Family Fun (or Insanity)

This weekend has been filled with family fun and craziness. By some odd stroke of fate, B's entire family and my entire family were all in town this weekend, so we were crazy busy. B's family arrived Friday night, so she and I headed over to my apartment in Saint Paul for the night. I can't remember the last time I had slept there, but I do know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE my bed. So much so that I actually miss my bed. B's bed just can't compare. I can't wait until we finally combine our households permanently, as I will get to sleep on my bed all the time (if B will let us).

Anyway, we woke up early on Saturday morning to go see a few houses in NE Mpls (none that we want to buy), and then it was off to Chaska to visit with my family. It was great to be there with both my sisters present - that doesn't happen often. I really miss both of them. I actually miss my parents too, as I don't see them all that often. Sad, since they only live 45 minutes away. I should work on that I guess, but life has been crazy.

After lunch and some time hanging out (and meeting my mom's new cat), we went back to Mpls to have dinner with B's family. We went to Taste of India, which I really love. After that, we went back to the Mpls apartment (where we normally live) and hung out for a bit. We left there by 9, and I think I was sound asleep by 11 pm (in my awesome bed!).

Sunday, we had to wake up relatively early again, this time for Charlie's birthday party. I wasn't sure I would make it, as I was feeling really sick this morning, but I sucked it up and got ready (it didn't seem right to blow off a three year old's birthday party). The party was quite fun, and I'm glad I went. Charlie loved the Little Einsteins card we gave him - maybe more than some of the presents he received! Good stuff.

After the party, B, her sister Rachel, and I headed back to Saint Paul. Rachel's flight home isn't until 10:30 or so. My sister Samantha also joined us at the apartment for an hour or so before she had to catch her flight back to Seattle. We all played a little guitar hero (Rachel had never played before - a GH virgin! who knew such folks still existed?), and then it was time for Samantha to head out. I was sad to see her go. I wish she hadn't moved, but there's not much I can do about that. It sucks that both of my sisters live out of town. :(

Right now, I'm trying to do a few loads of laundry (we have about 3 million after a weekend of visitors) and B and Rachel are sitting on the couch watching The Holiday. Actually, it seems that Rachel has fallen asleep, and now B just told me she is going to take a nap too. I'm incredibly exhausted (and slightly crabby too), and I should probably nap as well. Probably won't happen though, as I want to finish this laundry before we head out for another dinner. I might wind up skipping the dinner altogether, as it's going to be at Benihana and I've already had a disastrous WW day. Sigh. I thought I might lose this week, but today probably killed that dream. No self control at Charlie's bday party. Oh well. Tomorrow is a new day!

Anyway, despite the craziness, it was a good weekend. If only I could take tomorrow off to recover from it...alas, I have WAY too much to accomplish at work this week. Sleep when you're dead, right? :)

Holy Deliciousness!

Last Friday night, B and I went to what is probably my favorite restaurant in downtown Minneapolis - the M & S Grill. B had never been before, and as I had to work late, I figured we should stay downtown and enjoy a good meal. And honestly, it was an AWESOME meal and date.

To start the meal, I ordered an excellent chopped salad, and then I had a petite filet mignon, medium rare. Perfect - melt in your mouth perfect. B ordered the New York strip and a caprese salad - also fantastic. We shared parmesan crusted hash browns and green beans, and to complete the meal, we also shared creme brulee (quite possibly my favorite dessert) and a wonderful apple pie topped with cinnamon ice cream. It was like I had died and gone to food heaven. I completely blew off Weight Watchers and enjoyed every single bite. Fabulous! If you are ever looking for a place to eat in downtown Mpls, I really recommend the M & S Grill. I normally don't recommend chains, but I make an exception for this place (plus, it's not like an Applebees or TGI Fridays type of chain). Seriously. They also do a fabulous lunch - check them out some time!

In other good news, B and I saved money at the M & S Grill because I recently learned about a fantastic website: http://www.restaurant.com/. If you've never tried the website, definitely check it out. You can buy $25 gift cards to many restaurants for only $10 (I'm pretty sure you can buy gift cards for different amounts too). We saved $15 just by visiting the website. What a great deal! I believe they feature restaurants all over the country, but you'll have to verify if that's true for your area. A warning - avoid doing what I did, which was thinking I could buy and use 3 certificates at one time. It turns out you can only use one certificate per visit (I'm not sure what I was thinking when I thought I could use more than one - I guess I was just really excited to save money!). In good news, after I bought three but could only use one, I called customer service to see if they could help me fix my mistake. Voila, just like that, I had two credits for future gift cards waiting for me in my inbox. Wow! Great deals AND customer service! I honestly forgot both things can still co-exist. :) Anyway, next time you are getting ready to go out for dinner, check out www.restaurant.com; perhaps you can save a little money and enjoy a good meal. I hope it works well for you too!

