C'est La Vie: An American Woman Begins a New Life in Paris and--Voila!--Becomes Almost French by Suzy Gershman

OK, so I have been reading a lot lately. It is what I do when it is cold and dreary outside. I hibernate and read. This book was pretty good. I liked the story line and the writing was pretty fluid. I love anything french (french fries, french toast, french kissing...) Of the subject- sorry! The gal in the book loses her husband unexpectedly and decides to do her lifelong dream and travel to France and live with the french. How great would that be. It is one of the places I have longed to travel to as well. Someday I'll get my Christmas in Paris. I give it 3.5 bookmarks.

Book Review: Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

I wasn't too impressed by the book. I have read some other books by Kinsella in the past and the Shopaholic series was much better. Maybe the premise of this book scared me a little. This girl wakes up in the hospital to find that 3 years of her life have been taken from her by a bad case of amnesia. She was now married, having an affair with a guy that her new husband works with, her long time friends hate her, and she finds that she is very successful in her career. At first she is pretty impressed by the handsome husband and her great digs, but finds that there is loneliness and heartache behind the perfect facade. The ending was a little soft and should have tied up the story line a little better. I don't know what I would do if I woke up in the hospital to find that 3 years of my life was gone. The loss of control on my memories would probably drive me crazy. She was a little gullible in trusting the wrong people in her life for the needed answers. I probably would do the same thing. That's a little scary...

Book Review: One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell

Candace Bushnell is the author of the popular Sex in the City book. I haven't read that book or watched the TV series. Maybe sometime soon...
The book was a little dense and had a few gaps in the story line. There were quite a few character lines that crossed and needed to come together a little better. The premise of the book was a popular apartment building in New York and the story of the occupants. She tied the past and present together pretty well and the characters seemed to be lifelike. Nothing too extreme. It was almost as if I could pick a person in real life that was one of the characters in the book. The mix of characters was pretty good too. The different ages, occupations, economic statuses seemed to flow pretty well. You find yourself liking some of them and want to hang out, but there are always some others that are drab and/or you hate them with a vengeance. The head of the board was a little weird. She was married to her husband for 20 years and didn't want anything to do with the poor guy. Why be married? And she was OK with him being with another woman who would blog about their escapades? I wonder if she would have left him if he hadn't wrote that hit book. The little mystery with the necklace was a nice addition. I kind of felt bad for Billy. He had good intentions, but the luck of money was not his. I wonder what happened to his mom.

I made some snuggly beds for the boys

With the snow piling up outside, there's little to do outside for the little guys...


So, I had some leftover fabric in my craft area and the boys love to lie around on these beds. I can hear them snoring just thinking about it.

...next to our new fireplace. Boy, I can't believe we waited so long to get a nice fireplace for our home. It is really nice and cozy. A glass of wine anyone?

Welcome to Winter

This is one of the 6 times we were out shoveling snow. Got to love the Snowplow Guy! He sure knows how to "throw" a party! (Yes, the snow is up to my thighs here) We got about a foot and a half. It's sometimes hard to measure because the wind likes to make it drift in areas.

Tonka got a new hairdo. Kind of looks like an Afro.

This is the snow coming down (6am) on Wednesday morning. It was a cool thunder snowstorm with lightning. Very cool to watch and listen to. I don't think I have experienced anything like it before. The sky was an eerie quiet light prior to the storm. Almost daylight when the storm came over. The thunder was pretty loud too. I guess it had cyclone-like properties and was a storm of historic proportions.

Little Echo got dumped on. She is frozen to the ground right now (Thursday). Jeff picked a great week to be in Vegas for 'work'. I wish we had a snow blower. This storm had very heavy snow and it was a full body workout in the driveway for Logan and I. The doggies liked the snow. Larry was having a hard time walking in it as the snow was deeper than his height.

Doggie's First Snow

The guys had a great time running and playing in the snow. They love the new fence we had installed and love to bark at the neighbors (we may need to work on their neighborly behavior a bit).

A little Halloween Fun

We went to a friend's Halloween party and dressed up (the first time in years). It was a lot of fun. Cassie (a friend of ours) decided to go out with us. I was a geisha and the dogs were a little skeptical about me with face paint on. Jeff was Che Guevara and Cassie was a belly dancer. I thought we all had some pretty good costumes. I had on the tradition wooden Geisha shoes. They were a little interesting to walk in at first, but became pretty comfy.

