Normal or Not?

After reading Skwigg's latest blog entry, I started thinking about my own body image and relationship with food. I am not quite sure if I have (or have had) a disorder or not. I've been thin, I've been fat, I've been in-between. I've been a lazy couch potato, and I've been an athlete. Did I gain weight after marriage? Of course. I don't think I gained because I got "comfortable", but more because my life became extremely stressful and chaotic and went from obstacle courses at the Police Academy to sitting in front of a computer all day. I couldn't afford a gym at that time and didn't handle ANY kind of domestic dispute with ease. My marriage started off pretty rough, but I never thought for one second "Oh, I got a man, so who cares anymore." I used to care what people thought of me, but anymore I'm like "You don't like my body? Bite me, I don't like your face." I really just don't care what anyone else thinks. I want to be healthy and pretty for hubby, but he doesn't exactly spend a whole lot of time worrying about his gut. But I don't care about that, either. I like to tease him lovingly and kiss his fat, as he does mine.

I think it would be much fun to "strut my stuff" around with a very ripped, tan bod, but I'm not going to starve myself for it. I'm just going to keep plugging away at my muscle-building and healthy eating. I still smoke, so my health is at stake. It would be stupid to be all thin, and still hack up lung cheese. I have good weeks, and bad weeks, and in the end, I'm still just running the race with all the other gym rats. I had to find a "fun" way to it, just like Skwigg did with her martial arts. The same routine everyday bores me to DEATH. For me, I am experimenting with different classes (yoga, Aeroflex, etc.) and meeting fun people. I'm trying to get a friend of mine to split time with me and my personal trainer, to make it cheaper and that much more fun. We are both sarcastic and feisty, and it would just be a blast. I am also going to be swimming, hiking and finding fun things to do this summer. If I have a mocha for breakfast, oh well, I'll have a protein shake for breakfast tomorrow. Life is short, people, don't waste it worrying about every little calorie. Do your best to be healthy, get help if you need it. I've had therapy, a personal trainer, a nutritionist, you name it. Every one of those things was beneficial in some way and has helped me. EDUCATION! The more you know, the better.

My philosophy about self-image is this: Nothing will ever be good enough. You will never be perfect. It's just like money, you can never have too much, and even if you are a billionaire, you still want more and fight like hell to keep it. Find a happy medium and celebrate what life has to offer, because before you know it your teeth will falling out and your boobs will be dragging on the floor. When you are 90, do want to be showing everyone how good you "used to look" in pictures while secretly miserable because you aren't that way anymore, or having tea and crumpets in the garden laughing with your friends talking about how great your life has been?

A couple days of eats this week:

1. Iced mocha WITH WHIPCREAM! Vitamins.
2. Banana and some lean Canadian bacon
3. Grilled chicken with a little teriyaki, 1/4 cup brown rice, small romaine salad with vinegar
4. Ostrich stick, and protein shake
5. Grilled vegetable medley with flax oil, seasoned lean beef
6. Zone bar

1. Piece of wheat toast with peanut butter, protein shake. Vitamins
2. Ostrich stick, banana
3. Egg white omelet with green, yellow and orange peppers, onion, tomato and flax oil. Berries.
4. Zone bar
5. Seasoned chicken breast, small potato, salad with lite dressing and fat free croutons and veggies.
6. 6 oz of crab meat mixed with fat-free mayo and diced veggies over a piece of wheat toast. Same salad as previous meal. Iced mocha for dessert.

I have absolutely no idea how many calories that is, or what my protein/carb/fat ratio is. I worked out hard for 60 minutes at the gyms the first, and 75 minutes the second. I feel great. I got over my cold pretty quickly. I still have a ton a weight I want to lose, but ONE day at a time, baby! ;-)

Oh, I forgot.

I got a new part-time restaurant job. It is the CUTEST PLACE EVER. A little French bistro called the "Country Garden Bistro" owned and run by the sweetest couple.

Come on, VACATION!

I'm going on vacation next week, and damn, it can't get here fast enough. This morning, I am sitting here staring at my computer screen like it is going to do something spectacular. It's not doing anything, and neither am I. Updating my blog, checking my email and drinking coffee is the only thing I have accomplished so far in my first hour. Oh, and I went to the bathroom. Geez.

I took an "Aeroflex" class last night at the new gym. It kicked my ass. 75 minutes of low impact cardio with 10lb weights. It doesn't sound like it would kick a BFLer's ass, but it did. After the 5 billionth squat and 6 billionth lunge, I thought I was going to pass out. Its very sad when you start sweating in the warmup phase. I'll be doing this twice a week.

Does anyone else have trouble with saunas? I can't breathe, then I panic and run out. People stare. It's just too hot! Are there really any benefits, or is it just supposed to be a relaxing thing? I don't get it.

Cough, sneeze, hack and wince.

Well, it looks like I've caught the bug that everyone else seems to have, just in time for the weekend. Lucky me. Wouldn't you know it? I join an expensive gym, then work two double-shifts in a row and get sick. There goes the first week.

My throat is absolutely killing me. I hope it's not strep. I seem to get that every year for some reason. I'm going to work a few more hours, then head home for the bed. I hate leaving stuff half finished, plus I want to infect all the people that have pissed me off this week. Muwahaha! (Evil laugh) Oops, the evil laugh made me feel like I am gonna puke. Snot does that to me. Gross.

CrazyDogMama in trouble, whoops.

I got a little "talking-to" last night about my "attitude". Hehe. That statement right there probably makes my audience howl in laughter.

I decided to tell my boss he was "doing-it-wrong". Apparently, this is not a good idea. Challenging authority is one of my strengths. I just don't have it in me to kiss-ass.

I took the plunge.

I did it. I joined a conventional gym. My old gym was primarily serious and/or professional bodybuilders and only had free weights and a few treadmills/stairmasters. It was also cheap. After my membership expired, it just so happened that this big pretty gym opened up very close to my house. (The old gym is next to my work an hour away.) I took the tour last night - hot tubs, saunas, big yoga rooms, TVs attached to the cardio equipment - WOW. Now, you are probably thinking, why is this such a big deal for you? It is a big deal because I hate the whole "meat market" and women-who-look-like-they-don't-eat kind of gyms. I sweat, I grunt, I don't wear thong spandex. We're talking sweats and a t-shirt here, people. I don't do my hair. I don't wear makeup. What's the point when you are doing HIIT?? They are putting in a pool soon, too, so I am excited about that. I LOVE to swim. I'm sure I will get *those* looks from all the girlie-girls, and probably the guys too. The pretty boys always act like you are intruding on their turf. Well, they can just get over it. Make way, here comes CRAZYDOGMAMA!!!

Spinning

Ugh. Too much Tequila last night. Almost got sick. Slept on the couch. What a tard. Not good this morning. Poor Jim was expecting his Father's Day gift last night, (if you know what I mean) but me got lit. Oops. Any additional movement would have sent me hurling.

I have only ingested an iced mocha and a zone bar so far today. Not great, but I don't want to push it. I'm going to TRY to eat a whole wheat, black bean and chicken burrito for lunch. I may leave out the salsa. Hehe. I have an appointment with the new gym I may join, today. It is very pretty. I just have to do a little bartering. If they want my business, which you know they do since they are new, they will give me what I want. I hope. They have a hot tub in each locker room, along with a sauna. The pool goes in next year. They also have Yoga classes, yay! I hope I can afford it.

Dog Thoughts

I got this really cute email awhile back, and even though you may have already read it, I thought that it was WAY appropriate for my blog:

Things I MUST remember as a dog:

1. The garbage collector is not stealing our stuff.

2. I do not need to suddenly stand straight up when I'm lying under the coffee table.

3. I will not roll my toys behind the fridge, behind the sofa or under the bed.

4. I must shake rainwater out of my fur BEFORE entering the house.

5. I will not eat the cat's food, before they eat it - or after they throw it up.

6. I will stop trying to find the few remaining pieces of clean carpet in the house when I am about to get sick.

7. I will not throw up in the car.

8. I will not roll on dead seagulls, fish, crabs, etc., just because I like the way they smell.

9. "Kitty box crunchies", although they are tasty, are not food.

10. I will not eat anymore Kleenex or napkins and then redeposit them in the backyard after processing.

11. The diaper pail is not a cookie jar.

12. I will not chew my human's toothbrush and not tell them.

13. I will not chew crayons or pens, especially the red ones, or my people will think I am hemorrhaging.

14. When in the car, I will not insist on having the window rolled down when it's raining outside.

15. We do not have a doorbell. I will not bark each time I hear one on TV.

16. I will not steal my mom's underwear and dance all over the backyard with it.

17. The sofa is not a face towel. Neither are mom and dad's laps.

18. My head does not belong in the refrigerator.

19. I will not bite the officer's hand when he reaches in for mom's driver's license and car registration.

20. I will not play tug-of-war with dad's underwear when he's on the toilet.

21. I will not eat mint-flavored dental floss out of the bathroom and then have string hanging out of my butt.

22. I will not use "roll around in the dirt" as an option just after getting a bath.

23. Sticking my nose into someone's crotch is not an acceptable way of saying "hello".

24. I will not hump on any person's leg, just because I thought it was a good idea.

25. I will not fart in my owner's face while sleeping on the pillow next to their head.

26. I will not come in from outside and immediately drag my butt across the carpet.

27. The toilet bowl is not a never-ending water supply, and just because the water is blue, it doesn't mean its cleaner.

28. I will not sit in the middle of the living room and lick my crotch when company is over.

29. Suddenly turning around and smelling my butt can quickly clear a room.

30. The cat is not a squeaky toy, so when I play with him and he makes that noise, it's usually not a good thing.

Dog Vogue

OK, I've been alerted to the "lack of doggie pictures" lately. I don't want anyone to go thru withdrawal, so here ya go:

Here are the fuzzy freaks in my car. We were a little early for our vet appointment, so I decided to snap some shots of them. They were just a little uptight at this point, but that is really nothing new. Every time someone walked by, I was trampled and deafened.

OK, Stephanie, I'll play.

1. Spell your name backwards: lyrehc. Haha! Like in a song, baby!

2. Where do you live? Bumfuck, Washington.

3. Describe yourself in three words: Crazy, intense, sarcastic. (What were you expecting?)

4. What is the latest you've ever stayed up? Oh, come on! Who hasn't stayed up all night? I've stayed up for about 48 hours - that's the most.