Thirty!

I've now lost 30 pounds on Weight Watchers! THIRTY, 3 - 0! Yeah! This week's loss was especially crazy, considering how I ate when I was in Neenah with B and her family. To really demonstrate how amazing 30 lbs is, here are a few examples of things that weigh 30 lbs:

• Matty's giant bag of dog food (that is an excellent visual)
• 6 bags of flour
• 30 boxes of butter
• 1 big bucket of kitty litter (yikes, I know how heavy those feel when I'm hauling them in from the car)
• 3 10 lb bowling balls
• 1.67 Tonys (my big orange cat)
• 1/2 of Matty the dog
• My lawschool backpack (okay, that's probably an exaggeration).

I think you get the point - 30 lbs is a significant amount of weight. My clothes are starting to be ridiculously big; I have to cinch all my pants, and I laugh at myself when I look in the mirror before work. I guess that's a good ridiculous though, right? Also, my knee feels a lot better, which is fantastic. My health, especially my knee, was my biggest reason for starting this journey, and I think my work is already paying off in that department.

In bad news, I haven't been to the gym in a LONG time. I also haven't played volleyball for over a month. Illness and work (and let's be honest, some laziness) have kept me from both activities. I was planning on going to the gym tonight, but I may go to bed instead. At 8 pm. Yes, I know I'm only 32 and not 82, but I'm tired. Work has been stressful as of late, and I still don't think I've completely recovered from the blackhole of sickness. So, the gym will have to wait yet another day. The personal trainer may kill me, as I haven't worked out once since we met last week. Oh well.

As I travel along this weight loss journey, I'm discovering there are a few food staples that I need to survive:

• Soup - I eat a lot of soup. Always have though, so this isn't that different
• 94% Fat Free Popcorn - this is a new one, as I used to hate popcorn. However, my weakness is salty, snacky type food (not sweets at all), and popcorn fulfills those cravings for me. I'm eating some as I write this!
• High fiber bread and lean lunch meat. I LOVE sandwiches, so I needed to find bread I can eat. I found bread that I enjoy, and it's only 1 point a slice (good, hearty bread)
• Fruit - bananas, clementines (tons of those), apples, pears, fruit cups, etc. I love fruit.
• Oatmeal - maple and brown sugar, lower sugar, almost every single morning
• Malt O'Meal - love it
• Eggs
  
• Smart Ones meals - I take one for lunch almost every single day
• Fat free Yogurt
• Babybel light cheese (LOVE this)
• Weight Watchers ice cream treats, especially the 1 point fudge bars
• Chicken breast
  
• Baked potatoes
• 100 calorie snack packs, especially the cheez it party mix. Yum!
• 60 calorie Jell-O pudding cups (70 calorie for Rice pudding)
  
• 10 calorie Jell-O cups
• Refried beans
• Canned green beans
• Diet coke (or other diet soda). I know, I know. I'm supposed to drink a lot of water. But I just like Diet Coke a lot more. I try to drink more water, but a girl can only change so much at once. :)
  

There you have it - my life in food for the last three months or so. I'm probaby forgetting a few things, but I think that at least provides a glimpse. Additionally, B often cooks for me, so I'm really blessed in that department. Her help is especially important right now, as I've sort of hit a motivational wall. To help me overcome that wall, she told me to pick five new recipes from the Weight Watchers cookbook for her to make. It doesn't get much better than that, right?

I know I always say this, but I hope I can find the willpower to continue on this journey. The first 30 pounds weren't easy per se, but they also weren't that hard. From past experience, I know the last 30 will be absolutely brutal. However, I might be getting a little too far ahead of myself here, as I have the middle 30 to lose before I even get to the last 30. Yikes - how did I let my weight get so out of control? That's simply mind boggling to me. Alas, it happened, and all I can do now is work on repairing the damage. So far, so good, right?

As usual, I'm open to tips/advice on new food, work out ideas, etc. Only you can help me prevent food boredom, friends and family. I need you! Here's to losing the "middle" 30!