Welcome Larry Wu Lee

We adopted a new puppy. He is a standard shar pei with a bear coat. I love that he looks like a little lion with his great looking mane.

RIP Sir Charles Barkley (AKA Chuey)

I miss you buddy and our long walks together! You were the best dog ever and a true believer of living life to the fullest.

4/20/00 to 9/22/09

Practice with Transfers

So, I was at Joann's this weekend having a bit of fun in their t-shirt aisle and came up with some shirts and transfers to try. I made a couple for myself and the little one is for a friend's baby. They were surprisingly easy!

Cupcake Fun

I love pink! And these chocolate delights are pretty tasty treats. Logan had to do the honors with the "quality review process" (3 cupcakes later, he gave his final approval).

Cancun 2009

Enjoying the nice weather. The hotel is located right on the water. The weather was a beautiful 95 degrees. Our first day there, we got upgraded to VIP status and enjoyed some nice perks.

At the hotel, one of the bars is a swim up bar. Arm floaties are a must in case you fall off the stool. I would recommend everyone to try a Miami Vice. I had quite a few while I was there.

We went on a catamaran to Isla Mujeres. It was a great day to venture across to the island and do a little shopping in the small fishing island. The fish at lunchtime was awesome!

Snorkeling anyone? On the way to the island, we took in some coral reef action. I saw a small sting ray and some schools of fish. It is cool to see all the bright colored fish in the salt water.

This is a view from our room. Unfortunately, we didn't stay in the room too much. There is so much stuff to do during the day and night there.

Welcome the Green Monstah...

Jeff has decided to rid of the scooter and upgrade to bigger and better things. He has been having fun riding the Green Monstah around town. Anyone want to go on a ride with him?

My New Chair

I inherited a new chair from a friend a while back. I loved the design, but it needed serious help on the fabric end of things. Time to reupholster for the first time...


I picked up this great fabric from Joann's (it was clearance of their clearance- so AKA cheap) After a little blood, sweat, and tears from Logan and I.... We ended up with a great new addition to our home. The new padding and fabric turned out great.

Welcome Master Bruce Flea

He is the best thing since sliced bread...




Ok, so I don't eat bread... He is the best thing since steamed veggies for me. I hope you all enjoy him as much as I do... He gives the sweetest kisses and loves to snuggle.

Happy Birthday Gary!

Garu turned 60 this weekend. Wow, retirement is now right around the corner for you! Take care and enjoy those sixties. Do you need help looking for a nice warm place to buy for your retirement? Now is the time to buy... :)

Speedy...

Just call me Speedy. I got a speeding ticket today on my way to a closing for work. Actually flying low to a closing. Never get a ticket in a construction zone - it doesn't matter if the guys are working or not, the fine is still the same. I get into a lot of accidents, but most are not my fault and it's been many years since I have gotten a ticket.

Do you think my boss should foot the bill for this one?

HAIR

We went to the University Theatre last night to see Hair. It was great. We had front row seats and the players were inches from us. The music was great. Logan's guitar instructor was in the band and they were awesome. I bet the soundtrack is pretty good for this one. The players in the production are mostly college students from the Fine Arts department. I'm not usually too keen on musicals, but this one is great to see and the premise is right on track for me. Peace and Love.
1,2,3,4...we don't want your stinking war...

STOMP

On Sunday, we all went to see the STOMP show at the Overture. I think it's our last show for the season there. What a great show. I wasn't sure what to expect when we went, and it was great. Jeff and Logan seemed to like it also. It's hard to find a show that the whole family will enjoy, but this one does it. There were quite a few people there with their families. It's interesting to see the performers use every day items and make music and beats with them. Go see it if you get a chance.

It feels like spring

Finally!

I have been waiting pretty impatiently for some nice weather. I have been out with Chuey the last few days too. He loves to go on walks around the neighborhood. He would prefer to roam on his own, but such as life...

Happy Spring everyone!