5. If you could murder someone and get away with it, who and for what reason? I believe in the Judeo-Christian ethics of "Thou shalt not kill" but I would defend myself without hesitation.

6. If you could have any animal for a pet, what would it be? Duh! Many dogs.

Do you like...?

7. ...incense? Kinda - depends on why you are using it. *snicker*.

8. ...hot wax? Never thought about it.

9. ...candles? Yup.

10. ...the taste of blood? No-I'm not a friggin' vampire. I like the smell of gas, though.

Describe your...

11. ...wallet: Big black leather girl-wallet. Lots of plastic in it. *sigh* Gotta cut those up.

12. ...hairbrush: Huge.

13. ...toothbrush: Yellow and white - from the dentist.

14. ...jewelry worn daily: Wedding ring, 30th birthday diamond ring. Sometimes other stuff.

15. ...pillowcase: Cream with a green plant-like pattern

16. ...duvet cover: I have a comforter that matches my pillowcase.

17. ...coffee cup: Whatever Starbucks gives me when I order...

18. ...sunglasses: Ralph Lauren. You saw in pic in one of my earlier posts.

19. ...underwear: I like big, comfy undees or I go commando.

20. ...shoes: The expensive kind. I like black leather. I don't wear shoes at home.

21. ...handbag: The biggest, cheapest black one I could find at Target. I'm not a purse-whore.

22. ...favourite top: My Texas Chainsaw Massacre T-shirt.

23. ...favourite trousers: Levi's.

24. ...perfume: Beautiful - Estee Lauder.

25. ...CD in stereo right now: Hoobastank - Reason.

26. ...tattoos: A heart with rose piercing through it - with Jim's name at the bottom. It's on my right ankle.

30. ...piercings: Just one in each ear. I'm not into pain of any kind.

27. ..what you're wearing: Lime green cotton shirt, black pants, black leather shoes.

28. ...hair: Dirty blonde with platinum highlights. Naturally curly, but I straighten it too.

What/Who is/are...

29. ...in your mouth: Saliva.

30. ...in your head: Not much.

31. ...you wishing for? That they let me off work early tonight at the restaurant.

32. ...after this? I gotta go to work when I get off work. Yeah, it sucks.

33. ...you talking to? Just singing to the radio.

34. ...you eating? Just drinking water.

35. ...next to you? Computer, water bottle, hand lotion, and a bunch of work I should be doing.

36. ...the person you wish you could be with right now? My hubby of course.

37. ...your worst enemy? Bread? No, wait, mochas.

38. ...do you adore? Family (hubby, parents, stepson, dogs)

Care to play?

Thunder, Lightning and the Barbecue

Last night we decided we wanted to barbecue some chicken while my parents were visiting. Just as Jim lit the coals, BOOM! Big thunder and pretty lightning bolts. Louie started whining and pacing, and Maggie barked and ran around the back yard trying to "get" the thunder. (She's fearless, Louie is a pussy.) The weird thing is, we get maybe one or two storms like this a year, and we have had, like, twelve in the last month. Washington has also had about 6 tornados in the past few weeks, and we usually only experience maybe ONE per year. The weather has just gone all frigging wacky here. It's bizarre I tell you! Just bizarre! Anyway, we continued barbecuing (yeah, we like to play with metal things while is it storming) and then it decided to deluge on us. Crap. Finished the chicken in the oven. While sitting down at dinner, everyone commented on the fact that I was sweating profusely. I don't deal with humidity well. All in all, it was an exciting dinner. Oh, and I have a fabulous new read! It went great with the weather.

Fat Doggies!

So, Friday was a big day for Lou & Mags. They were groomed in the morning, and then got their annual exams and shots in the afternoon. They are healthy and pretty EXCEPT that they are both 4 pounds overweight! Yikes! The vet was concerned and told me to put them on a diet right away. I am worried, but I have to be honest, inflicting a diet on someone else is curiously satisfying.

OK, so I can't read, OR keep plants alive.

After reading the "hoax" article again, and then watching the news tonight, it turns out that the hoax part was just a guy that said he discovered the meteor on the ground or something, not the meteor itself. The news talked about it, but didn't have any good pics of it. Oh well, I was ready for a good cover-up conspiracy. ;-)

The REAL conspiracy here is the fact that plants won't stay alive for me. I just can't do it. Silk. It has to be silk plants from now on.

Now its a hoax?

There are reports now that this "meteor" was a hoax. WTF? First of all, then what the hell was the booming and flashing and fireball-with-tail-seeing that everyone is talking about? Did they imagine it? Were they lying? Are all the radio call-ins and pictures part of the hoax? Second of all, why in the hell would anyone do a "meteor hoax"? Seems kinda stupid to me. What is going on here?

Meteor!

Boom, Boom, Flash! A meteor plummets over Puget Sound this morning at 2:40 am - exciting! I didn't get to see it (or hear it) myself, but I live out in the boonies. Lots of people are reporting sonic booms and light flashes that lit up the sky like daytime. A trucker also reporting seeing a "tail" on the thing that was green and yellow. I like to monitor the sky (see my post from last week) so this will be a fun day of internetting. I know, I'm a freak. :)

What's your song?

That is, what is you and your hunny's song? Ours is "Fields of Gold" by Sting. Just heard it on the radio and was wondering what other's songs are.

Ahhhh...

...all refreshed after 5 days off. I'm ready for the stress to begin again. I did much sleeping (and unfortunately eating) over the holiday weekend. Time to get back to the gym today and back to chicken and veggies. Exciting. It rained and stormed all 5 days, so I didn't feel bad about being such a sloth. My new goal is to exercise twice a day, 5 days a week. Intense, of course. Weightlifting or cardio at lunch break, and yoga when I get home at night. 6 days a week is just unrealistic for me with my work schedule. Now that I have cut out being a scrapbook consultant, and only working at the restaurant twice a week, I think I might be able to manage this without keeling over. I've been just a wee bit lax over the last few months and my muscles feel all mushy and stuff. No good! Sooo, root for me! Email me everyday and say "Did you do your workout today CrazyDogMama?" It would be so much easier if I had someone poking me with a stick everyday saying "GO! GO!" Literally. I'm such a slacker.

Somebody wake me when it's over.

Holy crap I'm tired today. I almost fell asleep driving to work this morning. It was so bad that I actually had to slap myself! No kidding! The guy sitting at the stoplight next to me was probably laughing his ass off. I had the window down, the heat off and the radio blaring. It didn't help. I feel like someone has drugged me or something. I don't recall ever feeling this tired. It may be because this is my third double-shift in a row and I'm getting old, but I think my iron levels might be low too. I'm contemplating taking tomorrow off so that I can have a 5-day weekend (I don't usually work on Fridays unless its overtime), but I am so behind that I don't know if it will get approved. Writing in my blog is helping, I know. Anyway, that's the excitement for this week so far. It took two weeks for the makeup I ordered to come, so I have been eyelinerless and liplinerless for 3 days. I have come to the realization that those things are as necessary as air in my life. Being blonde from birth (mostly) I have pretty light features. When not accented, I look invisible. Almost albino. It's very scary.

Asteroids, Comets and General Conspiracy Theories

OK, I have to admit something to you all. I love searching for info about disaster predictions, dreams, visions and prophecies. Over the years, I have found a few very amusing sources. I take everything with a grain of salt of course, but I love this stuff as much as Skwigg loves ninja fighting. I've yet to have any visions of my own. Bummer. If I ever do though, you can bet your booty you'll see it right here on this blog! ;-)

My latest obsession is with the 3 comet/asteroid hit that is supposedly imminent. Sources seem to have the June - September 2004 window going on.

My favorite predictor is quite a fellow. It is most likely a big hoax, but it is amusing to read, nonetheless.

Is anyone still questioning the "Crazy" in CrazyDogMama"? Hehe.

P.S. If this blog disappears suddenly, run!

Why I don't want (and shouldn't have) kids.

Note: I don't hate all kids, I just don't want any. I love my stepson, we get along great. He is going to teach me more about web page design. I get asked all the time if I am planning to have kids. When I reply no, I get a ration of crap on how it would be different if it was my own, I need to contribute to society, it would make me less self-centered, etc. Contribute to society? Bah! and who wants to be less self-centered? That's no fun at all.

When I get home from my 10–16-hour workdays, all I want to do is have a drink and fall asleep. I don't make dinner, I don't do laundry, I really don't do anything. I like it that way. (I do give Lou & mags all the belly scratching they want.)

If the kid was bad, or if I wanted to go see a movie, I would want to put it in a crate. Society tends to frown on this. Plus, I would need a bigger crate.

I swear a lot.

I don't think babies are cute. I am afraid of them. My first instinct is to pet them. I run and hide (literally) when friends of mine have babies and want me to "see" them.

I spend a lot of time naked when I am at home.

I would have more pictures of the dogs than the kid in my wallet. My stepson has just recently come to terms with my dog obsession. It took 12 years.

It's all about me.

I didn't like kids when I WAS a kid. What makes you think I'd like them now?

I am politically incorrect. Could you see me at a PTA meeting?

Kids slow me down at Disneyland.

I don't really like cartoons or kiddie movies.

When I want to take a nap, I TAKE A NAP.

When asked by a kid if they can have chocolate milk, or candy instead of dinner, or Mountain Dew instead of water or milk, I say "sure". I lead by example, and I don't like confrontation.

Giving birth has been compared to kidney stones. I've had kidney stones. That's enough.

EVERY SINGLE MOM I KNOW is absolutely thrilled when they get a day "without the kids". They are downright giddy about it. That really makes me go hmmmmmm.

There is something wrong with me.

I just bought a rubber stamp that says, "I kiss my dog on the lips".

Oops.

My husband is going to kill me. I was so in a hurry this morning (and half asleep) that I took Jim's keys instead of mine. Usually, it wouldn't be that big of deal since we have duplicate keys on our keyrings, BUT my set of keys were in my purse. Yep, that's right - I have both sets today. We have never made any extra keys to leave in the house, being the total irresponsible idiots that we are. We live about a 1/2 mile from Jim's work, but I'm not sure how thrilled he is going to be about walking. Crap. I am an hour away. I just left a message because he sleeps until 11 am. I'll have to give him a backrub or something.

Eyedrops Suck.