Seattle Stories

As I've mentioned before, my sister Samantha and brother in law Travis moved to Seattle last year (sad). So, B and I decided to go visit them to celebrate the new year, as we miss them and neither of us had ever been to Seattle. We left on December 31 and stayed until January 4 - the longest vacation B's had in a LONG time. I felt happy she could take some time off and even happier we got to spend it together. :)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I started to get sick on the Monday before New Year's Eve. By the time we left for Seattle, I wasn't feeling all that great. However, I was determined to push past it for B, my sister, and for myself, as I wanted to enjoy the trip and to see the city. Overall, I think I did okay. Here's a run down of the five day weekend:

Wednesday:
We arrived safely in Seattle, and our checked bag did too - yay! I never take that for granted after the five day outfit in Israel! Samantha was waiting for us, and we were soon on our way to her place in Kent, a suburb of Seattle.

Unfortunately, we saw something horrible along the way. As we waited to turn left at a busy intersection, we noticed a guy crossing the road we were attempting to turn on, against the light. He appeared to be intoxicated, and was trying to stop traffic by holding up his hand as he walked as his friends watched. The cars whizzed by him, but he made it halfway. I thought he would stop at that point, but unfortunately he continued on. One car missed him by inches, and then suddenly I heard a horrible bang. A car had smashed directly into him, and he flew into the air with such force that his pants came off. We thought for sure he was dead, and we wanted to stay as witnesses for the driver (the poor person had no chance, as it was dark, rainy, uphill, he had the green light, and the guy was wearing dark clothing). However, we were forced to turn left onto the road, and then turned around as soon as we could. We passed the scene, and we could see the EMTs/paramedics treating him as if he was still alive. Unfortunately though, there was no place for us to pull off safely. We really have no idea if the guy lived or died, and we couldn't vouch for the driver. Yuck.

After all that, we were quite shaken up, and we couldn't stop talking about it for a while. Clearly the guy was an idiot, but no one deserves to die for that. I hope he made it, and I hope the driver can find some peace too. Any one of us could have been that driver, and I think we all recognized that. Life is crazy!

We eventually collected our wits and continued on to arrive safely in Kent. Samantha and Travis's new home is great! Huge, lots of space, nice floor plan, etc. We even had our own guest room (now called our room I believe!). Since it was new year's eve, we debated whether we should head into the city to see the fireworks. Ultimately, we decided to stay in and play rock band, as it was chilly and rainy. We had a great time and went to bed not too long after midnight (it was after 2:00 CST afterall).

Thursday:
On Thursday, the four of us went to the Space Needle and the Experience Music Project museum. I thought the space needle was great, and I really enjoyed the views of the city. It was definitely cold and windy on the outside observation deck though - yikes! I also enjoyed the EMP, but not as much as I thought I might. The visit confirmed that I have NO musical talent, but I still manage to look pretty dang good rocking out with the instruments. Too bad there has to be sound! :-P

On Thursday evening, we went to dinner at a restaurant in Kent, the Zephyr - it was not great. They were out of a ton of stuff, and they screwed up the meals. They torched my salmon and then served it with some sort of rice that smelled so bad that Samantha wouldn't even taste it! I tried it, and it was NOT good. After dinner, we went back to the house and chilled - a good day.

Friday:
On Friday, I felt horrible in the morning, so I stayed in bed to sleep. Samantha and Beth went to Silverdale to run some errands and passed through Tacoma on the way. Beth can now legitimately sing that song that goes, "I've been to Phoenix, Arizona all the way to Tacoma, Philadelphia, Atlanta, LA" as she's been to all those places. Pretty cool. Anyway, they were kind enough to stop for meds and tea for me, and when they arrived home, I got ready to leave the house (slowly).

When I was ready, we journeyed back into Seattle to visit Pike's Market, and I loved it. Samantha said it was not really busy, so I can't imagine what it's normally like! I loved looking at all the stuff for sale, and I loved the view of the water (was that Puget Sound? I forget.). We enjoyed some delicious crepes and then bought some dried fruit (most of which we forgot in Seattle - bummer. Samantha, please enjoy it for us!). We walked around for a long time, and we saw the place where they throw the fish and the first ever Starbucks too! I definitely loved the market, and I think I would frequent it often if I lived out there.

After the market, we visited Samantha's church. It was nice to see where she sings each week. The place is huge - comparable to the Basilica or Cathedral here. Very nice - they are lucky to have her, as she's quite talented. She didn't even have to audition, as her experience preceded her. Nice!

