrreee.

OOhhh, I am sooo sore. My trainer had me do a full body workout on Friday. (To test my endurance). Every exercise was 1 full minute (seems like an hour) with no rest until after the 4th minute. Then, a minute and a half rest - then another full four minutes - continue, continue, continue. She had me do this crazy ab exercise thing where I lay on my back with my legs and arms straight up in the air towards the ceiling, then I have to transfer this big, huge rubber ball back and forth (without dropping it) between my arms and legs without moving them more than a couple of inches. It is hell just trying to keep my arms and legs up in the air, let alone trying to pass something back and forth. I also did lots of squat-like exercises, so my thighs feel like they are going to die, and every movement is a major issue. Watching me try to get up and down off the toilet would be quite amusing, I'm sure. I have a little bit of a headache I'm so sore! I also fell down on one of my knees Friday night onto hard tile at the restaurant I work at. There was water on the floor, and I slipped. So, on top of all that, my knee hurts too. Ugghh. The bright side is that I'm getting all ripped under all my fat! Someday, when all the fat has melted off because of my amazing metabolism, my sculpted muscles will awe the world! Ha!

Shopping, Shopping, Shopping!

OK, eventhough I am totally broke, I have been buying myself lots of stuff. I work really hard and I deserve it, right? I pay my bills on time, I save money, and yes, I spend money when I should be fixing up the house. I have lost between 25 and 30 pounds now, and we have almost recovered from my husband's unemployment earlier in the year. Sooooo, shopping spree justification! I bought myself a set of toerings, 2 anklets, a book "Beautiful Bodies" and some eyelets, eyelet tools and cardstock from Stampin' Up. I also got some stuff from the craft store. Now I need a bigger purse (basically a big black bag from Target) and some new hair products. I love Aveda products, but I have a new interest in L'Occitane products, they are supposed to be really good for dry, naturally curly long hair with frizz issues. (Me!) I don't have human kids (don't know if I want them) so I figure it's OK to be a little self-involved at the moment. I have an anniversary coming up (9 years!) so I will have to buy something for my husband soon. Hmmm, maybe there is a DVD I (I mean HE) wants?

House of Freaks

So, I get home from work yesterday and let the dogs out to go potty. Louie decides to run over and get his red rubber frisbee and run around the yard with it. He suddenly has the urge to pee. He drops the frisbee and pees. What he doesn't know, is that he is actually peeing IN his frisbee. When he finishes, he goes to pick the frisbee back up to play and realizes there is pee in it. He sniffs, then backs away. He looks up at me perplexed, almost like it is somehow my fault. Meanwhile, Maggie is busy eating the yard. (I had just poured her food in her bowl, but the poopy/weedy grass is obviously more appetizing.) She then starts running around the yard barking at nothing. She stops. She projectile vomits green stuff. MMMM. Louie is now walking around trying to find something to do because his frisbee is icked-out. "Ooohhh, aaahhhh, I'll roll in this green stuff here, it looks fresh!" Yes, he rolled in Maggie surprise. You have to keep in mind here that my dinner is almost done, and I have lost my appetite. Louie decides the frisbee really isn't that bad and tries to take it in the house. Thank God I saw this and stopped him.

Monday, Monday

OK, I'm not cranky today. It is Monday, and I'm tired, but I'm OK. I get in those moods every once in awhile, and you just have to back up, turn around, and run. I have to say, though, I have it pretty good. I'm just really busy and some days I need to take it down a gear and rest. My husband did a good job of being lovey-dovey with me over the weekend, he even scrapbooked with me. Every time I got testy, he would get all cute and stuff and ruin my horrible mood. I got to spend time with my mom and dad, too, and they were being all nice and lovey, so I didn't stand a chance. Why is it, though, that I can get 6 hours of sleep on the weekend and wake up and be fine and happy, but then when I get 6 hours of sleep and have to go to work, I feel like a truck ran over me? It must be mental, but truly the physical part eludes me. I mean, I really feel tired today, but if you said, "Let's go skiing!" I would suddenly have a rush of energy and feel like Super-girl. It's not right, I tell ya. Oh, and by the way, HEY BLOGGER-MAKER PEOPLE, GET PRO-BLOGGER WORKING SO THAT I CAN UPLOAD PHOTOS AND STUFF! The upgrade has been down forever, and I want it! I WANT IT NOW DAMN IT! Does anyone out there know a good protein shake/healthy coffee drink/pick-me-up kinda thing for breakfast that might help me with this zombie thing I've got going on? If you do, email me your recipe. I tried Cappuccino Myoplex with extra coffee in it, but it was kinda gross. I'm not sure how to tweak it. Oh, and I tried "Ostrim" Ostrich sticks - YUM! 96% fat free with lots of protein - great with a piece of fruit!