Did you ever watch that episode of Friends where Rachel freaks out and gets pinned down on the floor because she can't give herself (or let anyone else give her) eyedrops? That's me, totally. It freaks me out to let anything touch my eyes. I could never wear contacts. It was interesting last night when I was trying to give myself eyedrops for my pink eye. I close my eye JUST as the drop falls. The drop runs down my face like a tear. Damn. I try again. Same thing. I try holding my eye open. I freak out and drop the eye dropper-thingee in the sink, let out a shriek, then start cussing myself out. The dogs bark at me when I shriek. I gotta figure out how to tell the doctor I need another prescription because it takes almost the whole bottle to give myself one dose. I am supposed to do this 4 times a day for a week. Yeah, right. Just take my eye out now and save the hassle.

Pink Eye!

That's right, folks! CrazyDogMama has Pink Eye! Yucky! I'm quarantined at the moment while my eye produces goo. At first I thought it was allergies, but then two of my co-workers were sent home with it, so I decided to go to the doctor. Yup, got it. Can't go to the restaurant tonight (bummer! Hehe.) It kinda feels like I have an eyelash stuck in my eye, or like when I have eye-crusties from hell. I am supposed to go to a "Passion Party" tomorrow night, but I'm not sure if anyone will want me touching the sex toys. Ha!

TV Blues

There is nothing on TV that I want to watch. Sigh. Since Friends has ended, I think I've turned the TV on once. I loathe, LOATHE reality shows. Now, before you start spitting on your computer screen at me, I don't loathe the people that WATCH them, just the shows themselves. They really irritate me for some reason. American Idol, Survivor, all of them. It is just way too frustrating for me to watch. I seem to have the opposite opinion of the general public, so the whole voting thing just sends me into a fit. I know that Friends is "mainstream", but it really just cracks me up. I own all the seasons that have been released so far. Pathetic, huh? I guess I'm just stuck with Netflix for now since I'm a movie-junkie. Whatever you do, DON'T rent Elvira's Haunted Hills, it's really lame. Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, however, rocks. :) Maybe I should be Elvira this year for Halloween?

Mocha Madness & Riding in Cars with Dogs

So, on Mother's Day I decided to take the dogoids with me to my mom's house. (Jim went to his mom's house by himself; we didn't have enough time to do both sets of parents together.) As you know, riding in the car is not the calmest experience with Louie and Maggie. DumbAssDogMama decided that because her head was pounding from a headache, some caffeine was in order, so I stopped at one of those drive-thru espresso stands. Once I put on the emergency break, (this is the queue for the dogs to launch) Louie dives for the window on my side, right across my lap. Pushing the fur away from my face trying to get Louie off of me, I manage to spurt out "Could I get an iced mocha with whip, please?" The girl in the coffee box was holding back laughter, I could tell. Maggie then starts her ear-piercing "Oh my GOD a NEW person" squeal. As I am trying to dig money out of my purse, I am yelling at the dogs to sit, get down, shut up, sit and stay, none of which is working. The barista girl hands me my mocha, and I put it in my cup-holder telling the dogs to "stay out of it". She also hands me 2 Milkbones. (What a sweetheart.) Thinking the dogs are now occupied with the treats, I hand her my money. I TURN AWAY FOR ONE SECOND and BOOM! There is Louie face-down in my mocha. I scream "NO! NO! NOOOOOO!" That's MAMA'S MOCHA!" Louie raises his fuzzy little head and reveals his whip-creamed nose. He has on his little doggie smile, and it looks like he is ready to shave. The barista girl is now busting up. I just give up.

Fun Stuff on a Stupid Day

I stole this idea.

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, find line 4. Write down what it says:

"Or try multigrain, oat and bran, rye, or whole wheat breads." This is from my lunch-time purchase of The South Beach Diet Cookbook. I'm getting sick of my Eating for Life Cookbook. Is it OK to drink a mocha Frappuccino while glancing through a diet cookbook?

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What do you touch first?

My other purchase of "Burt's Bees Body Lotion". It smells just like the coconut oil I used to wear to the beach. MMMMMM.

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?

The news. Boooooring.

4. WITHOUT LOOKING, guess what the time is.

2:45 pm.

5. Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?

2:49 pm. I am at work, whadya expect?

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?

Machinery. I work at a manufacturing plant.

7. When did you last step outside? what were you doing?

Lunchtime. I went to the bookstore, the bank, got a Frappuccino and bought a bra. What do YOU do on your lunch break?

8. Before you came to this website, what did you look at?

I was catching up on my favorite bloggers.

9. What are you wearing?

A rusty orange colored V-neck cotton shirt, black slacks and black leather shoes.

10. Did you dream last night?

Yes, I remembered it when I woke up, but I can't remember now. They have been quite interesting lately - I should write them down.

11. When did you last laugh?

When my husband called me on my lunch break. I was at the drive-thru at the bank, and I had just put on my new Burt's Bees hand lotion. I was making a deposit. I told my husband to hold on while I sent it through. The teller was chatty and asked me if I had just been tanning because she could smell coconuts. I exclaimed "Oh my God - you can smell my hand lotion through those tube thingees? She busted up laughing and so did my husband. She said "No, I can smell it on your checks." My husband said to me: "I love you. You make me laugh." I realized what a bonehead I sounded like and started laughing and couldn't stop.

12. What is on the walls of the room you are in?

A clock. A calendar. An inspirational picture. My office sucks.

13. Seen anything weird lately?

I see something weird about every 10 minutes. The last thing I saw was someone washing a plastic fork in the kitchen sink. Aren't you supposed to throw those things away?

14. Last movie you saw?

10.5. Lame. But I do love disaster movies. Can't wait for "The Day After Tomorrow".

15. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy first?

A completely restored black 1967 RS SS Camaro. No, actually, FIRST I'd probably buy some Ibuprofen from the bump I got on my head from falling over from shock.

16. Tell me something about you that I don't know.

I can barf on queue. Talented, aren't I?

17. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?

That question makes my brain hurt. I don't freakin' know.

18. Do you like to dance?

Yes, but not in public. I like to dance naked in front of the dogs. They seem to enjoy it.

19. George Bush: is he a power-crazy nutcase or someone who is finally doing something that has needed to be done for years?

I don't 100% agree with everything he has done, but generally, I am a supporter. It is a good thing I am not President because I would have just nuked Iraq. I went to an AC/DC concert back in 91' - and they were selling "Fuck Iraq" t-shirts. I should have bought one.

20. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?

A total accident. I would name her either Ellie (short for Elsie which was my grandma's name) or Riley.

21. Same question for a boy

Wyatt. That was my maiden name.

22. Would you ever consider living abroad?

Yes. But I like America, so I wouldn't stay there long.

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror!

OOHH, I need to go on THAT new ride! I haven't been to the Disneyland Resort since Christmas of 2001. That is WAY.TOO.LONG. for me!!! I am a complete Disneyland junkie. I am waiting for the new Space Mountain to open up in 2005 before I book a trip. That is my favorite ride, and it would just be too sad to go if I couldn't make that my first (and last) ride. Its tradition, and you don't monkey with tradition. Still, though, I want to go bad. I feel like just getting in the car and going. I hate being an adult. All this responsibility shit sucks.

Wet Dog Contest

Hee-hee, Maggie loves to play in the lake, but she flips out during bath time. Jim has to do it because I can't keep her still. This past bath time event was too funny for words. While Maggie was thrashing around in the bathtub, Louie, who if you recall hides behind the toilet when I say "bath", jumped INTO the bathtub to rescue Maggie! Now THAT'S love!! I am not going to talk about the fact that Louie had already received his grooming beforehand, and so got completely messed up doing that. Ahh, the joys of being a dogmama.

Look at that tongue! Is that the doggie equivalent of flipping me off?

Bees and Neighbors

It is quite difficult to find the motivation to blog when things are so completely uneventful. There are days when I could write a novel about the drama that is my life, then there are days when all I have to say is feh. This is one of those days. The most exciting thing about this weekend so far is that I had my last scrapbooking workshop for a while. We had pizza and mudslides (Mmmm.) and got drunk on the mudslides. We got nothing accomplished; it was basically just a bunch of women sitting around drinking and bitching with pictures laid out in front of them. The dogs have been romping in the grass with all the sunny weather, but we have a major wasp problem this year, so mostly I run in and out of the house making sure the dogs don't get stung. There is much yelling, "Stop eating grass, there could be a bee in there! Stop rolling, there might be a bee under you! Get away from the bees!" I guess you could say I'm a little overprotective. I, myself, am terrified of bees. I am very allergic to them, and of course have never purchased a bee kit. My husband calls me "Dances with Bees".

Speaking of yelling, I just thought of something funny. My beloved neighbors (huh.) have decided to build a gigantic monstrosity in their backyard, probably specifically to annoy me. It is this big cedar swing set/playset for their little beasts. I found out that the wife (who I refer to as Skeletor because she looks just like him. Can you say ugly skinny?) is thinking of starting a daycare at her home. Apparently, God hates me. Can you imagine CrazyDogMama living next to a frigging daycare? Help me now. Anyways, the other day Skeletor and some other stupid woman had 5 kids back there playing and I, of course, was yelling at the dogs to watch out for bees. I said something like "Get your fuzzy little asses in here!" Two kids started crying, and the other three looked at me like they were "Godsend" children. The two adults glared. I hope they all get stung. Here is a picture of the damn thing:

Bones and Funnel Clouds

What a day. Yesterday it was all nice and warm and everyone was happy. Today, not so much. I woke up with a headache and called work to tell them I would be late. I got there at 10 am. (I start at 6:30 am). I always get headaches when the weather can't make up its mind. It is 20 degrees cooler today than yesterday. Then, there was a thunder and lightning storm with claps of thunder so loud I dove under my desk. The building I work in is mostly glass, so it freaks me out. (You should have seen me in 2001 when we had a 6+ earthquake.) Driving home, my mom calls my cell phone. I can't find my frigging phone. I'm throwing shit all over my car while driving trying to find my phone because I absolutely can't stand not answering a ringing phone, or at least checking the caller ID. She tells me to watch out for lightning bolts and funnel clouds. Apparently, the news said it is wreaking havoc on the freeway drivers. Super, mom. Now I'm worried about the dogs. I decided to stop and get them some bones to chew on in case they are scared. Now my house smells like hooves. Yum.

