A Fabulous Friday

It was a Fabulous Friday for ME!!! I got a kinda late start, but headed out to Deerbrook Mall on a quest! They've had that super sale going on and I've been looking at the comforter sets off and on for many days now.

As you can see by the latest pic from last Tuesday, I'm looking healthier by the day and ... feeling even better. I did purchase a comforter set today. But, I wasn't through shopping!

I carried that huge set, two sacks with other purchases and shopped all over the second floor! Now folks, back in December/08 and January/09 I was land locked in my recliner. Sure, I could've gone to the mall, but why? I was a huffin' and a puffin' and had no o2 to take me around. I am back to full steam!

Carried those items, shopped and walked half way down the parking lot to my car to unload and go back and do some more! I walked the mall from top to bottom and end to end...walking, browsing, humming and smiling!

I ducked into Luby's, thinking, I will have a salad of some sort. The line was half way down the side wall. Standing and looking toward the salad selections, I decided on one with broccoli, cabbage, carrots, raisins, etc. The closer I moved to the selection, the more my inner self said 'why are you spending calories on that'?

Turning and excusing myself (two away from the trays), I exited and went on about my business! When I truly felt some hunger hit, I pulled a Protein Bar out and munched. Craving satisfied and me, happy! And, so, change has taken place, for the better.

I can eat anything again. Literally. Michael fusses at me now because I'm very careful of calorie intake. Point being, I eat so little when I eat, if I do intake 1200 a day, it's a miracle! And, at one point this evening, what I ate wasn't happy...hope it's happier down the 'toity'!!!

This process has truly been life changing and life giving. My great problem now is all the energy I have again. I want to be doing something all the time! Tv has become boring and I read, but in snatches. So, I'm on the prowl finding things to do...I swear, must have the cleanest house in the country!

What's on tap tomorrow? Taking the comforter back. There's another one I really wanted more, so, I'm going back and play again!!! Gotta luv it!

With A Pencil and A Pad, I Figured It Out!!

Me thinks I've unlocked the golden door in the last three days. The food thing is crazy and the caloric intake interesting. However; I decided if I denied the body food when it 'begged' for it at different hours of the day, it would hang on to the fat it had in tow.

Thus, I've begun engaging in appropriate foods at various times of the day. If my tummy's empty at 10 a.m. I feed on a Protein bar. In the afternoon, a protein snack of left overs or a fruit smoothie with protein powder. Suddenly, it's like the body has decided to let go my ego again.

I'll see in the next couple of mornings what happens, but, I think it might be working again. I hope, I hope, I hope. Although I've been stuck at -46, I've lost several more inches. All is well, I'm still happy as a lark and ultimately, it will all go away.

In case you need a wonderful treat..and, you're not dieting....
1 cup of your fave ice cream
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup frozen fruit (i like strawberry/blackberry mix) they act as ice cubes
blend with a pulse and enjoy the results.

You can also use a tablespoon of peanut butter or a sugar free chocolate syrup or your imagination! I also like to mix with a banana and peanut butter. Yum, good stuff!

So, off I go to the nighty nites...having stated my case. Have a super Thursday, all day long.
Toodles.

I Gotchur Big Apple

In the summer of 1987, I took my first (and only trip, actually) to NEW YORK CITY! I loved it...couldn't look enough, eat enough, walk enough nor take picture ENUF!! Didn't go alone. I took mother (Lucille) and my cousin, Nancy and her mother (Lois) went with us!

We had a blast. Now, there were a few hitches in some of our 'git alongs'...primarily Aunt Lois at that time. I was a big girl that summer, but a strong girl at that time! We'd walk and walk until our legs would almost fall off and I'd see Aunt Lois moving slower and slower. I'd slip up beside her and hook my forearm up, under one of her arms and literally shoulder much of her weight.

I didn't care. Everyone was sightseeing, laughing, buying everything we saw and deciding how much money to put in our 'cab pot' for the day. I was so excited the first time we hailed a cab. It was July and the temp for the entire three days was 98/99...hot and hotter! We got that first cab to curb and I jumped in the front seat ready to be COOL!

That didn't happen. I was in shock. How did I know all the yellow cabs in NYC ran without air and ran with their hoods propped up slightly? Man, was I ticked and disappointed! Nancy was the 'pot' holder (cab money...stop that!) and I was the cab HAILER! Hey, I didn't learn to whistle up cattle for nothin'!!

One afternoon, we decided to walk to a particular building. But, the heat was terrible, thus, the subway. We went down into the subway tunnel on the wrong side, emerged, preparing to cross the street to the 'right' side. As we stood watching for the light to turn, Nancy had stepped just off the curb to wait, ready to run when the WALK sign came on.

Suddenly, a shiny, sleek silver ElDorado pulled in front of my eyes. Wow! I was in love! It had air conditioning running, too! The problem was...a huge city bus was right beside that shiny, sleek, off the showroom floor auto. Now, as the car approached the corner, remember, Nancy was standing off the curb. OOPS!

The car swerved left to miss Nancy and the bus swerved right preparing to turn the corner. Slam, bam, screech, scrape and I lost it! Nancy jumped back up on the curb and I tried with great effort to corral my laughter! Finally, I heard Nancy yelling...she was many yards down the sidewalk and trying to get a cab!

I took Aunt Lois by the arm and here we went. When we all got to that point, I said, what's wrong...that was crazy! Nancy said, 'it's NYC at 2 p.m. - we were not only witnesses, I was off the curb! The police department is the LAST PLACE WE NEED TO BE!' Message understood and when that cab swooped up with a screeching halt, we all jumped in, jammed in and said, hit it!

As we moved across the lanes and made the left hand turn, I looked back over my shoulder to see people pointing and shouting OUR WAY! But, we escaped! We were good, fast and with purpose!

There were more fun times during that vacation, for another time here. But, I do know if I ever travel to the Big Apple again, I will not be THE BIG GURL FROM TEXAS! I'm on a mission and looking forward to the coming weeks/months to see where I go from here!

The sure thing I know, if I am ever in NYC again, I will always stand on the curb!!! As that car initiated his right turn and that big bus gouged his front fender, the bus carved a deep gash all the way down to the back door! Oops!

Hey, I have one kinda big gash on my right side, tummy! Lololol And, I think it probably cost a few pennies more than the repair on that ElDorado!!!! Ya thank???

Have a good week...and, stay on the curb, okay?