Fun Icky stuff

Watched "House of 1000 Corpses". I rented the DVD that just came out. For those of you who know me, I love horror films. I'm picky, though, so most of them are not good enough. This one was a little disappointing. Rob Zombie could have done a whole lot better. I must say, though, "Captain Spaulding" was a hoot. The intro to the DVD (you know, the screen with the options on it like 'play movie', 'deleted scenes', etc.) well, it was HYSTERICAL. It was the best part of the whole movie. That guy slew me! (No pun intended.) Rent it just to watch that. There is no blood or killing or anything in that part, for those of you weak-tummy people. It is just funny. In a twisted sort of way. ;) I can't wait for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake coming out in theatres in October! Although, they will probably cookie-cutter-candy-coat it for the masses. Oh well, I'll still go see it. Texas Chainsaw Massacre II is still my all-time favorite. There is nothing better than mixing good gore and great humor in the same film!

Cranky

I am cranky today. Everyone is pissing me off at work, I'm tired, I hate my job, I worked too much over the weekend and didn't get to do anything fun, I want chocolate and can't have it, I don't feel like working out, I didn't lose my 2 pounds last week, I lost very little in inches over the last 2 weeks, I have to get a filling tomorrow, It's Monday, I have to work overtime this week, I don't want to work 3 jobs anymore, I'm broke, I don't have anymore vacation until December, I'm feeling sorry for myself, I'm feeling ugly, I'm sick of watching everyone around me get everything they want without working hard for it and damn it, they are messing up Disneyland! I have issues. Apparently, my happy pills are not working today. Waaaaahhhh, whiiiiiiine, waaaaah. Do not tell me that I am only focusing on the negative, or that I need to change my outlook on life and be thankful for what I have. If you do, I will hurt you. and no, I am not on my period. Not even close.

Storms and Measurements

We had a great thunder and lightning storm last night. I love storms! Louie and Maggie aren't usually bothered by it, but last night they hid in their crates. I took the day off yesterday to scrapbook with some friends, and it was a much-needed day off. Even though I didn't eat 100% healthy yesterday, I did get in 7 meals. I didn't get to the gym, though, so I am all out-of-sorts. I have to get measurements taken this Friday and I'm all freaked out that I haven't lost any inches because of all the Frappuccino-drinking and bread-eating. I have had quite a few compliments on my weight loss, but I'm really panicked. The scale hasn't moved much this week (either way) but inches are a whole other story. This whole accountability thing with my trainer keeps me on track MOST of the time!

Crazy Weekend

Wow, I have to go back to work to relax. I am pooped from the weekend. My shoulders are so sore from my workouts. My trainer has really been working my upper arms, and I can feel muscles! Yay! I made my husband feel my new muscles. I tried those "Zone Perfect" bars this weekend. I had the peanut butter chocolate one, and it was really good. Too good. Something must be wrong with them. Yep. Too much sugar. (12g) They have 16g protein, 7g fat and 20g carbs, which isn't too bad, but the 12g of sugar kills it. In a pinch, though, it is better than a chocolate chip cookie. They taste better than Cliff bars, also, which I think are gross, and Cliff bars have 23g of sugar! Woo! Way too much! So that is my critique of the day. I am listening to an old Pearl Jam CD, thinking of my college years when grunge was in. I live in the Seattle area and went to college at the University of Washington (UW) so I was right in the middle of the "Seattle Sound" in the early nineties. I even met Layne Staley of "Alice in Chains" before he died. I remember when the movie "Singles" came out, I was so proud. Yes, I did hang out in those great coffee shops in Seattle before Starbucks hit the big-time. This makes me feel so old. Time to go shopping and make myself feel better!

Working on my day off and the dream car.

I'm doing overtime today at my day job, then I am going to the gym with my trainer, then I am getting Louie his rabies shot, then I am having 8 people over at my house for a night of scrapbooking. (I am a consultant for scrapbooking materials). So, basically, I am working my little tail off today when I should be sleeping and eating my cheat meals. Maybe I'll make some good money and buy myself something! I saw my dream car today. A 1967 Camaro. I have wanted this car since I was about 14 years old. I know it's a guy's classic muscle car and all that, but I *love* them. The roar of the engine, taking those corners, being able to go uphill without people honking at me, it is my dream car. Call me nutty, but I want it. It is not practical, butI am going to see if I can test drive it today.