Puppies and Sunshine

Good morning all, here I sit at my desk eating a chonga bagel and drinking an iced mocha. No low carbs here! OK, so my diet sucks right now. I spent the whole day yesterday CLEANING. I am sorer from that, than from my workout. Getting on my hands and knees and scrubbing just kicks my ass. The dogs are even exhausted from following me back and forth. There's nothing like having little doggie tongues licking your toes when you are scrubbing the bathroom floor. I also gave them both a bath, which is an event in and of itself. I end up wetter than the dogs, and the amount of hair that gets all over the bathroom could make a whole new dog. (Hence the bathroom cleaning.) They are serious pains-in-the-ass. But at least they smell good now!!!! Hey, let's all congratulate Nichole on her new puppy Kipper! May she have all the best puppy breath!

It's going to be 80 degrees here today, and I'm just not ready. I like sunshine, don't get me wrong, but I have no summer clothes and I am pasty-white. I could blind small children and animals with my whiteness. Guess I better get on that, huh?

Hangin' Around

I really had to think about my last picture post. What in the holy hell was Louie doing? I went into the bedroom and found that he somehow got tangled up in the hanger I use for my "restaurant uniform" that had fallen to the ground. It made more sense at that point because I usually spill oogobs of pasta sauce on myself while working. Louie is a nutjob when it comes to human-food. He will do anything. I have caught him strattling the recliner and the end table trying to get to a candy wrapper. Anyway, I am figuring that he was going for the lick-mama's-uniform routine and somehow managed to get stuck in the hanger. Then, when he couldn't figure out how to get out of it, and all the pasta sauce on my shirt had been consumed, he decided he was still hungry and moseyed on down to his food bowl. It was at that point that I saw him. Luckily, I had my camera sitting out. Do my dogs get into the trash? No. Do my dogs chew on slippers? No. Do my dogs get tangled up in hangers? Yes! Never a dull moment with Cairn terriers.

Really?

Trying to figure out what is going on here.

The Crazy Restaurant Biz

So, last week I was seconds away from being fired for my attitude, and then last night I'm getting begged to stay. The restaurant biz is psycho. I guess the best plan of action is be your confident self, be ethical, and don't take any shit from anyone. At some point they will respect you, usually. My life is one of these "I have no idea what is going to happen from one moment to the next" kind of lives.

Speaking of which, Louie peed on the bed again. That damn dog. Every now and then we have these frigging dominance issues. Its maddening. Ooohh - I gotta go - work is getting busy. I'll be back.

Louie no like swimming.

Tidbits

There is absolutely nothing exciting going on. The best I can do is this: I am looking for a new part-time restaurant job because my new bosses are irritating me. It is not good to irritate CRAZYDOGMAMA. I have been working, then going home and going straight to bed. I keep having these crazy dreams that I can remember in freaky detail. They haunt me all day long. What does THIS mean? Lou and Mags have been pretty lazy the last few days - they aren't exciting either. Well, I guess boring is better than bad, huh? As soon as something remotely interesting happens, I'll let you know.

Gotta Tell Ya

That song "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak just makes me want to take all my clothes off and dance around my office. That's probably not a good idea, though.

The Future's so bright, I gotta wear shades.

Well, not really, but it has been unusually warm here in ol' Sultan. Apparently, it was 90 degrees on Easter! Wow! We don't usually get above 70 in April. Took some more pics. Extreme silliness here. I broke out the shades and snapped a shot of the view from my driveway. I don't feel like working today, so I'm playing with my blog. I'm going to get so fired someday.





OK, just SHUT UP about the BAD makeup job on my forehead. Leave me alone.

It's Monday, AGAIN.

Well, after a whirlwind week, Monday is rearing its ugly head at me. Hopefully, with only working two shifts at the restaurant this week, I will be able to relax a bit. I also need to get back to the gym and clean up my eating. We did eggs benedict (surprise!) and mimosas for Easter brunch, thanks Yogagirl for the idea! I cooked a ham on Saturday afternoon with scalloped potatoes, asparagus and this really good Italian bread from Costco. I had French silk chocolate pie and Easter candy afterward. I ate an entire plate of tortellini in a tomato cream sauce Saturday night. Can you say HOLY CRAP? I ate like a hell-cow! (Thanks, Skwigg, for coining that term.) Oh, and let's not forget all the Oreos I ate on Friday, yikes. I am feeling a little bloated this morning, but I do have 3 dozen brightly colored hard-boiled eggs to consume. I figure if I take the yokes out of every other one, I'll be set for healthy snacks for a while.

I made my stepson watch the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake this weekend. (I make everyone watch it.) I know it is not what you would call a good "Easter" movie, but oh well. He liked it, but he did say "Oh, SICK!" a lot. Hee-hee.

The weather was fabulous this weekend, I did a little picture-taking. Here is my cherry tree blooming in my front yard. Can you find the bee?

Recovering

I finally got some sleep last night. It was only 6 hours, but that is 6 hours more than I got the night before. I look like death warmed-over. When my alarm went off this morning, the dogs didn't even move. (If mama doesn't sleep, dogs don't sleep.) When I got up to pee, Louie lifted his head up (with all of his fur mashed on one side of his head, so cute) and looked at me like, "Have fun at work, I'm going back to sleep." and *thud* down went the little fuzzy head. I took a shower and came into the bedroom to get dressed where the dogs were STILL on the bed. At that point I made them get up and go potty.

The restaurant nightmare is still looming, but last night was fairly mellow. I guess I'm just going to wait and see what happens. I'm in no mood to look for another job, and you never know, it might turn out OK. I am probably going to cut my shifts down from four a week, to two a week. It is possible that will make me more gooder.

Oh, gotta go, time to take a Vivarin.

Not doing so good.

Last week sucked. Job security is over with my second job. I am a little stress ball right now because I depend on my second income. Needless to say, I'm not eating well, either. In fact, I'm hardly eating at all. This is NOT good. I'm going to royally screw up my metabolism if I'm not careful.

I called in mentally ill today from my office job. Crazydogmama is having panic attacks. My day job is not secure either, money is tight there and I'm worried about layoffs.

OK, enough of the drama, I'm putting up some puppy pictures of Louie just for fun. Let's all wish Yogagirl happy puppy shopping!

Oh, the JOY!

I get to buy the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003" on DVD today! The bummer is I have to work a double shift, so if I actually want to WATCH it, I have to give up sleep. I might just do that. Every now and then its OK. There's nothing like watching a chainsaw-wielding madman while curled up on the couch with your fuzbutts!

I am the kind of person that...

...eats all of their candy before the actual movie starts.

...can keep a secret.

...thinks everyone in Hollywood needs to be bitch-slapped.

...could never stand "Madonna".

...prefers to sleep without sheets on the bed.

...turns on the air conditioner in the bedroom even when it is snowing outside.

...starts to eat their "to go" order in the car before getting home to use a plate and utensils.

...thinks organized sports are a waste of time.

...would rather pet a dog than hold a baby.

...drinks milk with pizza.

...won't argue unless I know I am right (I won't argue about opinion-based statements).

...likes cooked vegetables but not raw ones.

...won't eat a dessert that has fruit or nuts in it.

...believes in true love.

...would go into a burning house to get a dog and a scrapbook.

...can get up at 4am bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to scrapbook at camp after 3 hours of sleep but has to have 3 shots of espresso and 2 "No-Doz" to function at work after 8 hours of sleep.

...gets REALLY irritated when people spell "lose" with two "O's" (loose).

...would rather eat gourmet food than "down-home cooking".

...hates to talk on the phone.

...walks around the house naked.

...can't wear turtle necks because they are claustrophobic.

...sees the glass as "filled halfway" rather than "half empty" or "half full".

What is it with McDonalds?

It's not that I was there AGAIN, but it's that I had another encounter with a fuckwad! My husband put a bumper sticker on my car that identifies our political stance. At approximately 6 am this morning I was driving to work to do some overtime. I was hungry and thirsty. I was barely awake. The 6 shots of espresso I had already consumed just wasn't enough. I decided to stop by Micky-D's. I was not blocking any lane this time. As I prepared to give my order into the magic box, I hear, "What a fucking loser!" screamed at the top of Mr. Big-Truck's lungs behind me. (What IS it with big trucks?) I really didn't know he was speaking to me at first. I was just thinking "Dude, you're harshing my buzz yelling like that." I drove forward. Again, I hear, "You stupid fuck, what a waste of a vote!" Now I'm thinking, "What the hell is wrong with everyone?" Is it really necessary to be this much of dick this early in the morning? Do you really think what you're saying to me is going to make me think anything except that you are a loudmouth retard? I didn't hang out my window and give him a piece of my mind this time. I let it go. I was giggling a little, though, at the sheer stupidity of it all. He kept riding my bumper really close, and shaking his head as if he was impatient. I kept thinking "OH PLEEEEEZ hit me, that would be so freaking hilarious."

So far, that is my excitement for the day. I thought I would share.

What is wrong with me?

Remember that weight loss/muscle gain "competition" that I was doing with an unnamable person? Well, I'm losing. I'M LOSING. CRAP! I just can't seem to stick with anything except eating chocolate. Doing that on a regular basis is no problem. I am starting to think that competition doesn't motivate me. It actually scares the hell out of me. I start out with the kick-butt attitude, then I end up wanting to sit in the corner and cry until I can't see out of my eyes and snot is dripping down onto my shirt. I guess, though, if I could figure out how to make this all easy. I would be a billionaire and then some. I may have to take a break from my trainer because I am feeling the need to pay more towards some of my bills. I love training, but it is very expensive, and I have written down a whole notebook of workouts that I could use on my hiatus. I also don't know how much longer I can be a scrapbook consultant. I am not selling as much as I need to be. OK, I know it sounds like I am this pathetic giver-upper, but actually the doctor says I need to CHILL, and cut some things out in order to have more relax time. *Sigh* I'm not good at relaxing. Jim thinks I am a freak when I start cleaning the house at 10 pm and won't stop.

Louie and Mags are good little listeners. While sitting on the toilet this morning, I explained my life's dilemmas to them. They cocked their heads and moved their ears back and forth. When about halfway through, Louie started licking my leg as if to say, "I'm sorry mama, but PLEASE SHUT UP NOW AND LET US OUT!"

I'm Baaack

OK, so I took a few days off from blogging, but I'm back now. Things have been utterly chaotic to say the least. I went to scrapbook camp last weekend, and when I came back, I had, like, a bazillion emails to answer. That took about 2 days. Then yesterday I had to work a crazy/busy double shift from 6 am to 11 pm. I have to work another double shift today, too. I AM Dawn of the Dead. (I haven't seen that movie yet, by the way, but it's on my list when I have a spare 2 hours, ha!) Last night at the restaurant, I chatted with a couple of my customers. Somehow or another the name of my blog came up. They seemed very interested in reading it. (If you are reading, hello!) It is a crazy, crazy world, isn't it?

