Monday, January 28, 2013

Taking it too far...

Ever met someone who always has to put it in your face how something or someone is so much better than what you like?  You and I both know that everyone has their own taste, but just puts it in your face every single time - no matter what it is.  I have such a friend.  I love him dearly and I have tried telling him that his attitude is too over the top.  Still, I grow so tired of that sort of childish garbage.

For example, California fajitas are SOOOOO much better than the ones in Texas.  His favorite hockey team is unbeaten.  Basically, he has this affinity that everything is sooooo much better than in Texas.  So?  I am cheering on a team I love.  I never say anything rude or offensive when I cheer on my teams.  He always cheers the opposite team and puts it in my face when my team loses.

Rather than engage in that less than appealing conversation, this time, I was just nice about it.  As far as his favorite team being unbeaten - congrats, but just a matter of time when someone gets hurt and they lose.  Going unbeaten in an entire season is rare, but should it happen, congrats.

I would rather engage in discussion regarding how the games are being played and how well certain players are doing.  I do not like "Mine is better than yours!" type of crap.

I apologize, but that whole thing got under my skin.  I figured if I got it written out, then it would be out of my system.  :-)

Today's Message From God:

Today, we believe God wants you to know that ...

every relationship rests on three legs: accepting, supporting and challenging.

That's really it, isn't it? You want your relationships to be grounded on accepting each other as you are. On supporting each other through the inevitable ups and downs. On challenging each other to become more, to grow, to flourish. Which one of these is the more difficult one for you, and how are you going to practice it in the next 24 hours?

Interesting...

Sunday, January 27, 2013

"Like The Weather" - Rocking It Old School...

Anyone remember the first generation iPod?  I still have mine!  Granted, it has probably seen better days and barely keeps a charge for very long, but I still have a lot of love for this device.

I had asked for one for Christmas, so I could avoid toting around a load of CDs to work.  My mom thought it was ridiculously priced and could not see the point of something that expensive.  Later, she came to love the iPod.

I was determined to get an iPod.  I had some money saved up, so out came "Frugal Melissa".  I fought with myself on which one to get, how much to spend, and all of that.  Finally, I settled on getting the 15 Gb iPod.  At the time, you had the choice of using firewire or USB connectivity.  The PC my father and I put together did not have either type of connectivity, so I bought a firewire card and installed it.

The first song I put on the iPod was No Doubt's "It's My Life."  I played it over and over.  Over the next few months, I spent my time loading iTunes with music.  I found it easy to create CD mixes to put in the CD player in my car.  I was completely smitten.

A year later, I needed a faster system, so my father and I did our shopping thing at Fry's and bought the stuff to set up a new system.  I transferred my music from one PC over to the new PC.  However, my new PC became victim to a few viruses and I ended up wiping out my hard drive a few times.  At the time, I knew if I plugged in my iPod, there was no way I could pull the music from the iPod over to the PC.  Furthermore, I could very well chance a wipe out.  That is really no good!

I ended up getting an 80 GB iPod and starting over with that device.  I had barely scratched the surface on that iPod and the hard drive on my PC went out again.  Talk about massive frustration!

Since that time, I have put my library on a separate hard drive and keep it backed up.  We put a lot of time into loading those devices.  It is a real shame to lose all of that hard work and I had done it TWICE!

The other day, I saw this iPod in a mesh bag with its power supply.  I toyed around with the idea of hooking up the iPod and see if I could pull the data off of it.  I tried that last night, but it did not work, so I started searching the internet for a tool that would do it.  I found one.  iMac iPod to PC.  I installed it on a lap top where I do not have iTunes installed.  Once the first generation iPod was connected to the PC, the software was able to see all of the music files.  I am able to export the data to the PC or install iTunes and export the music data there. 

So, my next techie project will be to get one of my 500 Gb portable drives connected and export the music on all of my iPods and put it into a new library.  I might even be able to take the new library I have generated for my iPhone and combine the two.  This would be great!  Of course, I will take MASSIVE back ups.  :-)

I do still love the old iPod.  It was cool and it started a huge trend that no one else could even come close to matching. 