Bahstun Trip 2009

Logan had the week off of school for spring break, so we decided to go to Boston to see how America started and learn some history. On the trip, we headed down the Freedom Trail and saw some great historic sites, the Old State House, Paul Revere's House, the Constitution, Bunker Hill, Boston Massacre site, and some others. It was a great day and we had a lot of fun learning about the Boston Tea Party, etc. We stopped at Salty Dog Oyster Bar at Quincy Market and we all tried raw oysters on the half shell there. It was not my favorite experience and was a little salty and chewy for my tastes. The hot sauce helped a little.
We went to the Boston Museum of Science and that was pretty entertaining for all of us. They had a lot to see and I saw a chick hatch for the first time. It was pretty cool.
The Boston Aquarium doesn't compare to the Shed in Chicago, but I love that they had lots of penguins there. They are one of my favorites to see. The sharks swimming around their huge aquarium were pretty freaky. I didn't realize that jellyfish are so resilient and will probably be the last standing in our waters. The best part of the Aquarium day was the IMax theatre where we caught a 3D "Under the Sea" show.
One other day, we went to the Sam Adams Brewery and drank some nice fresh beer. They have a beer on tap that they only serve there that was pretty tasty. They only brew at the Boston Brewery for Boston. They have 2 other breweries that brew for the rest of the US.
We were able to score some Boston Red Sox tickets for a game against the Tampa Bay Rays. It was a little chilly that night, so we got some warm clothes to wear (Sox gear, of course). They serve clam chowder and hot chocolate at their games! I love it. They didn't win the game, but we had a blast anyway. They fans are a lot of fun and really love their hometown team. It was pretty cool to say that we had an opportunity to go to Fenway for a game.
One of my favorite parts of the trip was the trip to the Museum of Fine Arts. I was inches away from Renoir, Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, DaVinci, etc. It was awesome! That was just a part of the museum. We were there for hours looking around and drooling over the great works of art. They had a neat Meditation room there.
Some of the most beautiful view we saw came from the Prudential building tour. You go to the 50th floor and they have 360 degree views from up there. It was a little cloudy that day, but we were able to get a bird's eye view of some of the sites we had already visited and were going to visit.
One sunny day, we ventured to Harvard and walked around the school grounds and went to the Museum of Natural History. I'm not too into stuffed creatures, but they had a cool exhibit of flora species that was completely made of glass. It was pretty amazing the work that this guy and his son had gone through to making the glass look so real.
We went into China town for a few hours one day and tried our first taste of Bubble Tea. It is something that I didn't expect. It was very weird at first, but now that I haven't had it for a couple of days, I think I may miss it. It is something to try, for sure. It's very unique, to say the least. We went to a BBQ place there and had the most interesting meal. We went into the place, because it was a traditional Chinese eatery with the ducks and chickens hanging in the window. I ordered a half chicken and the guy took one down and placed it sideways on the butcher block in front of him. He grabbed his (very sharp) butcher knife and cut the 1/2 chicken into 1 1/2 inches sub sections (across the bone and all). They serve this cold. With each bite, I was picking out bone and skin. It wasn't actually bad tasting. Jeff ordered a pork and rice meal and his looked pretty good. I can say now that I have eaten like a local. (I did leave the chicken leg and foot on my plate). I was not going that "local" this trip. Maybe next time. We stopped at a pastry place and Logan got this very delicious coconut bar and Jeff and I got almond cookies. I don't eat many sweets now, but that cookie was heavenly!
We stopped at MIT to take a few photos of the great contemporary architecture that they have there. It was a great day to nap on their pavilion stairs.
Being the politician, Jeff and I decided to hit the JFK museum to get a little history lesson. Did you know that he started the US space program and the Peace Corp? He also started the humane treatment of mentally handicapped persons and spoke at the Berlin Wall (a part of the wall is at the museum on display).
One of the best meals (rich meals) that we experienced was lobster dinner at the Legal Sea Foods. I had the traditional lobster boil, Jeff had Lobster dinner with 2 sides, and Logan had the deep fried shrimp dinner with 2 sides. My dinner came in a steam pack with corn on the cob, mussels, clams, lobster, chorizo, and clam chowder. We had the best Boston Cream Pie for dessert. It was a great feast to end our trip in Boston. We found out that the Boston Cream Pie is more of a layered cake. A tasty layer cake.
Dunkin' Donuts on every corner there and we all became addicted to the DD. Or, as I now call it, the Double D.
I love the T. We went everywhere on the T. We need one in Madison. The subway system was great and reliable. Do not rent a car when you go to Boston. It would be a nightmare with the one way street and parking issues. The T can get you anywhere you need to go. And bring a comfortable pair of walking shoes. We definitely used ours.
All in all, we had a very adventurous trip and didn't do much relaxing. Maybe next time...
**did anyone notice that Logan is now TALLER than me?

