Health Concerns

Mom, if you're reading this, don't be surprised.  I think you know all of this stuff.   I'm horrible about going to the doctor.  You're supposed to go what like once a year?  Yeah I haven't gone since I was 25.  And that was almost three years ago.  I didn't even go to an adult doctor.  I went to my pediatrician, who scolded me for not having a grown up doctor and told me that he never wanted to see me in his office for medical reasons again, unless it was an utter emergency.  I didn't get a checkup either, it was for a sinus infection.  Sooo yeah I really need to go.  I'm also a mild asthmatic since birth, which of course was exasperated by the choice of friends I hung out with a lot in college (cigarette smoke? not good for crappy lungs).  I don't need an inhaler on a daily basis and I don't have to take steroids or anything, but every once in while a good puff on an inhaler does me a world of good.  So I have one that I keep in my purse for emergencies.  Or should I say "had".  What I have now is an empty inhaler shell.  The medicine part has all run out.  So I should probably get a refill of that, especially as I become more active, thus working my lungs harder.

SO I have made the grand and wonderful decision to find myself an adult doctor in the DFW area.  My friend Allison has one that she loves, who is miraculously in my insurance network, so as soon as I check with my boss on the best times for a doctor's appointment, I am going to call and schedule one for a physical.  I tend to play my cards close to the vest especially when I'm talking to someone new about personal things (like my health) but I'm going to be totally open and honest with her.  Because if you can't be with your doctor, who can you be?

I also am going to schedule an eye appointment.  I'm blind as a bat without my glasses and it's getting to the point where I have horrible eyesight WITH my glasses.  Like I thought an 8 was a 9, and I thought a 6 was a 5, and I thought  a K was an N.  Yeah.  Awful.  So I'm going to get my eyes checked and get some new glasses so I can see again!  It's going to be amazing, and I really really can't wait.

Addicted

I have a problem.  It's not life-threatening, and it's not that big of a deal.  But it still is a problem.  My problem?  Well I am addicted.  I am completely and totally addicted to Netflix.  It's something that a lot of people suffer from, and it's a growing problem as cable becomes more and more expensive (Note, I use the word "suffer" very lightly).  Currently, I am going through Merlinitis.  This is a terrible disease which contains intense needs to watch The Adventures of Merlin, deep longings to be part of Camelot and an immense amount of feels for the characters/actors of the show.  A show that a week or two ago, I wasn't that interested in.  Then I started watching it.  And it was good.  I enjoyed it.  So I continued to watch it.  I spent my evenings cooped up in my living room devouring episode after episode, going through three seasons in two weeks.  And now, having finished the third season yesterday, all I want to do is start season four.  Even though I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS. I'm well versed in the legends and stories of King Arthur and Camelot, and I KNOW HOW THE STORY ENDS.  No really, I do.  BUT I CAN'T HELP BUT WATCH IT!!  It's nerve-wrecking and I can't handle it.  And yet, I can.  Because I want to, because I have to see how Colin and Bradley and Angel and Katie and the knights handle what's going to come.  It's stupid and insane.  But I love it. So don't send help, don't stage an intervention.  Don't crash my apartment to pull me away, unless you bring snacks.  Then you're allowed to come.    

BEACH BEACH BEACH BEACH BEACH

Yesterday was a much better day than the day before.  There were no tears (well except during my late night showing of Peter Pan.  "I do believe in fairies, I do I do!" always makes me cry), and I was pretty productive, despite my laziness.  I also got to talk to one of my besties who made me CRACK up. It was great.  Not only that, BUT I got all my laundry done, AND I got packed and ready to go for my second weekend away from home.  This weekend, I'm headed to Galveston for a little sand, a little seaweed, a little surf, and a WHOLE lot of family time.  It's the Mouton family reunion, more commonly known (among those who know) as GJOADAC.  or Gloria & Jerome's Offspring And Descendants Annual Campout.  Every summer, those who can of the Mouton clan descend upon Galveston Isle for a single weekend.  It's 48 hours of fun, laughter, drinking, food, and of course love.  I'm so excited to see everyone.  So I'll be back on Monday, a little sunburned, a lot tired and overflowing with the love of my gigantic family.