So, when I saw this old iPod the other day, I took it to work and listened to it when I was not on a conference call.  It was great to rock out to the old music on the old iPod.  As I write this post, I am listening to a classic - 10,000 Maniacs - "Like the Weather" - Join in and enjoy:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtYP7AvLKHk

Monday, January 21, 2013

Monday Morning Blues...

Ahhhh...here again, are you? 

Weekends seem to fly right by me these days.  I suppose I should quit planning things.  LOL

I am a bit annoyed with a situation in my apartment.  Chirping smoke alarms.  Now, I know all apartment complexes must have them - it is fire code.  However, did the smoke alarms really have to be placed at the top of 11 ft ceilings?

It would seem that within a small time frame - 4 to 5 months, I have chirping smoke alarms in the living room again.  *sigh*  It is not the chirping that annoys me (well, it does - I will be honest), but it drives the dogs crazy.  Both cannot stand the chirping and go into shaking and freak out mode.  In order to squelch the "chirping", I have to set the thermostat to 76 degrees.  That makes it difficult to sleep because most of the heat goes into my bedroom where the ceiling is much lower.

On Saturday, I called the complex to complain about the situation.  Not the fact that the alarms were chirping, but the fact that I have had maintenance come into this apartment far too many times to change out the stupid batteries for the smoke alarms in the living room.  The response I got was that some smoke alarms drain batteries quicker than others.  Hmmmm...not quite the answer I wanted to hear.  Then, again, better than the answer I got about switching out the lights in the stairwell - "Oh, you can get a ladder and change them yourself."  Ummmm...yeah, I am 5'3" and the ceiling is 11+ft high.  I can see that happening - NOT.

This weekend, I bought some Duracell batteries.  I am not fond of the batteries the complex uses.  They are cheap and do not last.  The Duracell batteries actually seem to last longer.  I got the Duralock for heavy drain devices, which I think might cover these smoke alarms.

All I know is that I need to get this situation rectified or I am going to have to deal with two doggies that will need therapy.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Losing myself to a blast in the past...












When I was not studying or doing research papers in high school, I was listening to all sorts of "new wave" or "alternative" music.  Shows like Night Flight and the movie Urgh - A Music War sufficed in helping me learn more about various types of music while MTV did not get introduced into the area until August 1983.  I remember waking my mother about being able to get MTV and her getting mad at me.  What can I say?  I loved music and I wanted my MTV!

I was introduced to "ska" music by watching the wonderfully funny band, Madness.  Their mainly instrumental song "One Step Beyond" had me smiling and jamming to the two-tone sound.  More similar bands came into the fray:  The Specials, Selector, and my very favorite, The English Beat.

Before I go much further, according to Wikipedia, ska is defined:

Ska (pron.: /ˈskɑː/, Jamaican [skjæ]) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae.[1] Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. It is characterized by a walking bass line accented with rhythms on the upbeat. In the early 1960s, ska was the dominant music genre of Jamaica and was popular with British mods. Later it became popular with many skinheads

I never really identified with the "skinheads", but I did love the rhythm of the beat.   Still to this day, I think the lead singer is pretty damn handsome.  He reminded me of a young Robert Redford.  So, there was my other reason for being interested in the band.

I fell head over heels over the songs "I Confess", "Mirror in the Bathroom", "Save It For Later", and many others.  Basically, I wore out the albums from constant play.  However, I never could go see the band play because they would play venues for over 19 year olds.

Thirty years later, the band is not the same.  In fact, the lead singer is the only original member.  Back in 1983, the band split.  The two lead singers created General Public and had success with Tenderness and I'll Take You There.  The guitarist and bassist created Fine Young Cannibals and had success with Johnny, Won't You Come Home, She Drives Me Crazy, and Don't Look Back.

So, now that I have given some background on this band, my first concert to attend in 4.5 years was The English Beat at the Granada Theater.  There were two opening bands:  I-Drenz and Rude Kings.