Jeff's new toy...

I drove his old car to work one day and took out the transmission on it. Oops! So, he's sporting a new ride...

** he is so tall that few cars fit him, and I thought a convertible would be a little chilly for our winters here.

*** We call our new addition, "Tonka" Nytes.

Cirque Eloize

On Sunday, we went to the Overture Center to see the Cirque Eloize show "Nebbia". It was a great show filled with comedy, drama, and lots of theatrical performances by the cast. Here's word from the director of the show (Nebbia means fog):

The fog that would float down when we visited my grandparents would swallow up the entire house. The neighborhood disappeared, followed by the entire village. Standing on the living room balcony, I would spy on the void and when the sky was very low, I would see strange things. The waves of the sea came to lick at the garden gate and hallucinations paraded along the row of poplar trees. I'd watch as lovers chased after one another. I'd see camels, elephants, soldiers returning from war… Once, I even saw myself float by. I was all grown up, driving a red car. It was often, or should I say always, a carnival...

The sound of the sea was omnipresent. And when the fog lifted, mullet and bass would be lying on the road. Once, we even found a fishing boat in the village square. An entire fishing boat. Yet the ocean was 300 kilometers from the grandparents' house.

There are other types of fog; fog that slips down over our eyes, drawing a thin veil between us and those who are already a little bit elsewhere. For some time, a fog has floated between my grandmother and me. I look a little blurred to her. Sometimes I'm my grandfather as a younger man or, in the flash of a second, just some stranger, some shadow. My grandmother has gone to the other side of the sky, which is very low. Occasionally, we see her, as the little girl I never knew, the young woman who turned grandfather's head, the old olive tree planted in the garden by an ancestor…

From my very early age, I've been fascinated by acrobatics. Fascinated by the movement that defies the laws of gravity, that combines strength and lightness, precision, synchronicity, confidence, surprise and risk. I like what goes unexpressed in theater, the veiled, the gesture that remains invisible.

When the sky is very low, we see things we don't normally see. We travel in a world of memories, invented images, what we call dreams for the sake of convenience. To tell my tale of a childhood that is re-invented each time, I use geometries and the lucidity of acrobatic theatre danced on stage by an extraordinary group of performers.

Daniele Finzi Pasca
Author & Director

A scary doctor's visit...

OK, have I told you that I don't especially care for doctors? Let's add another experience to the list from Friday. I woke up Sunday morning with a very sore, puffy, swollen right eye. I thought that Jeff had one up on me and elbowed me during sleep or I punched myself even. I had a very sore area amongst the swollenness. By Tuesday, my eye was opening OK, but with extreme pain and was pretty blurry and dry. I was having this heavy pressure headache at the back of my head, near the base of my neck too. Jeff and Logan were bugging me about going into the doctor to get it looked at. Eye drops and Advil were not cutting it. I had a doctor at one of my closings, and he said, "That's a nasty insect bite you have there." By Friday, I couldn't handle it anymore. I went into the clinic and got "Dr. No-Bedside Manner." He was a no holds barred kind of doc that said I was lucky to have my vision and that it was a poisonous bite probably from a brown recluse spider (nothing like keeping positive here). My eyeball had a film over the top of it from the bite and was not even dilating. There was that very sore area still that was opening up and actually was being dissolved by the spider poison (he figured this is where I was bit). I guess the poison stays for a month or so in your system and this bite can cause scarring. Talk about one of the weirdest things that has happened to me. They took 2 slides of ooze from the area to test it. They gave me a steroid injection and another serum shot of some sort and sent me on my way. It immediately started to feel better too. I guess I won't be heading the "Say No to Steroids" campaign anytime soon. And yes, I do talk like Arnold S. now.