This is from our first one, about three year ago.  And yes, that is just aunts, uncles, cousins and siblings (and parents of course)

Bad Day

Dear you,

It's your birthday.  You'd be 25 today, which means that you'd finally be in my self appointed age bracket.  Which is dumb, I know, but it is what it is.  Your brother went to King Wok, which you loved, and got an awesome fortune.  It's nice that you're still watching out for us.  We miss you every day.

This was enough to make today a shitty day.  But then my aunt went into the hospital for blood clots last night.  She's okay, on blood thinners and a diuretic to get rid of the fluid around her heart due to the blood clots.  But when you're already on the verge of a crappy day and you get that kind of news about your godmother, then yeah it pushes you over the edge.  Don't worry, I'm trying to bring it back and staying strong.  It's what you would do, and lord knows you were always the stronger of the two of us.  So, instead of going home and eating my feelings, I'm going for a walk, then to my Weight Watchers meeting, then to the hospital to see her.  I am going to stop and get something yummy on the way home, to celebrate you and my brother in law, who's birthday is also today.  Also to maybe eat my feelings a tiny tiny bit.  I miss you love.  Thanks for being there.

Love, Me

Sadness, or How do Celebrities Find Out When Their Friends Died?

For those of you who don't know,  I used to watch Glee a lot. The whole idea of people bursting out into song in the middle of their lives was awesome to me, especially when some of the actors were people I knew from Broadway.  So I was invested in the show.  But then the storyline got too stupid for me, even the songs couldn't make up for it.  I still had a soft spot in my heart for the Glee kids though.  So when I heard yesterday that Cory Monteith passed away, it was so heart wrenching for me.  I found out from my mom, who read about it online.  I follow a lot of the actors from Glee on Twitter and several have tweeted about it, not to mention other celebrities I follow.  But it got me thinking, how do they find out?

When my friend died in October, I found out first from my mom, then one of my friends called, then my brother, and it just went on from there.  I then made calls to people who knew him that I didn't want finding out from like Facebook or something like that.  So that's how a normal non famous person spreads the news of grief.  But what about when the person who dies is a famous person and their death is immediately spread all over the world?  Do their friends have to find out from social media?  Or do you think that people they know (friends, family, the like) quickly spread the word to the closest people so, like my friends, they don't have to find out about the death of a loved one from the media?  I hope that's what happens, because I can only imagine finding out about a death of a friend from a tabloid or a news site.  RIP Finn, you will be missed!

It's the Freaking Weekend!

Well okay, not quite.  We still have to get through a day of work, BUT after that?  It's the FREAKING WEEKEND!  I cannot wait.  I'm so excited.  This weekend is the first of two spent down in the southeast area of my state, but I'll actually be in H-town with my momma and poppa.  I'm going to TWO (count 'em TWO) back to back parties tomorrow.  One is a baby shower for one of my favorite HS friends.  She's due in August and so far is the cutest stinking pregnant person ever.  Besides my sister of course.  And the other is my faux nephew's birthday party!! My faux nephew is my precious friend's son who doesn't have any REAL aunts.  So  her BFFers are his faux aunts.  I can NOT believe that he is going to be four.  It just completely blows my mind.  But I also get to see my precious friend, which I am COMPLETELY thrilled about.  I just need to hug her for about three days.  I also get to see my momma (who's coming to the baby shower with me) and my poppa (who I hardly ever get to see by myself!) and my Nana!  I think it's going to be crazy awesome fun time.  But it'll be exhausting and tiring.  Good thing I have the office to myself next week (Just kidding, I'm actually working).

A New Dawn, A New Day, Same Life

Despite the TERRIBLE eating I did this weekend (fast food twice, burgers and hot dogs the other meals, a crap ton of Chinese food), it was a really really nice weekend.  Things I learned this weekend include:

- Despite growing up in one of the country's biggest baseball towns, one of my besties had never been to a major league baseball game until Saturday night.  Her giddy excitement made me feel like a kid again!

- I really really love baseball.