I got to the venue when the doors opened, which was probably a bit too early, but I was excited.  The last time I had been in the Granada Theater, I was there in 1998 to see "There's Something About Mary" with a friend.  The outside still looks the same, but once I entered the venue, it was a bit different.  There were some seats, but mainly, the area is general admission - basically - you are going to stand wherever you can find some space.

I ordered a soft drink from the bar.  The one thing I remembered the bartender telling me was that if I returned with the cup, I could get a free refill.  Later that evening, I did and sure enough, I got a free refill.  I do not think that applies to mixed drinks and beer.  :-)  I noted that the venue did offer brisket tacos, but make sure you get them early.  I went to get one after the second opening act and they were sold out.

There are three video screens.  Two display advertisements for KST 91.7 radio station, upcoming events, information regarding "Sundown at Granada", the restaurant Granada purchased next door.  Food looks very appetizing.  I liked the main screen where the venue would play videos from the upcoming acts to appear at the Granada.  I have heard snippets of various artists on Granada advertisements on The Ticket (1310), but never heard the full blown songs.  This was amazing and very much appreciated.  I actually have thought of going there to see Bob Schneider play on 3/30.  Also, I fell in love with The Eels.  I had seen their CDs at Best Buy, but never really heard them.  I even tweeted and put on Facebook - I have obviously been missing out on some pretty fantastic music these days - where is my head?!

The two opening bands were good.  I cannot find on iTunes for I-Drenz, but I am sure it will be coming at some point.  Band is based in Lewisville.  Rude Kings does have a release on iTunes.  They were definitely a very fun band from Dallas.

Around 10:30 pm, it was time for the headliner.  The place went from being a bit sparse at 7 PM to packed at 10:30 PM.  Apparently, the show finally did sell out - Congrats for the band on that one!  It was well deserved because the band came out and really put on a great show.  I found myself dancing around along with everyone else and it was great hearing all of those "old" songs.  Even though it was not the same band as back in the '80s, it was like they never left.  There was a lot of energy and the lead singer talked to the audience and was very engaging.  I loved that.

After the show, I did try to wait to meet the lead singer.  However, I had left Bo and Chloe for far too long and it was extremely chilly.  Maybe next time - I will get to meet him.  This time, I left the venue thinking what a great time I had.  I had forgotten how much fun small clubs could be.  Also, I had a chance to see how lower Greenville had changed and in some ways, stayed the same.

Going through all of this spiritual inventory, I saw something at the Granada that really touched me.  I tried to take a picture of it, but it was just too dark.  Above the stage, there is a sign that simply says:

Love Yourself

You know - that is what we all need to do.  Love ourselves.  Perhaps that is why there is so much positive vibe within the venue.

One last note - about 10 years ago, I had just started doing the blogging thing on another site.  One guy that would follow me had his PhD in Physics.  He seemed like a rather nice guy, but very quirky.  I had posted a review of the Peter Gabriel concert and he posted that I needed to see more concerts.  I was more upbeat when writing about music.

So...  :-)

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Insurance and Health Woes...

I am grateful to have a job that provides me some sort of health insurance.  My company requires that I foot the entire bill of anything until I reach a deductible of $1500.  Luckily, I am single.  Those with families have to foot a much larger deductible.  Small wonder people do not want to head off to the doctor's office unless they are almost on their death bed.  The costs are so steep.

I sit here tonight, perplexed.  I have to take 4 insulin shots a day - one before each meal and one at bedtime.  So, I use a new needle for each injection.  Makes sense, right?  I am trying to prevent infection and such.  The last time I was at the endocrinologist's office, I asked to get additional needles.  The pharmacy has not refilled that order and I am running out of needles from my current prescription.  My current prescription from my GP won't allow me to refill because, according to the insurance company and pharmacy, I am not due a refill until sometime in February.

So, what is my choice?  The needles should not cost that much, so in the morning, I will call the pharmacy to see about purchasing the needles outright.  I realize that my situation right now is a bit tentative for the endocrinologist as she is trying to determine the "right" amount of medication for me.  However, the insurance company constantly throws a monkey wrench because they want a 90-day supply prescription.  So, many times, I end up having to pay full amounts that won't get applied to my deductible.