'I'll be back'...

I was trying to joke around about this with the doc and he was not having any of my humor. I was asking him, "Will this get me out of work for a couple of days?", "Will I have x-ray vision in the one eye now?", "Are the steroids going to make me stronger and give me super human strength?", and "Do I look like Rhianna now?" At least the nurse chuckled a couple of times.

My dedication for the day...

My thoughts and prayers are with a friend out there named Lora Conwell.

Lora Conwell was recently diagnosed with colon cancer, for which she is currently undergoing treatment. We are raising money to try and help ease the financial burden.

Please pass this along to others you know who would like to help with donations.
**If you would like to donate please contact me or Nathan O’Brien at nateobrien@hotmail.com

***Even the smallest of donations make a difference. Make a difference in someone else's life and think about donating today.

Here's a little funny in a 'not so funny' financial market. I work in real estate and it's pretty doom and gloom right now. I am looking forward to getting some financial help out there. Anyone have $50 I can borrow? :)

Division Champs

Logan's team won their division 13-1 and now go into the tournament on March 6-8. They have a couple of non-competitive games this weekend to keep themselves warm, plus also play a scrimmage against the other Madison West team tomorrow night for more practice. I'm not sure what we'll do when the season ends. There is no talk of another sport to follow basketball now. if anyone wants to come down for the tourney, let us know. It will be fun.

A day of gift certificates...

We had a big stack of gift certificates sitting in the office, so we decided to do a little shopping with them. First we hit Best Buy for a few CDs and a new cord for Logan's guitar. Then, off to Barnes and Noble for a new deluxe Scrabble game set (we are a family who scrabbles together- and Logan won the first game on the new board too). We had this gift certificate for a comic book store by my work, we stopped in there and the guys picked up three new reads. One that Jeff licked up is The Watchmen. I guess it's a great read and he seems to like the comic book spin on it. The last gift certificate for the day was for lunch at Olive Garden (courtesy of Jenny and Vickii). We pigged out on pasta, pizza, bread sticks, and salad/soup. We rolled out of there and back home. All in all, I think we only spent a few bucks of our own. Thanks everybody for the great day.

Logan is 11-1 now in basketball

They have 4 more games to go. Then off to the tournament weekend. They are doing great out there and have improved some much as a team throughout their season. I am so proud of them all. The boys seem to love Jeff as a coach and love to give him a hard time. Last Sunday's game was a knuckle biter and they barely won 40-38. They still have to play the other lead team before the tournament and that should be a great game. Stressful, yet great! I have to remind myself not to drink coffee before the games. (I don't want to scare the parents or the kids with my sideline craziness.)

Peking Acrobats

All I can say is "WOW". This was a great show. They were in Madison for one show and I'm glad that we went to see it. I absolutely love anything Asian inspired and loved this show. The colors were so vibrant. The acrobats were amazing and I cannot wrap my head around the abilities of the contortionists. The girls could bend themselves in half (forwards and backwards). Wild gymnasts moves by the guys too. They did this great rope act that was unbelievable. The guys were hopping around on these ropes like they were monkeys or something. Dangling by one arm or leg. To end it all, we saw a girl riding an unicycle on top of an umbrella that a guy was holding over his head. Jeff especially loved the dancing Foo Dogs at the beginning of the show. He said that he was hooked after that.

Slumdog Millionaire

2 thumbs up from me. If you haven't heard about this movie yet, go see it! There was a guy that passed Jeff and I as we were going into the theatre today saying "You'll love that movie. It's a great one." He was right on the money... GO SEE IT!

You don't need to know what it's about before you see it to appreciate it. Be pleasantly surprised.

The Black Dahlia

I would give this book 4.5 stars (out of 5). It was well written and I would recommend this book to all readers. The story line is a little twisted and not normally something I would pick up to read. I'm glad I dove in and made myself read it. I haven't seen the movie yet and have it on my queue of those to watch now.

7-1 now...