After visiting the church, we decided to head back toward Kent. Samantha drove us past Safeco and Qwest fields - cool to see. I am looking forward to catching a Mariners' game at Safeco in the future!

As we drove back to the burbs, we decided we wanted Chipotle. Samantha suggested we stop at the one in Tukwila (another suburb), but I stupidly said let's get it in Kent so it will be warm. We agreed that was a good idea, and went to the Kent Chipotle...where it turns out they had no food to make burritos. Literally - no tortillas, no salsas, and no spices for the meat. Unfortunately, they didn't tell Samantha until AFTER she had ordered. I said no thanks, not going to waste points on horrible, non-Chipotle, Chipotle. We were all bummed, as we were craving Chipotle big time. In fact, we were so bummed that we decided to go BACK to Tukwila to actually order decent food. We arrived to find a well stocked restaurant, and then finally we were on our way back to Kent. That was a delicious burrito, well worth the drive in my opinion. Thanks, Samantha!

Saturday:
On Saturday, Samantha made us a delicious breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and the spicy potatoes B taught her to make (if you hadn't noticed, I fell off the Weight Watchers wagon in Seattle. Oh well). After that, B, Samantha, and I headed into the city for the Underground Tour. Like Jerusalem, Seattle is a city on top of an older version of itself. It's a long story that I don't feel like explaining, but basically you can go underground and see parts of the old town as it existed before being trumped, literally. I really enjoyed the tour, as the guides were informative and hilarious. B really enjoyed it too, and that made me happy, as she was really looking forward to it.

Oh, before the tour, we visited Samantha's office at Amazon. She works in the tallest building in Seattle, and her desk provides a view of Mt. Rainier on clear days. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate so we couldn't see the mountain. Oh well - it was neat to see where Samantha spends her days!

After the tour, we went to a really cool toy store (Magic Mouse?), and Samantha bought a fun new game - the Smartass Game. I think that's the right name. After the toy store, we hit up a local Italian restaurant, DeNunzios. The place was a riot, as it was a tiny joint in a basement (continuing our underground theme) with a crazy host/waiter. The waiter, Tonelli, a flaming gay man, literally made me spit out my gum, though I'm not sure why, as the place was in a BASEMENT for pete's sake. Not a four star joint. Probably not even three, but B and Samantha thought that was hilarious. Anyway, we enjoyed our meals and each other's company (and we even enjoyed Tonelli), and then it was time to go (but before that, Samantha said something so funny that Beth spit out her water all over me and Samantha - Samantha could barely speak she was laughing so hard at that point. We still can't remember what Samantha said, but the whole thing was pretty dang funny). However, before we left, Tonelli insisted that he should take our picture, though we aren't sure why. We let him do that, and then we were on our way back to the burbs for our last evening in the pacific northwest. It's sad how fast vacation goes.

Sunday:
We had to wake up early to get to the airport, and I was feeling AWFUL by this point. B took care of me, and after a long shower, I was at least able to function. As we drove to the airport, B said, "hey, is that Mount Rainier?" Samantha looked back and said, "why yes, it is" or something similar. As I said above, the weather had been dreary the entire time, but it finally cleared enough for us to see the big mountain on our last day. It was beautiful, and I'm glad we got to see it. Good job, B!

After we said good bye to Samantha (sad), we caught our flight and were headed home. B's sister Aviva picked us up in Mpls (our bag made it home too!), and then it was off to run some errands. Finally we headed home and I got to rest...for another whole week of illness! Ick.

Recap:
We had a great time in Seattle, and we especially enjoyed spending time with Samantha and Travis. I miss them a lot, and I'm looking forward to our next trip out. Hopefully when the weather is nicer, as all that grey does get a bit old. ;) Plus, we want to do some of the more outdoorsy stuff, like the national parks and Mt. Saint Helens (which is also a national park I think). Plus, there's always baseball - clearly that's a priority! :)

Thanks to Samantha and Travis for hosting us - we love you guys!

Holiday Madness

As the holidays approach, I find myself in a bit of holiday madness. It's great, but I wish I had more time to really enjoy it. I'm exhausted...how do people do all this with kids?!? Amazing.

Here's what I've been up to:

On Friday night, B and I went to the Holidazzle parade. It was cute and fun, and the weather wasn't terribly bitter. That makes a huge difference. After the parade, we went back to B's and made dinner for us and Samantha, who was in town from Seattle. After dinner, we all went over to Rice Park in Saint Paul to check out the holiday lights there. Very fun and very pretty. We took Matty along with us too, and she seemed to enjoy herself (except when B put her on top of one of the giant boxes). All in all, a very Christmas-y evening.