As I said, I am grateful to have my job and the ability to pay for my medications.  Still, the whole process is very frustrating.  I know I need patience and remind myself that once everything is in a "balance", then this will be okay.  In the meantime, I can certainly understand why this whole process causes people not to want to see the doctor.  It gets pretty expensive.


Monday, January 14, 2013

Little By Little...

Little By Little by Robert Plant

This song just came to my mind concerning changes I am trying to make.  I just need to remember that by doing little by little, things can change.

Yesterday, after coming home from the grocery store, I took one section of my bedroom and cleared out more clutter.  It made me feel better and it is a start.  I just need to keep at it.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Positive Sunday...

I did get a morning call from work.  Luckily, it was a problem that someone else had to resolve.  I really wish people would read the error message and learn how to debug.  It is not rocket science.

I rolled out of bed and rant the dogs out for their potty walk at 9:30 AM.  I ran by McDonald's and Starbucks to kick start my day.  Yesterday, I noticed a red spot on my left foot.  I dug around my bedroom and found the cream the doctor had prescribed for this type of thing.  I quickly cleaned up and put some cream on the spot in question.  Not sure what is causing that, but seems a little odd.

I picked up Random Cathy and we went to Starbucks to have tea.  It was great to discuss the book that we are reading and discuss the "spending fast."  I just need to stay away from the stores.  :-)  I do try hard to stick to my "list" when I go shopping.  However, I find I can be just as bad about spending on-line as well as going to a brick-and-mortar.

I enjoyed my time talking with Cathy.  I always come away from our meetings with a lot of positive energy.

I was going to make some shrimp gumbo tonight, but I think I will get something out to eat.  In the meantime, I am going to go about the apartment and throw out some trash. 

Today's Message From God (I think this has a lot of meaning for me):

Today, we believe God wants you to know that ...

your ability to receive is equally important to your ability to give.

Have you ever brought a special gift, working hard just to get it, only to be refused by the person you were giving it to? That didn't feel right, did it? Our relationships are greatly enhanced when we become not only generous givers, but generous receivers as well. When we know how to accept gladly, wholeheartedly, embracing the gift as an extension of the giver. It takes both giving and receiving for care and generosity to flow unimpeded.

 I am working on this one.  I know I do have a difficult time accepting anything.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Saturday - Personal Time...

I went to bed last night pretty late.  Mainly because I came home, walked the dogs, then fell asleep on the bed for about 3 hours.  I know why I am exhausted, but that happens every month.  Luckily, I am not on-call and I can manage to get the rest and not feel bad about it.

This morning, I rolled out of bed with a lot of places to go on my mind.  I did stop by New Balance and got some new shoes.  I tried looking for some OPI Katy Perry "Last Friday" nail polish, but honestly, that was so last year.  ;-)  (I liked the color, but had to be honest - it was last year, so that was a total no go.)  I had my manicure/pedicure, which made me feel much better, even though it was raining off and on all day.  Wearing a funky "Sephora by OPI - Techno Girl".  I had "Sephora by OPI - Casting Call" put on my toes.  I like that neutral mauve color.

I tried Plucker's wings.  Not that the wings were bad, but considering the distance from home and the fact that they gave a paltry amount of celery, I won't be going back there any time soon.  I have tried various wing places and I have come to really like Wing Stop.  I can get a pretty good tray of celery and carrots to go with my wings.  Buffalo Wild Wings is okay, but I think Wing Stop will satisfy my craving.

I noticed that a Fuzzy's Taco Shop is opening up near me as well.  I have tried Rusty's Taco at the intersection of Coit and Hedgecox.  I LOVE the shrimp tacos.  What would make them even more insane is if they used boiled shrimp instead of fried.  I like the brisket and veggie tacos as well.  The menu is a bit limiting because you pretty much order tacos, chips, salsa, guacamole, and queso.  No beans or rice there.  Fuzzy's has that option, so it should be interesting.