For those of you keeping track, Logan's team is now 7 and 1. They had a pretty interesting weekend of ball play. Friday night's game, our team only scored 9 points in the first half, then came out the second half to score 31 more. They won pretty easily once they started playing the game. The game Saturday morning was against a team that they had previous lost to (their only loss so far). The game was very neck-in-neck and very stressful as a mom in the stands. We were a very loud cheering section and the guys pulled off a win of 29-28. Both teams had a great defense going and they didn't let each other score very much. The other team was very sad that they lost, but now the teams are equal in their records. We do play them again- on our home court too. I'm excited to see how that one goes. (there are 16 games in the season, so we're halfway there...)

Bus Stop

Jeff threw his back out showing off for his basketball team the other day (you're not as young and agile as you used to be Jeff!), so Logan and I went out on a date last night to the Madison Rep play, "Bus Stop". We went to Takara for sushi first (gorged ourselves on delicious rolls), then off to the show. The show was great and pretty funny. We both fell in love with Virgil in the show. We had a blast and poor Jeff was laid up on the couch getting plenty of rest.

5-1 so far

Logan is at it again. He is playing basketball now and their team is doing very well! They have 5 wins under their belt and the guys are working great with each other now. They are a new team to each other and it took a little while for them to work together, but they are doing great now. They have 16 games in the regular season and then it's off to the playoffs if they place well enough. Currently, they are in first place with their wins. Each time they win, I make cookies for the team. I have been baking a lot lately. Speaking of which, I should go now- got a batch of them in the oven right now that need to come out.(yum!)

My new addiction

Working out! Who would have thought it would be true! I actually like to go to the gym and work up a sweat. Logan usually takes a bunch of sports activities through the local YMCA, so I decided to get us a family membership so I could go and work out now too. It's been pretty good so far and I feel great afterwards. With the weather being so crappy out, it's kind of nice to have a place to go too to work out without having to worry about the elements. It's also nice to have the energy surrounding you when you work out too. We have a recumbent bike at home, but it's hard to motivate yourself sometimes when there is complete quiet and no one around to pump you up. When you go to a gym, there are people all around who are working out too and the energy helps make the pain of working out better. I have taken a fondness to the elliptical machine and the stair step machine so far.

January Book Selection

My January read was Heartburn. The book was an OK read. Went pretty quick for me and it was a little enjoyable. I didn't feel like I connected with the character too much and I think that the author could have done a little bit more with the story line and character structure. If you are looking for an afternoon read in the sun, here's your book. If you are looking for a book to change your life, look elsewhere. I give it 2.5 stars out of 5.

The Black Dahlia

This book is a little out of my norm to read. It is set in the 40's and features a band of cops who are looking for a murderer of a tortured woman. The writing style is a little jumpy and the language of these cops to each other makes my skin crawl sometimes. I feel pretty offended sometimes when reading it and want to throw my book at them for being so ignorant. Then I have to remind myself that we live in a different time and place and this world has changed. It is a good book so far (half way through). Pick it sometime. I will try the movie after I finish the book to let you know which is better. Most times it's the book that's better. I just wonder how they are going to portray some of the characters in the movie. It's always interesting to see if they would pick the same people (actors) that you would have picked.