- Trouble with the Curve was Clint Eastwood's first movie in 20 years that he did not direct.

- I'm in DESPERATE need of new glasses.  I thought KY was NY on Saturday night.  Like I made a comment on it and everything.

-Sleeping in til noon is awesome when it happens once in a blue moon.  And I'm not talking about waking up at 9:00 and then drowsing until noon.  I mean actually sleeping hard until you wake up THINKING it's 9:00 but really it's 11:56.

- Joss Whedon's house is amazeballs.  If I had a house like that, I'd shoot a movie at it too.

- Speaking of that, Much Ado About Nothing was awesome, like really really good but I still prefer David Tennant and Catherine Tate as Benedick and Beatrice.

Now it's a new week, and so far, I've made good choices.  I didn't stop at Starbucks, I did pack my lunch, I did bring my workout clothes to the office so I can change before I leave to go straight to the track or the apartment gym.  And I was not going to have fruit with breakfast, but one of my WW routines is to have fruit with every meal or snack, and so I'm working on that.  Oatmeal, tea and grapes is a good breakfast right?

PS Sorry this has become more of a WW blog.  It's what's happening in my life, and I find I'm more accountable if I write about it and send it off into the universe :-).

Whomp Whomp

So yesterday was the 4th of July.  Independence Day.  The day we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence over two hundred years ago.  It's a big deal, and we celebrated it as such, for most of the day.  I woke up, ate breakfast (having turned down Whataburger the night before as an original breakfast plan), and drove out to my sister's house in Fort Worth for the Arlington Independence Day parade!  It was a BEAUTIFUL day yesterday, low temps, no humidity, wonderful breeze.  We sat under a bank of trees and were perfectly comfortable all day long.  It was amazing.  The parade was really good as well, with a lot of really well done floats and stuff.  It was quite an enjoyable morning!  We got home around 11 or so and decided to have Sonic for lunch.  I'm telling you man, fast food is my weakness.  But I was really good, and looked up the points of stuff before ordering so I knew exactly what I was getting myself into.  BUT then I was starving.  And instead of asking my sister for some fruit, that I KNEW they had in the fridge, I snacked on cake cookies and bits of grilled cheese left over from my niece's lunch.  So that was fun.  Then my sisters and I went to the store to try to find my oldest sister a dress, which was a no go, but we did find some shirts for my BIL and pjs for my niece.  We came home and settled in for naps and a traditional viewing of 1776.  Then we played for a while, and had dinner of hamburgers, chips and fruit.  After dinner, I went home.  I probably should have stayed and watched the Capitol Fourth with them, but I was really tired and needed to get home and get some stuff done before today.  The reason I say I should have stayed was because about halfway through my stuff, I got frustrated and stopped for the evening, opting instead to sit on my couch and watch "Take Me Out to the Ballgame".  Then I went to bed to the musical sound of fireworks going off.

I woke up this morning cranky, tired and completely unmotivated.  I really don't want to be the kind of person who forces her eating habits or traits onto others, and I feel like that's what happened yesterday.  I was worried about my points and what I was eating and it crept into other people's views.  So I let it slid and ate whatever I wanted to.  Which wasn't good either, because now I have less than 30 extra points.  I HATE using my extra points.  I know that's what they're there for, but I still hate using them.  So being as unmotivated as I was, I stopped at Starbucks for breakfast.  And I got a grande nonfat Chai tea latte and a blueberry scone.  How many points do you think that was together?  I'll give you a minute to think about it.

NINETEEN POINTS.  Those two LITTLE things were NINETEEN points together.  So now, I only have 23 points for the rest of the day, since I have to save my extra points for the ballgame tomorrow.  I really need help getting re-motivated.  Like a jump start or something.

Watching the Weight

I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting yesterday.  It was a bit of an ordeal in the beginning because first of all, I registered for the wrong place.  I thought I was registering for the one right by my house when in reality, I was registering for the one 20 minutes away.  Not cool.  And of course by the time I figured that out, it was day of.  So I decided to screw it and just go out of my way this one time.  So I left in time to get there with time to do my weigh in beforehand.  But then I couldn't find the place.  Seriously I got there fifteen minutes early, but I drove around for ten minutes trying to find the damn place.  Finally, after searching and searching, I 411ed it, and as they were connecting me, I saw it.  So I parked, hopped out and hurried im.