One thing I do not think I blogged about was attending a co-worker's post holiday party.  The party was a full house and I am not kidding.  I would say 100 people showed up.  I did get an opportunity to try some new foods.  Someone had fixed up a brie round, which was very good.  My co-worker did a wonderful job on the cheese logs he made as well as the Texas caviar - black-eyed peas mixed with chopped tomatoes, onions, and black beans.  The co-worker I took with me to the party made some awesome shrimp spring rolls.  I had never had anything like that!  She made a peanut sauce and brought some hoison sauce to dot in the peanut sauce.  It was so delicious.  I have been trying to years to get her to make her spring rolls to bring to work.  She would never do it because she feared I would not like it.  That did not happen!  LOL

I had planned to go see Django Unchained tomorrow morning, but it is probably a better idea to hang home and get some cleaning done here.  I can always go in the week, perhaps, I can do that on Monday.  That would give me something exciting to do.

Today's Message From God:

Today, we believe God wants you to know that ...

it's time you remembered who you really are.

You are not your wallet, your job, your kids, your house. You are not your activities or your worries or the labels other people give you. Like an actor you play these roles, and like a good actor you sometimes forget who you really are. Time to wake up now, and remember that you are a being of immense power and breathtaking beauty created in the image of God.

That is what I am trying to do.  Trying to figure out who I really am - not what things I have or what I have done.  I do know for a fact that I am very nerdy and geeky, but I like that. I like to play with make up and get all girly, but I also like just being natural.
 

Friday, January 11, 2013

Dear love of music...

I would say it has been 4 years since I have attended a huge concert.  The last concert I attended was Nine Inch Nails on 8/18/2008.  After that time, I was going back to school and dealing with my mom's illness. 

Since that time, I have attended mainly hockey games at the AAC.  I was supposed to go see Madonna back in October, but work had other plans for me.  That was one expensive ticket to go to waste.

I thought long and hard about changes I wanted to make in my life.  Hockey season will be back next week, but no tickets are on sale at this time.  I will attend a few hockey games this year.  However, there were some bands I really wanted to see.

I got tickets to see The English Beat (who I have always wanted to see in concert since the mid 80's), Muse (fell in love with their music after watching their show on Palladium), Eric Clapton (a legend), and Fleetwood Mac (the one band that remained a staple in my life from age 8).  All of these bands I have never seen perform live.  Here was my opportunity.

I did learn my lesson from the Madonna concert.  I took out insurance in case I was unable to make it.  I think it would be worth the $7 to get the entire cost of the ticket reimbursed.  Still, I hope that I will be able to attend all shows.  I love music and watching performers perform their classics.  I don't think I will ever really grow old of attending concerts.  I am just really picky about who I want to see.

End of the Week Wrap Up...

It has been quite a busy week.  While waiting for my yearly calendar organizer to arrive in the mail, I started back to using Task Coach for all of the stuff I do at work.  The most difficult part I have found is entering in all of the requests I get through out the day.  The reason why I do that is so that I can accurately measure how much time I spend either answering so called "quick questions", looking up log file information, small and large projects, and the like. 

After a full day, I could not even tell you everything I did.  Only imagine what I could remember for an entire week!  I have emails, but I get over 250+ emails every day.  Going through a week's worth of emails to generate a report on what I did is at least a 3 to 4 hour job.  By using Task Coach, I have everything listed and by project.  Even better, I have how much time I spent working on each item.  That helps with recording my time in the project recording system. 

Downside, since I get called upon so much, I tend to get way too many requests to get them entered in a timely manner.  When that happens, I tend to forget, then the whole recording of what I do gets tossed.  I am going to work harder on that aspect because by doing this, it helps me cut back on how much time I spend on status reports.

This weekend, I plan on stopping by New Balance to get some new shoes for working out.  After my visit with the endocrinologist, she wants me to start exercising 3 to 4 times a week for 30 to 60 minutes.  I thought about rejoining Curves as they have a new program starting for people with diabetes.  However, I thought a bit harder on that. 