New Year's Resolutions

Do people really sit down and come up with a plan for the year? Jeff and I were discussing our "New Year's Resolutions" for 2009 this morning. I started to laugh about it because it seems so silly. Have you watched TV this past 2-3 weeks? The commercials are for weight loss programs, stop smoking, fitness deals, etc. Why do people make decisions for their well being based on a day?! That is setting yourself up for pure destruction. Do it for yourself please and pick any day you want to start the process. Don't let society make your decisions in life and make sure you're making the decisions for yourself and when you want to make the changes needed. The changes will not stay with you if you are not on board for them. That's why people yo-yo around so much. I have people that tell me how great I look and all, but it doesn't matter to me really what others think. I FEEL great and the best I've felt in a long time. Not trying to be rude, only genuine here, and how you feel inside IS what matters most. I thought I was going to have a horrible time over the holidays with my sweet addictions and all, but it was smooth sailing for me. I have tried sweets a little since I've changed my eating habits and they make me feel sick to my stomach and give me headaches. Not worth the 2 minutes of sugary bliss anymore. I do love and still munch on chocolate covered espresso beans. I told my doc that he was insane if he thought I was going to give up those. He told me I needed a vice, but my vice needed to be in moderation. I agree.
I was talking my little sister over the holidays about my life change (I don't see myself on a diet- it is a life change) and how others perceive it as a diet and "how can we get on the diet?", "how much have you lost on that diet?", and "what diet are you on?". I was explaining to her that I had the scare of my life when I went into the doctor's office and he sat me down and said that I am very close to sticking needles in my arm for the rest of my life. It was very scary and I felt all alone as I sat there. A diet to me is a choice. I didn't feel as I had a choice and I still don't. He got a book out and started flipping through the pages of diabetics who have lost limbs and had complications from their disease. I was on the verge of that and HAD to make a change in my lifestyle. He said that I wouldn't realize how sick I was until I started to feel better, and the guy wasn't lying to me. It took about 2-3 days with my lifestyle change for the internal changes to hit. But, once it started, I felt (and still do) like a super star. People's perceptions about it are a little annoying to me still, but I think time will mend that hopefully. I was at a holiday party recently and there was an array of holiday treats on the table. WOW, I would have loved to have sampled those babies. But I told myself that the tray of fresh fruit and fresh veggies (which were hardly touched) is what I should grab instead. This guy I know comes across the room and blurts out so everyone hears, "So, trying to show us all up with that healthy eating!" He was a little rude and I didn't feel like having to justify myself in my food choices. I think someone else mentioned my disease to him eventually, because he came up (with his tail between his legs) and apologized to me privately. I hope he learned to get the facts before accusing people. His actions made me want to scurry from the room though and it happens quite a bit.
There once was a time that a friend of mine didn't drink and he was explaining the craziness that people get over trying to get you to drink with them. I completely understand now. Let's take that same party. I was walking around with nothing in my hand and was talking to different circles. I had 8 people ask me "why are you not drinking?" or "do you want me to grab you something?" I guess it's not socially acceptable to not drink. I finally had to grab a drink (water) to have them stop. But, when a girl isn't drinking at a social event- she is now then pregnant. You can never win.
I was also explaining to my sister about the weight loss that resulted in my new life style change. I was told from my doc that I should be a healthy weight between 118-132. I got down to 113.5 at one point and freaked out. Just so you all know, I do eat and I love food. I am not anorexic and don't binge or purge. I have had 5-6 people ask me that also. People must think they can ask personal questions like that or something. I don't think I could go up to someone I barely know and ask, "Are you anorexic now?" or "What is the secret? Vomiting?" (these are exactly what was asked of me)
I was asked by my doc if he could use my personal info (minus my name) in a log for other patients who have pre-diabetes/diabetes too. I told him "YES!" If it can help one person, it would mean the world to me.
I may even look at joining a group with others that have the disease. I think that may be helpful during tough times.
Enough ranting and raving for now...
** On a very positive note, I went for my bi-monthly doctor's poke and everything was spiffy with me. I got rave reviews on all my tests. That is good news after the holidays. I wasn't eating my normal vats of food and traveling makes for unhealthy eating sometimes.
So, to bend to society's norm, here is my informal list of New Year's resolutions:
1. Keeping up the good work on my health and well being (I love you too Jeff). He gave me the best card over the holidays that said he was proud of me. What a sweetie!
2. Bonding a bit more with my "not so little" guy.
3. Mending some family bridges. (you know who you are)
4. Taking the last 2 cake decorating classes I need to take to finish the series. Yes, I don't eat cake, but love making them fancy...
5. Enjoying my 2009 book club selections. E-mail me if you want the list.

My 2009 Book Club

OK, Jan. 1 marks the start of my own informal book club (as I posted earlier). I am starting the year off with Heartburn by Nora Ephron, as the January read. I am in the middle of another book, Little Indiscretions by Carmen Posadas, right now and it's moving slow for me. I need to kick it up a notch so I can finish my Jan read by Jan 31st. With working so much lately, I'm sleeping by the time my head hits the pillow. I usually don't read murder mysteries and I'm trying to expand my reading horizons. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks. (and I'm an old dog...)If anyone is interested to read Heartburn by Nora Ephron with me, let me know and we can rap about the book from time to time. I tried to pick books outside my normal genre to give myself a little variety.