The COOLEST thing happened to me today. You remember that my husband works nights, well, he got up with me this morning, gave me a backrub, THEN fixed me breakfast! Do I have the BEST HUSBAND EVER or what? OMIGOD, I feel so lucky! So, even in the midst of chaos, I am truly blessed. OK, I'm getting entirely too warm and fuzzy here. For all you jealous people out there who are rolling your eyes right now, I will leave you with this: I work 70 motherfucking hours a week, then clean and scrub the house on the weekends. Bite me.

Guerilla Art and Lateness

There is a great article by Keri Smith. It is about Guerilla Art, and it is from March 2008. What a most excellent idea! It is about leaving anonymous art in public places. I love crazy little ideas like that. I would do it, then hang around to get digital pics of people's expressions. That is the "sneaky moto" in me. "Sneaky moto" is a term I learned from an instructor at the police academy. He used to say it all the time, and it cracked me up.

I was an hour late to work today. When I woke up, my alarm was going off, but I looked at the clock and it was an hour later than it was *supposed* to be. The alarm was set right, so I must have slept through the first hour of it going off. Yikes. I must have been tired. I flew out of bed and started running down the hallway to call my boss. He wasn't there yet, but I left this half-asleep, freaky little message. I'm sure he thought I must have been drinking the night before based on my message. I then came to my senses, slowed down and took my time. Who really cares? I waltzed right in, and no one said anything. I hope it doesn't affect the raise I'm supposed to get.

NERD ALERT, or FREAK ALERT? You decide!

When I was a young girl, I got my first start on computers playing Text Adventures by Scott Adams. Did any of you do this? OH. MY. GOD. These were the SHIT. I had a Texas Instruments Computer, and to save a game I had to use an actual audio tape! I even remember the code was "CS1"! Ha! I spent many an hour playing these text adventures. I think the Pirate Adventure and Ghost Town were my favorites. My mom also played these games, and her and I spent a HUGE portion of our life completely consumed by them. My artistic mother even drew very detailed MAPS and stuff! She still has them! I can remember getting stuck in Ghost Town, so I *mailed* a letter to Scott Adams asking for help. It took about 2 months to get a reply, but he sent me the hint I needed! Can you imagine having to wait 2 months for ONE hint? Too funny. We used to pay something like 40$ for each game. They are still fun, even though the games they have out now are insanely better. I don't play computer games anymore, although you may find me goofing around with the PlayStation every now and then, while eating Captain Crunch with Crunch Berries. CAUTION: You may become addicted.

YOHO! (That's a hint!) ;-)

It's a Wonderful Life

You think that until the weekend is over.

 
You know it's going to be an interesting week when you wake up and think to yourself, "How in the hell am I going to get through this week?" I need to shake things up a bit in my mundane, routine-oriented workweeks. We celebrated my stepson's Birthday this weekend when he came over, and also my father-in-law's birthday. I had to work that night at the restaurant, so we ate steak and birthday cake at 2:30 in the afternoon. I cleaned the house furiously before they all came over, and it is now a mess again. ALREADY. I also have mushrooms growing in my carpet. Yes, I said MUSHROOMS. We have a leak in one of our radiant heaters (we think) and black mold is growing just above the baseboard in my office, along with some mushrooms sprouting up where the carpet and the baseboard meet. It is really lovely. I am completely freaked out because people keep telling me how serious this is. Jim is going to have to rip a hole in the wall and scrub with bleach. That will be nice. Then, if we are lucky, we will find the leak and fix it. We have no money right now, so we have to figure this out ourselves. I am also reacting badly to the mold. (I am allergic to EVERYTHING.) I woke up last week with my eyes swollen shut, I am constantly sneezing and biting my tongue while I sneeze (OUCH!) and I itch everywhere. I am worried that one of the dogs is going to die from mushroom poisoning. If it is not one thing, it is another.

Attitude Adjustment

Louie and I had a talk. We discussed him being a butthole. I told him that I didn't want him to be a butthole anymore. He said OK.

Sometimes you don't want to know what is going on.

I have been spending an OBSCENE amount of time online reading about what is going on in the world. You might say I'm "catching up on world events". I have been seriously isolated from the news lately, or maybe I've just been putting my head in the sand. Well, not anymore. I think everyone needs to know what is going on. I don't like the typical "media bias", so I look to all different kinds of sources for my info. I think if you are going to vote, you should have ALL the facts. From some of the idiots I've talked to recently, I'm starting to think you should have to take some sort of test before voting. Anyway, I must say, HOLY CRAP. The more I read, the more I just shake my head.

Ta-Ta for now.

Crazydogmama's Review of YogaFit!

OK, so after many months of corresponding with Yogagirl (see link to right), she finally convinced me to try YogaFit. I have always been "anti-yoga" and actually used to make fun of people who did yoga. It wasn't that I didn't think it was difficult, or a good workout, it was mainly the "nirvana-like" talking/chanting thing that turned me off. If you liked yoga, I didn't think less of you or anything, but I may have thought you were weird. ;-) I'm one to talk, huh? Hehe.

Nichole (Yogagirl) is a YogaFit instructor who is very fit and toned, who has successfully completed a BFL challenge (I'm jealous) and is quite a cool lady! With these things in mind, it opened MY mind to YogaFit.

YogaFit Basics DVD - taught by Beth Shaw

-Beth Shaw is a soft-spoken YogaFit instructor who truly makes it all look easy. It ain't. Trust me on this. I can do 20-30 squat reps with 30lb+ dumbbells, but I can't hold a "Sun Goddess" pose for more than a minute without wanting to DIE.

-You can't smoke a cigarette while doing yoga. (Yes, my dumbass tried.)

-I thought I was flexible until I tried YogaFit.

-Don't start at an advanced level. Start with the basics, you'll thank yourself later.

-I really like the music they played. It was catchy, yet soothing. It actually motivated me to keep going.

-Do YogaFit ALONE the first time you do it. You do not want someone (especially a guy) to walk in on you while doing the "dead bug" pose. You also don't want someone to see you fall over, giggle, or cuss. You are not as coordinated as you think you are.

-YogaFit is a good workout, even if you do "Body for Life" type workouts. I was sore the next day.

-It is fun! I liked it! I get bored easily with the same old workouts.

-It is challenging, but I have a desire to improve!

-Beth does not focus too much on the "religious" aspects of Yoga. She does say "find your center" a lot, during which MY brain says, "You can't MISS my center."

-Don't eat right before doing YogaFit.

-Beth has very big feet.

Overall impression: I'm hooked!

Changing my Routine

Well, Jim is working swing shift now, so I am all by my lonesome at night except the nights I work at the restaurant. I don't mind, really, because much of the time I am in a world all by myself anyhow. I just won't feel so guilty now for staying on the internet all night and ignoring my husband. Although I love my husband, and love spending time with him, it will be a treat to have the place to myself. I can watch whatever I want on TV, eat whatever I want (this could be dangerous) for dinner, and hog the recliner. OR, I could take the time and do extra workouts, get cleaning done and work on my writing. NAH.

Fitness Update

There is a reason why I have not talked about my fitness progress lately. There hasn't been any! I have kept off the 10 pounds I initially lost when I started my BFL challenge in January, but sadly, I have not gone any further. I have been slacking bigtime lately. McDonalds here, a mocha there, and my trip to the gym at lunch has more often resulted in sleeping in my car instead over the last week. Can you say burn-out? Don't get me wrong, I won't lay on the ground after falling off the wagon very long, but I've been feeling a bit tired lately. My doctor says, "Something has got to go." I am burning the candle at too many ends. The problem is, if I'm not busy, I feel anxious. Instead of feeling invigorated after I work out, I feel like taking a nap. Not good. So, I am going to take it easy this weekend. No stamping, no scrapping, no nothing. Last Friday when my trainer wanted me to do some push-ups, I couldn't. I had this intense pain in my left shoulder! The doctor says it is tendonitis, but I don't know. I'm freaked! I want to get an MRI, but I have to get a "recommendation" from my doctor, or my insurance won't pay for it. You know what I think would cure ALL of my problems? An expense-free trip to the Bahamas! Yeah! Hey, I can dream, can't I?

Oh, I almost forgot. I have been eating EGGS BENEDICT at least once a day. I'm craving it! What's that about? I'm not pregnant or anything, but I can't get enough of it! I'm trying to figure out if I can somehow make it with eggbeaters, lean Canadian bacon, and some kind of healthy hollandaise sauce? I use whole wheat English muffins already. If anyone has a recipe.

The Passion of the Christ

I may lose a bunch of my readers today, but really, I don't care. I am unbelievably sick of society. Complain, bitch, moan. There is a constant need for the public to have some sort of 'controversy' about something. It's like they have nothing better to do but scream about something that someone else is doing. Get a life.

I loved this movie. Yes, it is true, I have a very strong faith in Jesus Christ, but even if I didn't, I would like this movie. Any director that can create a certain mood or invoke certain feelings in the audience gets my vote. No one got up to go to the bathroom, and you could hear a pin drop when it was over. I was moved to the point of tears, I was horrified, and NO, it never crossed my mind to hate Jewish people. I think it is absurd to call this movie "antisemitic". This movie simply tells a story that has already been told. And the violence? Well, duh! If you are squeamish, why in the hell would you go to a movie that doesn't hide the fact that it is about a CRUCIFIXION? If you can't handle blood, would you go see the Texas Chainsaw Massacre? NO. If a movie has a black person as the bad guy, does that make the movie anti-African American? NO. I applaud Mel Gibson for making this movie. We need more people in the world with some balls!

There are many so-called "Christian" people, programs and books out there that make me sick. They totally miss the point. I do not think I'm better than anyone else. Personally, I think we are all screwed. I am not exactly a great witness for Christ. I mean, read my blog for crying out loud. I am as messed up as anyone. Anyway, my point here is, go see the movie if you aren't weak in the stomach. Its good! It really is.