After the holidays, I found I overspent.  Some a bit foolishly and some because I really wanted to do it.  Bottom line, most of my bonus this year will go to paying down bills, rather than saving for a house.  So, I thought about the whole joining a gym.  In most cases, that is $30 to $70 out of my budget each month.  What usually happens - I quit going and still pay fees to have access.  The smart thing to do is use the exercise facility that my apartment complex provides as part of my rent.  It is there and most of the time it is empty.  Just makes no sense to pay to get into the habit of doing something when I can do it for free.  Therefore, I still have to get new shoes either way.  My old ones are way worn out for such exercise, so it only makes sense to get new shoes.

On the health/diabetes front, I have been doing pretty well.  I have noticed I am not quite so negative or fearful.  I think having a better balance on the blood sugar helps me not only physically, but mentally.  These days, I do not see being on insulin shots as a negative, but a positive.  It really has helped me.  However, I just do not want to increase it.  :-)

Today's Message From God:

Today, Melissa, we believe God wants you to know that ...

it's ok to ask for help.

You are not here to do it all alone. That would be crazy! Do you know how to grow rice, spin yard or make electricity? No one does it all alone. That's why people have each other. Relying on and supporting each other is what makes the world go round. Don't be shy about asking for help.
 
Somehow, I think I have seen this before and I said my feelings on that.  :-)

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Sad Anniversary...

I struggled with how to manage this day or even blog about it.  Today was the third year anniversary of my mother's passing.  I did not do anything special.  I mainly slept.  I reflected on the things I had done wrong with Christmas.  I overspent and the only answer I had for that was I did not want people to feel slighted.  Next year, I will be more careful.

I really wish my mom was still here to help me handle all of this.  Of course, I probably would make the same mistakes.  My mom knew how to ground me and I miss that.

For the rest of the evening, I am just going to pick up stuff around the apartment and make dinner.  Just very sad that my mom is not here with me.  I miss her a lot.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

New Year's Resolutions and Health Update...

I really have not spent a lot of time on what my resolutions are for the new year.  I decided to not really make resolutions, but improvement plans.  Why not? 

Improvement Plans for the New Year:

  • Save and curb unnecessary spending
  • Work on paying down current debt
  • Work on portion control
  • Define "ME" time and refuse to allow others to interfere for no reason
  • Continue to learn to "let go"
  • Go out to a movie more than one time a year
  • Enjoy life - find the beauty in everything
On Wednesday, I visited the endocrinologist at Diabetes America.  Everyone was thrilled with the lower numbers.  The dietician checking my blood sugar chart recognized that around Christmas, my numbers were in the 300s.  I explained that the holidays were just crazy and I tried as much as I could to eat properly.  It is difficult when hosts/hostesses layout their buffets and it is mainly chips and dips.  Sure, I could eat the salsa, spinach artichoke, and queso dips, but they just do not work without the chips.  That was difficult on me because my father would bug me as to why I would not eat.  I told him that business about eating the chips and dips was not a good idea for my situation.  At one party, I was lucky as the hostess brought out rolled up ham, deviled eggs, and BBQ cocktail sausages.  I can eat those, but was disappointed that was all I was going to get to eat that night.  When I got home, I pulled out the stuff for a salad, even though the lettuce and such was already rusting, it was the better meal for me.

(Side tangent:  This is something I get aggravated with my father.  He has type 2 diabetes as well, but his blood sugar levels are nowhere near mine.  He can eat whatever he wants and it has no ill effects.  It disgusts me when he starts asking me why I won't eat something.  Hello!  You are not supposed to eat it as well.)

The doctor was very pleased with my results.  She was encouraged that the meds were working, but to make sure that I was getting the full effect of the rapid acting insulin, she increased it to 2 more units.  I was also told that if I knew I was going to be eating something that will raise my blood sugar, take 1 or 2 additional units with the new increase.  She was also surprised I lost 2 lbs.  Heck, even I was surprised I lost 2 lbs.

When the technician measured my blood sugar and pressure, all numbers were actually normal.  Blood sugar was 142 and the blood pressure was slightly elevated 122/86.  Still, the numbers were much better than my initial visit.