On Saturday morning, B and I went over to Mary's for the first annual Christmas cookie bake off. The weather was horrible, so driving out to Chaska was a bit scary, but we made it just fine. There were numerous cars in the ditch and others were fishtailing all over the place, but the Honda did me proud. Anyway, the bake off was quite fun - I made peppermint bark and wreaths, Samantha made chocolate chip walnut and sugar cookies, Jessie made Mexican wedding cakes and peanut butter cookies, and Mary made English toffee. I fell off the WW wagon a bit as I wanted to taste everything - delicious! At the end of the day, we got to leave with a bunch of different cookies too - the beauty of the bake off! I think it's something we will try to do each year, if our schedules allow for it (it's a bit difficult with Samantha living in Seattle!).

As I said above, I made peppermint bark this year. I had never made it before, but I suddenly found myself craving it at Thanksgiving and decided at that point that it couldn't be that hard to make. Turns out that it's not, and it turns out that it's a huge hit! It might even compete with the wreaths, and that says a lot. Everyone seems to love it, and B says people were chowing it down in her office. I guess I will add that to the list of things I make each holiday season! Easy and delicious - can't beat that!

Saturday night meant it was Pajama Christmas time! I was a bit worried that people not make it due to the weather, but we had a very good turn out and lots of Toys for Tots to donate. Yay! Emmett Otter made his annual appearance to much chagrine from some, and we watched other movies as well. The treats were delicious and the company terrific - all in all a good night! Baby Jason looked super cute in his Christmas onesie - I cannot believe how big he is already!

On Sunday, I slept in quite late to recover from the whirlwind of activity, and then finally got motivated enough to hit the J with B. Sunday night, B and I marked the first night of Hanukkah, and I gave her presents for the first night (she's getting little gifts for each night). We then went to bed decently early, both tired from a weekend filled with holiday madness.

Whew! Even though all that holiday excitement is already past, there is much more to come as well. Tomorrow is Christmas eve, and I think B and I are going to a movie with Ali and Jill. Thursday is Christmas, which means family time with the Schmids/Halters. Friday and Saturday, B has to work, so I probably will too. Saturday night is a Hanukkah celebration with B's family (B's parents are staying here, which means I must clean at some point too), and then Monday it's back to work for two days until we leave for Seattle on Wednesday. Whoa! I'm looking forward to everything, but I also understand why people need vacations after their vacations. I need down time! :)

Merry Christmas to all, and Happy Hanukkah as well! May the season bring you only peace and joy. All my love, Lisa

Maybe this is why Tony is fat...

Maybe it's why his mama had to go to Weight Watchers too! ;)


more animals

Adventures in FloHo

I spent the weekend in Florence, Massachusetts, aka FloHo, where Sarah lives. FloHo is part of Northampton (I think this is right - it confuses me. It's sort of the British model with villages in towns, etc.). I had a really good time, and it was fun to meet Sarah's friends and her new girlfriend, Patty O'Brien. Random note - could her name be any more Irish? Beth wanted me to say "top o' the morning to ya, Patty O'Brien" when I met her, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Sarah and I giggled about it all weekend though. :)

In surprising news, my flights out east were all on time. I made my connection in Philly with no problem, and my flight into Hartford was actually early. When does that EVER happen these days? Air travel is just not fun anymore. In fact, it's often the opposite of fun - miserable. The planes are full, you have to fight for space in the overhead bins because no one wants to pay to check their bags, and flights are always delayed or cancelled. Every time I have to buy a ticket with a layover, I fret about actually making the connection, especially on short weekend trips. If a non-stop flight is available, I seriously consider purchasing it even if it's $100 more. Sad, but true. The airlines are a disaster, and yet we as consumers have no viable alternatives. Boo.

Anyway, after my surprisingly successful travels on Friday, Sarah picked me up and then we got dinner from Bueno y Sano, a local burrito place in Northampton (NoHo). It was delicous! Then we went over to Larissa and Heather's house, Sarah's friends, and we watched a movie. I loved their house - they have done all the remodeling work themselves, and I swear it looks like a Martha Stewart/Real Simple house. Beautiful. They even had great Christmas decorations and a tree.