It's a Conspiracy

I don't know what is happening this week, but everyone is out to irritate me, and it just can't ALL be me. I worked at the restaurant last night (just mere hours after the "McDonald's incident", mind you.) Every single customer I had informed me that they were on the Atkins diet, and then of course gave me their special orders from hell. (Newsflash: Waitresses really hate special orders, folks. Just order what is on the damn menu.) "Yes, I am on the Atkin's Diet (like I care) and I would like the Halibut special, but with no veggies and no potatoes, but could I substitute with extra sauce? Does the sauce have any carbohydrates? Do you have something you can give me besides this basket of bread? Could I have water without lemon?" I really just wanted to tell them "How about I just bring you some plain fish, a stick of butter, some bacon grease and our new low-carb beer?" That will be really good for you, you'll be guaranteed to lose lots of weight and then die of a heart attack from clogged arteries." But instead, I just have to smile and say, "Why yes, we would be happy to accommodate your requests." It physically hurts me to say nothing. The Atkin's diet came out, what, like in the 70's? Hardly anyone noticed it then, but Mr. Atkins DIES, and all of sudden everyone is like "Hey! Let's do the Deadman's Diet". Weird. Fricking weird.

Crazydogmama VS. Fuckwad at McDonalds

Sorry for all the cussing lately, but I just can't help it.

A little background first. I am a good driver. I know everyone says that, but really, I am. I got 100% on my driving test at the police academy (which isn't easy), and my car insurance is really low because of my AWESOME record. I am a dumb blonde when it comes to some things, but driving is not one of them. I am also slow to anger. Usually.

So, I decide to go to McDonald's today for lunch. (I know, I know, shut up) It is a McDonald's that I have never been to before, and they have this weird 2-lane drive-thru thing going on. I decide to give it a try, and when I go around the corner to get into one of the lanes, I turn too sharp, and the front of my car is partially blocking the second lane. I try to back up, but someone (of course) is right on my ass, and I can't. I'm stuck for the moment. I just wait, figuring I won't be blocking more than a second or two because the cars are moving fairly quickly through the line. So here comes Mr. big-brand-new black truck. (An extension of his penis, no doub.t.) He honks his horn at me. I throw my hands up. (You know, the gesture that indicates there is nothing I can do and I'm sorry?) He doesn't get it. He sticks his big fat ugly head out the window and yells, "You're blocking my lane!" I, annoyed already, sarcastically yell back, "Yeah, I did it to piss you off. Is it working?" He gets all pissy, shakes his head and yells again, "There is a REASON why they have two lanes idiot! Learn how to drive!" Insanely agitated CrazyDogMama sticks half of her body out the window and yells "Bite me, motherfucker!" The lane moves ahead. I order a whole lot more food than I had originally anticipated.

Dog Fight!

Poor Louie is having a bad week. I was working, so I didn't see what ACTUALLY happened, but here is the recap I got from my husband:

Ring...Ring...Ring...
Jim: "Hell, Helloo?"
Me: "What's wrong?"
Jim: "Holy Shit, you are NOT going to believe what just happened here!"
Me: "What? What happened?"
Jim: "Maggie just kicked the shit out of Louie!"
Me: "What?" (I have said "what" in every sentence so far.)
Jim: "I went to the bathroom, and Maggie followed me happily wagging her tail. Louie apparently went into Maggie's crate after she followed me and grabbed one of her toys. He came trotting along into the bathroom too. Maggie took one look at Louie with her toy in his mouth and FREAKED OUT ON HIM! She jumped on him, tore a bunch of his hair out, and snapped a bunch at him. There was much yelping and growling! They looked like the two dogs fighting at the beginning of "The Exorcist"!"
Me: "Oh my God! Is there blood? Are they OK?"
Jim: " I checked them out, they seem OK. I put them in their crates. I vacuumed up all the dog hair."
Me: "What are we gonna do with those two?"
Jim: " I don't know, I was scared. I am scared to piss off any of the women in this house."

Haven't felt like blogging.

Just kinda moody lately. I got the whole weekend off from the restaurant, so you would think that I would be perky from a nice relaxing weekend. Nope. My neurotic little self feels guilty for not making money, especially during such a stressful financial time for us. I just don't know how to relax anymore. However, I could not bring myself to be productive at work yesterday. Today is better, but my tummy is growling, and my nose feels like it has logs in it. I'm trying to figure out how to find that light at the end of the tunnel, everything about the future looks so bleak sometimes. I feel like a rat in a wheel. I GO! GO! GO! but really get nothing accomplished. Am I cheering you up yet?

Louie and I are still going round-and-round. Maybe we need therapy, or maybe I just need a vacation.

Beside Myself

What does one do when their favorite fitness magazines cease publication? EAS has stopped Muscle Media and Energy magazines. I don't like all the regular fitness mags, all those skinny, undefined women, or the hulk-women who scare the bejeezus out me. My trainer, who has a fabulous new sudo-website, recommended Oxygen to me, so I will be subscribing to that, I guess.

Not only am I dealing with that, but I still have the "Louie Situation". I decided to ignore him, not even LOOK at him last night, to see what would happen. He is being such a little butthole. He didn't seem to care, except when I went to bed without saying goodnight, he looked a little pathetic. Ears down, tail down. It just crushed me. Dogs are complicated. You have to know how to deal with them, and it is NOT, I repeat, NOT like dealing with humans. There is the whole dominance thing. I am going to call the behaviorist I worked with previously to see if there is something I can do to get him to listen better. He is a good dog, mind you, just extremely stubborn and MOODY. You have to be careful how you deal with them, or they'll walk all over you!

Bummed in Sultan.

Louie is mad at me.

That damn dog has been ignoring me for 4 FRIGGING DAYS. It must be the grooming thing. If not, he has decided to teach me some sort of lesson. Humans are slow learners, too, ya know? He will briefly (and I mean briefly) greet me when I come home, then he will go straight to daddy. I always go to bed before Jim, and both dogs usually lay in the bed with me for a few hours. Louie won't lay in the bed with me. He just walks down the hallway.

 
The only exception is if I have food. Then, I am the Queen. In the morning, he always sits and looks up at me while I'm getting ready. He has been laying in the front room the last few days and won't even peek his head in to make sure I have my mascara on right. I called his nickname out last night (Assbag) in a baby talk voice, but nothing. He just walked right past me to go outside and pee. Little fucker.

A new member of the "top 5".

Can you tell I'm bored today? Viggo Mortensen is the newest member of my top 5 hotties. However, that means I'll have to bump someone, or maybe I'll just have a top 6. I am not a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings series (it was OK), but I like that rugged, manly look that Aragorn (Viggo) has. You know me. He has a new movie coming out. Hidalgo? Something like that. I may just have to sit through that one! Yummy!

Watch out Aveda!

I have found yet another really yummy-smelling body wash! It's called "Thymes Ginger Milk". Oh. My. God. LOVE IT. A friend of mine got me the body wash and whipped body creme for a present, and I just used it. I *almost* sounded like that Herbal Essence freak in the shower. (You know, the chick acting like she's having an orgasm while using Herbal Essence shampoo? Gag me.)

My Funny Aunt

Out of the blue, I received a Valentine's Day card from an Aunt of mine that I have never met! It was such a great surprise! She lives in Kentucky and is in her 70's. I decided to get her # from my mom and give her a call to thank her for the card. So, last night I got to talk with her, and she is a HOOT! She was cracking me completely up! She has this great Southern accent and a quirky sense of humor. I have decided that I must go visit her! She is definitely my kind of people. She said to me, "Hunny, I live on chocolate and cashews, and so does fatty!" I found out that "fatty" is her dog. She also has a 22-year-old cat. As we talked, it was like we had known each other all of our lives. Life is strange, and unpredictable. I love it!

My Valentines Day

Hope you all had a Happy Valentines Day.

Mine? Well, not too bad. I didn't have to work at the restaurant, which was probably the best part. My in-laws came over for lunch, but my hubby cooked. My stepson was over this weekend, too, and we watched movies all night while eating lots of chocolate. (That's a requirement for Valentines Day, you know.) I got the most romantic gift EVER from Mr. CrazyDogMama. He gave me a chick-flick DVD and a BOX OF TRIPLE CHUNK BROWNIE MIX! Isn't that great? A WHOLE BOX, just for ME! :-D There was also a balloon and some peanut butter cups involved. I surprised him with a CD he totally forgot he wanted. A little lame, I know, but he loved it.

On Sunday, I taught a scrapbooking class to 10 people. My girlfriend, who hosted the class at her house, neglected to tell me that I had chocolate brownie crumbs all down the crevice of my breasts, and I was wearing a V-neck shirt. So, while I was giving my spiel, there I stood with chocolate titties. Yes, this is whose blog you're reading.

Doggies are gettin' all purdy today!

Yep, its grooming day. This is chaos at its best. I don't know how they know, but they know. I got up per usual, had my coffee, took my shower, got ready. The dogs were racing around the house panting and whining. How in GOD's good name do they KNOW? I said nothing. I didn't get the leashes out. NOTHING. They are telepathic, I swear. I wasn't acting any different than I usually do. Maybe they heard me say "groom" on the phone? Who knows.

Anyway, we got in the car. My dogs are not what you would call 'good car-riders'. They jump from the back seat to the front seat, to the floor, to the front seat, to the back seat. You get the picture. They make LOTS of noise. Louie sounds like a frigging choo-choo train with his panting. Dog hair flies around the car like a cat fight. The leashes get wrapped around me, the seats, and the levers you move the car seats with. Any beverage I take with me, gets spilled on whatever I am wearing. (You'd think I'd learn.) If I have to use the brake pedal, even a little bit, the dogs go flying. I will be investing in doggie seatbelts soon. Today, the stupid moron in front of me slammed on his brakes, then I slammed on my brakes. Then Louie did a face-plant into the heater. (He is OK, he has a head like a Stegosaurus.) Then, Louie looks at me like "Can't you drive, you stupid bitch?" No matter how much I yell "Sit! Stay! Lay down! Sit! Stop it! No! Sit!", it makes no difference. We could have graduated from the Obedience University with honors, and this would still happen. When I pull up to a stop light, people actually LAUGH. Louie likes to do the "I'm trying to dig out of the window!" routine, and apparently, this cracks people up.

When I pick them up this afternoon, I'm sure it will be revenge-city from the cute little fuzzy creatures.

The snot has taken over my brain.

So, on the way to work this morning, I was talking to my husband on my cell phone. He informed me that I took his keys instead of my keys. This means I can't get into the building I work in from the front, and I can't open my office until my boss gets there, which is a half hour after I get there. So, there I stood, in the middle of the shop floor, looking like a complete idiot. I just paced because I didn't know what to do. No computer, no desk, no place to set my coffee. We have an "audit" today, of course, so there is no time to waste. Things like this always happen to me at the most inopportune moments. I am also wearing a black cotton shirt that has dog hair all over it. How professional am I? I am surprised I didn't spill coffee on my khaki pants yet. KNOCK. ON. WOOD. Shit, I gotta find some wood first.