It was a pretty full meeting, mainly made up of older people, which is cool.  The leader's name was Susie and  she was a very energetic lady.  It was full of awesome energy and support from people.  You could tell that they've been coming to the meetings a lot, because everybody pretty much knew everybody else. It was a great vibe.   We talked about the Ripple Effect and what we can do to cause ripples in our lives that are beneficial rather than detrimental.  After the meeting, which was about 30 minutes long, I and another lady stayed after for an overview of the whole program.  We talked about tracking and how important it is, we talked about taking control of our spaces and routines, and we talked about the different tools we can use.  I really like the Spaces thing, because it made you really stop and think about what you did in different places. Like I eat in front of the TV.  It's kind of a constant, but there are ways to not eat as much in front of the TV by limiting what you bring in or what you eat out of.  It was great.

Overall it was a very positive experience and I was so inspired, I went to the grocery store and bought a bunch of fresh fruits and veggies.  I think with the right support, I can make this work this time!!

A Story About Cake

A little backstory: my mother is a terrific baker.  She whips out cookies at Christmas like it's nothing, and every year for our birthdays she would make us delicious cakes.  Hell, she made my little sister a cake in the shape of Barney the Dinosaur once.  It was AWESOME.  So I think maybe some of that went into my blood.

My older sister is going to have a baby in August, and so my oldest sister (yeah confusing I know) threw her a baby shower this past weekend, and she decided it would be awesome to have a book baby shower to start the little baby's library off right.  Everything was book themed, the food, the decorations, even the presents.  So of course, the cake had to be book themed as well.  We were going to have a professional do cupcakes with books on top, but we couldn't find any place that would be cheap and not require us to order a million cupcakes.  After searching on Pinterest, we found this picture, which gave us the inspiration for our own book cake.  I, having never attempted a cake on this scale or skill before but having immense faith in my own cooking skills, volunteered to make it.

The Inspiration Source 

As the course of life goes, we all got busy, and I forgot about the cake, until the Tuesday night before the shower.  I sat up in bed in a cold sweat because I had no idea how I was going to do it or what I was going to do.  After a couple of days of research and planning, I decided that I would make two different types of cake.  We had planned on making the cake three books high, so with two 9x13 cakes, one would be cut in half and stacked on top of the other.   I chose recipes from smitten kitchen, her Red Velvet cake for the bottom layer and the Best Birthday cake for the top layers.

Friday, the day before the shower rolled around, and after we celebrated my little cousin's birthday, I got down to business.  I sifted and mixed, poured and baked until about 11:45 that night, but my end result? Two beautiful cakes, ready to be trimmed and iced.  Note to self/y'all, when baking with parchment paper, make sure it's straight as you pour in the batter.  Otherwise you get big old indentions in the cakes.

Stage One, baked and cooling the night before.

The next morning, I woke up bright and early and after breakfast got down to work.  I trimmed the cakes until they no longer had indentions and were straight.  Then I cut the yellow one in half.

Trimmed and ready for icing!

Due to the stressful time, I didn't take any pictures of the actual icing stage.  I used a simple buttercream icing (my momma's recipe) and after three or four batches of icing, the cakes were iced and stacked.  However, they didn't look really like books, and I was out of ingredients.  So my cousin and I ran to the grocery store to get more, and to pick up some icing in a tube for writing.  Unfortunately, I grabbed gel icing because it has the best writing tip, and gel icing does not function well with buttercream.  It slid right off.  By this time, my mom arrived from shopping and she took over the process, which was really just touching up the colored icing and adding white icing around the middle to make them look like books.  Here is the finished product!

The cakes themselves were delicious, and because of all the cream and butter and powdered sugar, the icing was amazing.  It was my first big cake, and I think it was a success.  I don't know if I would do it again surrounded by all the women in my family, but it was fun, and I'm so glad it turned out well!!