At this point, I need to get in 30 to 60 minutes of exercise 3 to 4 times a week.  My shoes are shot, so I have to get some new ones.  My friend, Laurie, wants me to rejoin Curves for their diabetes program.  Part of me wants to do that, but the other part of me says to save my money for right now and use the complex gym.  It makes sense to do that because the apartment complex gym is right here, walking distance, and I do not have to pay extra to use it.  There are 3 treadmills and 3 elliptical machines.  Get new shoes, then get my lazy butt down there and exercise.  If I can make it a habit, then I have done some good for me and my pocket book.

I had a friend call me about using a new app on my iPhone.  It works similarly to Weight Watchers, but uses calories for measuring.  While talking, she made the comment about how she spends more time on the exercise equipment now in order to burn off more calories.  I thought about that for a moment.  I remember reading where just because you spend more time on the machines to burn off calories did not do anything other than wear you out.  Meaning - yes, exercise does help with losing weight.  It is 50% the key to losing weight.  However, spending an hour on the treadmill is not going to necessarily negate the cupcake you ate.  Everything in moderation.  That is the key.

I remember when I was on phentermine from a weight doctor.  I lost 120 lbs, but it was not strictly from the drug.  I was pretty strict on my diet (low fat at the time) and I would walk 4 miles a day.  It took me a year to drop the weight, but I did it.  What happened?  Even though I took the medication, there was an incident with someone that caused me to lose my confidence and I just started eating crap food and quit exercising.  So, I started gaining the weight back.  Probably the reason my mom never wanted me to get involved with someone.  I got hurt and started gaining the weight.  She was so upset over that for me.  I had worked so hard and all it took was for someone to be uncaring and I lost it.

I must keep in mind - do the exercise for myself and my health.  Don't overdo it because you had the cupcake.  Enjoy and savor the cupcake, but only eat the one.  :-)

Today's Message from God:

Today, we believe God wants you to know that ...

there is no safety, no security.

Security is an illusion, a grasping of your ego to eternal life. There is no eternal life for the ego or for the body. God given, God taken. The more you try to hide behind the false shield of security, the harder will be the fall. Let go of the illusion, and abide in God's grace.

This is an interesting message.  It makes me contemplate what sort of safety or security is being referred - the safety/security on doing a zip line or remaining in a situation.  In regards to zip line, I would like to think it is smarter for me to feel that if I weighed less, I might take the chance, but right now, no way.  Regarding remaining in a situation, I believe that.  These days, nothing is safe and secure.  There is just so much upheaval in society today.  Companies want to save money and get rid of employees for cheaper contract workers. I hate to say it, but it was something my mom instilled in me.  If you buy cheap, that is exactly what you get - CHEAP.  She never said buy the most expensive, but the point was you get what you paid for.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

A New Year...

It is that time again.  We begin with a brand new year.  A new slate that is supposedly clean and ready for the upcoming year.  Well, that is how we all envision that.

Last night, I just snacked around on BBQ cocktail sausages, cheese dip, crackers and cheese ball, and boiled shrimp. Today, I fixed black-eyed peas, corn bread, boiled cabbage, and deviled eggs to go with the ham. After lunch, I was totally stuffed.

I have a friend who has been in the hospital since Christmas day.  Her body's immune system cannot handle bacterial viruses.  Also, she had taken some bactrum, which affected her bone marrow.  She is getting better, but it could have been worse.

I figured she could use some cheer.  I had not known of her being in the hospital until recently.  Today, I took her some ham, boiled cabbage, deviled eggs, black-eyed peas, and corn bread.  I also tossed in some brownies for dessert.  I hope she enjoys it.  I told her next year, she needs to spend New Year's Eve and New Year's Day with me, rather than the hospital. 

I haven't put together everything I plan to get accomplished this year, but I should have something to post later on that note.

Today's message from God:

Today, we believe God wants you to know that ...

when what you are doing is not working, do something else.

Anything else. You'll only get the same results if you do what you have always done.

I have to agree with this.