I got the snots.

So, I stayed home yesterday because my body decided to produce ungodly amounts of snot. Yes, that's right, I got a code. I'm hacking up my lungs, too. It's really fun. The good part, though, was getting to cuddle up with the fuzbutts all day. They LOOOVE it when dogmama is home and in bed all day. There was a lot of stretching and yawning and laying on their backs trying to weasel a belly rub out of me. I'm back to work today, to the dismay of my coworkers who get to listen to my non-stop wheezing and nose-blowing. I haven't been to the gym in two days (I knew this was going to happen) so my whole program has gone to hell this week. The only thing that sounded good yesterday was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, so that is exactly what I had. There may have been a few potato chips in there too.

Anyway, I have nothing interesting to talk about, and I'm sure no one wants to hear about all the disgusting body functions I have going on, so, for now, adieu.

What day is it?

I get going so crazy sometimes, that I forget what day it is. I'm pretty sure its Monday because I am at work, but ffffeehh, that really doesn't mean much because I work almost every day. If I'm not running around like a chicken with its head cut off, I'm sleeping. This morning I woke up and didn't know what day it was, and I didn't even drink or anything last night! I sleep-drove to work, and here I sit, at my desk, trying to remember what I ate this weekend so that I can record it in my journal. Now, of course, I'm updating my blog and maybe around 8 or so, I'll start working. Its a good thing my boss doesn't know my blog address, huh? Oh, here's a little tidbit for the readers interested in my hair care (which is, I think, one) I have received 3 compliments on my hair since I started using my new Aveda products this weekend! CrazyDogMama LOVES compliments! Also, I've noticed that my husband sniffs my head a lot when hugging me. A girl has got to love THAT!

Is it Friday yet?

It has been a loooooong week. I have been sorting thru and editing massive amounts of paperwork, and I'm about to go insane. I think I may go run around the parking lot screaming for a few minutes.

The menu today has been less than stellar. We're talking venti nonfat iced mocha for breakfast, two, count them TWO zone bars, a half turkey sandwich on whole wheat and some green tea with soy milk in it. Somebody needs to slap me. I did go to the gym and do HIIT on the Stairmaster, and I also have to wait tables tonight for about 4 hours, so that's not too bad, I guess. I am saving up for a haircut and a foil so that I don't have to cancel my cell phone. Aveda is mighty expensive, but it is SO worth it. I also need new shampoo, conditioner, exfoliator, makeup, etc. CrazyDogMama is learning how to SAVE UP instead of impulse buying, so that she can pay her mortgage on time instead of waiting until the VERY LAST SECOND and having to pull funds from every direction. It is very, very hard. HARD, I tell you!!

Cravings

I'm craving Thai food. I need some ginger. Ginger is probably my favorite spice. That, and Cilantro. I gotta, GOTTA find some today for lunch. Being that time of the month, the cravings are out of control, and I'm bloated like a hippo. I retain so much water that my socks leave a little pattern on my ankles. I ruined my new underwear, too, by the way. It REALLY pisses me off. OK, enough. You probably could have gone through your day without me ranting about my period, huh? Yeah, well, piss off.

I need to win the Lotto.

So I can have a bunch more Cairn Terriers! I'm a glutton for punishment and cuteness.

Rule #1: Always get your puppies from a reputable breeder!

 
Rule #2: Never get a puppy less than 12 weeks old, so that they will be properly socialized and have plenty of time with their real mama.

 
Rule #3: If you want to breed dogs, get the proper education/instruction.

 
Rule #4: Never impulsively buy a puppy. Always make sure you have $$, time, space and lots and lots of patience!

 
Rule #5: Research, research, research before buying a puppy to make sure the breed is right for you and your family.

 
Rule #6: Love your puppy with all of your heart! Or you will answer to CRAZYDOGMAMA!

You know you have a problem when...

...you drive in 4th gear on the freeway because shifting into 5th gear would get in the way of your HUGE iced mocha in the cupholder.

...you would rather be late to work than skip breakfast.

...you run into the bathroom at work and stay there for 20 minutes to avoid having to visit with a mother and her new baby, or worse, to avoid having to hold the infant. *Shutter*

...you seriously consider canceling your cell phone for 2 months so you can afford to get your hair colored.

The dreaded Month

Over the course of my life so far, every really bad thing that has ever happened to me, has happened in February. I won't go into those bad things, because that is my own closet of demons, but I just wanted everyone to know that I hate this month, and I am counting down the days until it is over. So, let's focus on the positive: I am going to buy an Ella Fitzgerald CD today and get my nails done, maybe a nice shade of pink for the upcoming (stupid-frigging) Valentines Day. I hate Valentines Day. I have my reasons. I'm also thinking, maybe a nice candlelight bath. I am going to pamper myself this month, and maybe, JUST MAYBE, I can have the first good February. We should all live by this motto, "Treat yourself like a princess, cuz ain't no one else goin' to!"

I took a friend out to dinner last night for her birthday to a place in downtown Seattle called Marco's Supperclub. We had a fabulous time, ate great food and listened to jazz softly playing in the background. (Hence the Ella Fitzgerald CD-buying.) It was girl's night out, no Superbowl for me.

The Urinal Compromise

So my husband is busy formulating his plan for "husbandland". He is making the garage into an actual room with carpet and the like, outfitted with HDTV, surround sound, and putting in a green, and a recliner. Somewhere where he can go when I have over the "scrapbook hens" as he likes to call them. I'm OK with this, BUT, when he comes to me and says, "the neighbor can put in a urinal at cost for me", I laughed hysterically and said "ummmm, NO".

After several weeks now of constant pestering, he finally says to me "What will it take for you to let me have a urinal?" I told him I wanted to make a scrapbook of all the pictures I have of BEFORE we were married, you know, all the boyfriend pictures that I was *supposed* to throw away but am actually hiding in the closet? A deal! We struck a deal and shook on it! A little background for this. My husband is insanely jealous and possessive. He pretends I did not have any kind of a life before I met him. (Funny that this is coming from a man who was previously married.) I, on the other hand, am a picture fanatic and don't believe in EVER throwing a photograph away. I am really into photo preservation. I have no feelings for any of my ex's, that is not the point for me. I even have pictures of my husband's ex in one of my scrapbooks. I just want to scrapbook my life and write about fond memories. No one will ever look at it except me. I have no kids to leave it to. It is not that I am PROUD of some of the things I have done, I just want it documented so I can laugh, cry and remember. So, there it is. That good ol' marriage compromising crap. I wonder what kind of compromise I'll have to make to get another puppy?

Enchiladas and Neighbors

I made those EFL enchiladas again, except I used low-carb tortillas instead of corn tortillas. I told you I live on Mexican food, I can't get enough! The hotter the better! I make it so spicy that my nose runs, but it does make getting in my gallons of water for the day easier! So, we had that for dinner last night, and I made enough to take to work and have some for my first meal of the day. I know, I know, enchiladas for breakfast is weird.

My neighborhood is the freak capital of the world. I have one neighbor who is *very* pissed at her husband and is constantly coming over to vent, another neighbor who decided to have her baby in her bathtub, another neighbor who insists on telling her kids goodnight stories that the WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD can hear, and a neighbor couple who decide once they get home from work, to dress-up in funky clothes and put on all of their body jewelry (nose rings, nipple rings, you name it) and sit in their garage and drink. Then there is myself who walks around the house mostly naked carrying my laptop with me wherever I go.

Cheryl Burritos

I cooked something that I came up with all by myself and it was GOOD!

My healthy burritos:

Lean ground turkey
Sugar-free catsup
Lawry's taco seasoning
La Tortilla Factory garlic & herb low-carb tortillas
green onions, chopped
cilantro - lots!
tomatoes - chopped

Brown the meat and add all ingredients. Use as much of each ingredient you want to fit your taste buds. Serve on warm tortillas with fat-free cheese and fat-free sour cream. Yummers! I think I must be part Mexican because: I eat mostly Mexican food, I speak a little Spanish, and I love Tequila. There is one more I am not going to talk about. :-D

Booooring.

Nothing interesting has happened in, like, 3 days. The Weather people can't make up their minds. It's going to snow, no its not, yes, it is, no its not. It goes on and on and on. I ate 8 pieces of pizza on free day. I fell down at work again, onto my knees, and I have bruises. It was also a sore-leg-weekend. Everyone is sick that I work with, and I'm scared to death I will get something, and it will wreck my progress so far. I'm down 7 pounds according to my trainer from early December. I'm all discombobulated today. That's about it. Sorry.

On a Roll

OK, we've seen the BIG hair, how about "rocker" hair? I did ALL the fads. I do cherish the size of my WAIST in this picture, even though it was pre-weight training. Soak it up, kids, we won't be making fun of CrazyDogMama next week.

Choke

How is my morning, you ask? I am choking on my Zone Bar. I was inhaling one a few minutes ago and forgot to grab my water by the water cooler. I got a little piece of the granola stuck in my throat and it made my throat tickle and sent me in to a fit of coughing. This lasted for, say, 10 minutes or so. My eyes were watering, and my nose was running. No one came to my rescue. I did notice, however, that several office doors down the hallway from me were slammed shut. Well, gee, people, sorry to frigging interrupt you! I now have little pieces of mushy Zone Bar all over my office floor. It's gonna be a great day, I can tell! :-D

The Dynasty Bitch

That is what my mom and I call this ridiculous picture of me. It was one of my senior pictures - and you can definitely tell it was the 80's. Check out that hair! and the earrings! Psst...Yogagirl...see what I mean? I am not quite sure what I was trying to accomplish with my look, but oh well. If we can't laugh at ourselves, then, uumm, wait a minute, I'd much rather laugh at other people! One of the reasons my husband and I are so perfect for each other is because we have the grand ability to make fun of just about everyone. At the police academy, where we met, we had a name for everyone based on our observation of them.  For examle, "Tackleberrry", "Mr. Heatmeiser", "Down-Syndrome Guy", etc.  Yeah, we're assholes.

Strange Vibe

OK, there are strange electrons in the air today. I don't know why. Every now and then I get this weird *feeling* that I can't explain. It is not necessarily a bad vibe, but definitely a strange one. Can't put my finger on what it is. It does make me nervous, though. I am going to watch everyone very carefully today, and also watch out for falling meteors. :-D

Aside from the twilight zone, my morning is quite normal. I'm tired, cranky and not in the mood to work. Everything is a mess. I don't have enough coffee to wake me up. I'm not sure the grocery store has enough coffee to wake me up. I don't want a grilled chicken salad; I want a brownie. I would rather take a nap on my lunch break instead of working out. My hair looks like a mop cuz I said "fuck it" this morning. I have no money in my account. I'm wearing the same pants I wore yesterday. (Clean underwear, though.) I forgot my lunch. My car smells like feet. Maybe I should just go home.

Zombie Zoo

Recovering from my weekend, here. After working overtime at my desk job, I survived my work out on Friday with my trainer. She just laughed at me, but she did take it easy on my legs. Instead, she beat my upper body up. Now I can't walk, sit, talk on the phone (arms hurt) or do any movement that involves my abs. I also taught a scrapbooking class until midnight on Friday. Then, on Saturday, my stepson came over and I worked at the restaurant until 12:30 am. On Sunday, we took my stepson home (round trip of 3 hours), went grocery shopping and other errands, ate dinner and crashed. I'm working a 10-hour shift today, then teaching another scrapbooking class tonight until about 11 pm, then it starts all over again on Tuesday at 4 am. What is wrong with me? I go from not getting out of my PJs for 3 days, to running around like a mad woman. I've also been experiencing heart palpitations for the last 2 days. Gee, I wonder why?

I'm an Idiot

Seriously, I am. I pushed myself very hard this week at the gym, pushing it beyond my limit. I am supposed to see my trainer for the first time today at 12:30 since my December hiatus, and I can barely MOVE. My legs are so sore that someone thought I had sprained my ankle because I am walking so funny. What am I gonna do? What was I thinking? My trainer always works my legs pretty hard! I tried to call her cell phone last night so that I could warn her, but it was out of service! Crap! Guess I'll just keep poppin' the Ibuprofen and pray. There is no mercy. My eating has been great this week, however.

Hunger & Laughs

Do you know how hard it is to work at an Italian restaurant where they give you free food when you are trying to do Body for Life? Holy pasta, Batman! I was good last night; I resisted the penne with gorgonzola cream sauce and the double dutch chocolate torte. Somebody KILL me, that was hard! Just give me the mixed greens with chicken and artichoke hearts in a balsamic vinegar, please. I was literally shaking. I don't have an eating disorder, though. Ha!

For laughs, I am trying to think of crazy, bratty things I did as a child.

When I was like 7, or so, I remember telling my friends at school that my mom went to jail, when in reality she just got a speeding ticket. She was SO not happy with me when the school called. I had to redact my statement in front of the whole class, lol!

Let's see, I also took off my clothes everywhere I went when I was very young because I didn't like clothes. There are no photos of me with clothes on before the age of 8 unless I was forced, which is obvious because of the look on my face.

After my mom popped me on the head with a wooden spoon in the kitchen for some stupid thing I did, I went and put the laundry basket over my head and walked around with my protection on.  My mom and grandma lost it when they saw me and couldn't stop laughing.

Enchiladas and Books

I cleaned up the spider webs in the kitchen and made another EFL meal, "Mom's Chicken Enchiladas". All I can say is YUM. I really liked this one! I wanted, like, 10 of them. It was a little more preparation than I wanted to do after a 12-hour day, but it was worth it. I also bought a new book, "Invisible Monsters" by Chuck Palahniuk. It was recommended to me because it is one of those dark, crazy books. The author also wrote "Fight Club" if that gives you the idea. Anyway, it is about a model who gets her jaw shot off and of course is horribly disfigured and can't talk. She loses her modeling job (duh), and her boyfriend dumps her and runs away with her best friend. She meets up with a transsexual (or something) and goes in search of happiness. Sounds interesting, no? I can't wait to start reading it.

I'm Official!

I actually REGISTERED for the Body for Life challenge today! What a concept! I do challenges, but never send in the paperwork. I'm doing it this time! Ya just never know. I will be doing that challenge, and the other challenge I told you about. The person I am competing with doesn't do BFL (to my knowledge) and thinks WALKING is gonna do it. NOT! Ha! I am sooooo gonna kick their ass! :-D

I may also register for a Maxformation since my trainer works for Max Muscle. I don't know if there are any rules that forbid competing in two different challenges. I use products from both EAS and Max Muscle. If anyone knows, email me.

Starting off with a protein shake this morning and will be doing stone wheat crackers with turkey and hot mustard for my next meal. My husband made his famous "Jim Chicken" last night. MMMMMMM. It is a very moist chicken breast in his special healthy, homemade barbecue sauce. What a great husband I have, it was fabulous. I had that and a huge portion of steamed cauliflower with enough water to take a bath in. Its cardio day. Crap. I hate cardio day. I just need to focus on my competition and how jealous they will be when I blow them so far out of the water it isn't funny!

The Old Grindstone

Things are incredibly back to normal now, including the Monday morning blahs. I'm also back on BFL full time now. Started off with an Iced Chai Tea with protein powder and glutamine, then a zone bar, then going to do oatmeal with Splenda and lean ham. (I get up at 4:30 am, so I am able to get a majority of my meals in before everyone else's normal lunch time.) I work out at lunch, so I gotta re-sign with the gym today. It will be pathetically busy, being January and all. I don't see my trainer until Friday, but I'm sure I will be way out of shape from my December Hiatus. I'm in competition for weight loss/muscle gain with a certain someone who I can't mention on my blog, so hopefully this will motivate me to get my arse going so I can BEAT THEM! They have a little bit of a head start on me, but once I get going, I know I can kick some serious butt.

Psycho Barbecuing

OK, I found another Texas Chainsaw site. This one made me laugh. You know I'm certifiable, right? It's called "Chop Tops BBQ". For those of you who don't know, "Chop Top" is a deranged Vietnam Vet with a metal plate in his head that is part of the "family" in Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part II. He is quite entertaining in the movie, a very colorful character. Anyway, my fav recipe is "Pete Loaf", with the main ingredient of course, being a guy named PETE. I guess you have to have a sick sense of humor like me. :)

Back to Normal

Temps are back in the 50's and all the snow and ice is gone. Whew! I thought it would be fun, it wasn't. You would think that it would allow me extra time to get stuff done like cleaning, organizing, you know, all that stuff you always plead as "I don't have the time!". Well, I had the time, and I was still lazy. I did, however, find the best drink EVER once we were able to break free from the ice barricades. We went to Ixtapa for some Mexican food, and I ordered a "double chocolate winter". It is hot chocolate with cinnamon, Baileys, Amaretto and Kahlua. It is DA BOMB!! Best kept for free days, of course, but WOW, talk about a chocolate lovers dream, it's like an orgasm in a glass. After a *few* of those, I was swept off into a very restful slumber.

Ice Storm!

So, first, we get pelted with snow, then 60 mile-an-hour winds, then an ICE STORM. This is the freakiest BS I have ever seen. This is my first ice storm, so I did not know what to expect. Our power started blinking on and off, and that really sent me into a panic because we don't own a fireplace. I KNOW. I kept wondering if we were all going to freeze to death. I've kept the computer off for the most part because of the power threat; hence the lack of blogging. I couldn't stand it any longer, though, so here I am. The DOGS don't even like it. I did get some rather humorous video of them sliding on the ice after treats, however. I'm just evil, I'll do anything for a good picture. You'll notice the picture of Louie standing on TOP of the snow, because the top layer of that snow is ice. My front windows look like shower glass, and I can't get my car door open. I got a little extended vacation from work, too. It hasn't been fun, though. I'm feeling anxious and claustrophobic. My neighbors will call me, but no one will venture out of their house. It's like we all have this neurotic need to stay inside and whine and bitch.

Bummed and Freezing

It is 15 frigging degrees here. It doesn't usually get this cold here, and my blood is still a little thin from the mild winter we had last year. I can't even remember the last time it got below 32 degrees. The news is predicting a foot of snow tomorrow for my area. A FOOT! Holy crap! Lou and Mags are laying in front of the heater and won't budge. I actually love the snow, but it sucks when you have a bunch of plans. There is no way on the planet I am driving to work with a foot of snow on the ground. I am a great snow driver, but Washington drivers are among the most moronic when it comes to winter weather. "It's snowing? Oh, well, I'll drive FASTER! I have a four-wheel drive vehicle and I am the only important one on the road!" Then there are the other drivers that are like "Oh my God, its Armageddon! I'll go 2 mph up this hill!"

Tomorrow is the official end to my 2-week vacation from the office. Poo. I have been in my pajamas for the last two days and have slept more than I have been awake. I got absolutely NOTHING accomplished. I have not even brushed my hair. It was a huge effort just to check my email. Now, it's back to working double shifts, working out every day, preparing 6 meals a day and sleeping only 6 or so hours a night. As much as I would like to be a stay-at-home dog mom, I would probably end up being a 500-pound rolling donut who would break out in a sweat answering the phone. It's really a good thing that I have a job.

Ma! Let us in! It's cold out here!

It is 2004. Woohoo.

New Year's Eve is so uneventful for us. I got called in to work at the restaurant (what a surprise), but they felt bad calling me in on my vacation, so I got to be the first one off. That, of course, completely pissed off my co-workers who had to stay past midnight, hahaha. It is such a clusterfuck to work on a holiday at a restaurant. By the time we all figure out what the 5 billion specials are, it's over. The prices get jacked up, and the service gets crappier because everyone on the planet eats out on holidays. (Also, we are all secretly cursing those people who get to do fun stuff on holidays and can afford to go out to eat at a nice restaurant.) The stupidest people alive decided to sit in my section, too. "What is Linguini?" My God in heaven. It is, however, a good night to make bank. Over a hundred dollars cash in just a few hours.

It just started snowing again here, and it is sticking to the pavement. The Seattle-metro area isn't used to getting too much snow, so the whole state pretty much shuts down with a few inches.

Oh, and I made the Beef with Barely soup from Eating for Life! (I don't give a shit about mad cow.) It was pretty good! Jim left the rest of it sitting out on the counter overnight, though, and we had to throw the rest away. Never trust men to put food away before they go to bed.

How to piss off a vegan: say you belong to PETA, then go on to explain what that term means to you: People Eating Tasty Animals.