Saturday morning, I was supposed to participate in a walk for a local safe house, but I woke up with a migraine. I slept in while Sarah walked and Patty ran, and eventually I felt better. We ran some errands, and then we went to a place called Judie's. Judie's is famous for popovers, and they were quite good. After dinner, we went to the local debut of a GLBT movie called Tru Loved. It was quite cute, but it always amazes me how bad the acting is in most GLBT films/TV shows. The main character, Tru, did a decent job, but some of the others were quite painful/humorous to watch. Sarah thought it might be because most GLBT movies are low budget, but many low budget movies aren't horribly acted. I just don't get why we can't do better. Maybe someday.

The movie experience was rather unique. It seemed like every lesbian in NoHo was there, and they all seemed to know each other. It was a like an odd family reunion or something. While it seems like such an environment would feel welcoming, it actually felt sort of off putting. Perhaps it's because I'm not from there, or perhaps it's the fact that they all seem to know each other's business. I'm guessing that everyone has dated everyone too. Idk, the whole thing was just surreal! NoHo is an odd place for that same reason - it's like if Chaska was a gay town. I'm not sure why I felt uncomfortable or why I found the whole thing funny, but I did. I need to do some more self exploration of that, as it doesn't make sense that I would feel uncomfortable in an all lesbian environment. Internalized homophobia perhaps? ;)

After the movie, we went to a neat coffee shop in town with some of our fellow movie goers. I really liked the place, but I skipped all drinks due to WW and because I don't really like coffee. One small victory in a weekend filled with food disasters!

On Sunday, we all slept in a bit and then went shopping in NoHo. I love shopping in NoHo for some reason. Lots of little cute shops filled with things created by local folks and non-local folks. Just really cute stuff, and I love it. After shopping, it was time for a quick lunch and then it was off to the airport. The weekend flew by, and I was sad to go. This time, I seriously considered whether I should move out there...I miss Sarah, and I'm tired of the bitter cold (it doesn't get quite as bitter there). I do think NoHo is too small for me, but perhaps Boston. Maybe some day...

Back to the airlines and air travel - here's a funny story about my return trip home: My flight to Philadelphia was on time, but then we were stuck on the runway for a LONG time because a plane broke down and had to be towed away. We sat there long enough that I started to worry about missing my connection, but we finally started to move forward. I made my connection, and then when that plane landed in Mpls (25 minutes late due to the disabled plane forcing all the planes to be late), they didn't have a jetway ready for us. They also couldn't find a jetway driver. What the heck? LOL. I finally got off the plane and headed home.

Really, the travel mishaps weren't a big deal, especially considering I've been through much worse, but I can't remember the last time I flew without some problem. It's like the airlines are held to a completely different customer service standard - or perhaps they just don't have any at all. Yuck. At least my plane wasn't the disabled one - those poor folks might still be in Philly!

Wisconsin Weekend

I went to Neenah, Wisconsin with B (and Matty) this weekend to visit her family (she grew up in NY and in WI) for the holiday weekend, and I had a really good time! On Friday night, we went out to eat at a cute little Mexican restaurant in town and enjoyed a nice meal. Plus, I got to see a bit of the town, and it's really quite cute. Reminds me of the old Chaska - small town Americana at its best. Parts of it could be used to depict the American ideal in movies, and in fact, movies have been filmed there. Pretty cool.

On Saturday, B, her mom Marleen, and I went to the local grocery store to pick up some last minute Thanksgiving items, and then we chilled out at the house for a bit. Later in the afternoon, B, her dad Rich, and I went to a holiday music laser light show at the local planetarium. I really enjoyed the show, as they played holiday music (hello, what's not to love) and then provided visual entertainment as well. My favorite laser display was this virtual rollercoaster. As the lights moved, it actually felt like we were riding the coaster. Pretty neat!

After the show, we headed back to the house and started preparing the Thanksgiving meal (my third!). Eventually, everything was ready and we sat down with some family friends and enjoyed a great meal. B liked the stuffing, and she normally hates it. That says something! After we finished eating, we played Apples to Apples and Scrabble, and B and I managed to squeak out a narrow victory in Scrabble. This is not a small feat in the Tanzer household - I felt like a board game idiot most of the time. Regardless, I still enjoyed myself, and I think everyone else did too.

On Sunday, Rich made an excellent breakfast of crepes, and I enjoyed those with some nutella (see post about falling off the WW wagon for the weekend). I LOVE nutella on crepes!

After breakfast and after Marleen hemmed my work pants (thank you!), we hit the road because it was snowing a bit. The ride went very smoothly until we hit some bad traffic near the Twin Cities, but all in all, it was a successful trip home, and a great trip all around. I'm already looking forward to our next visit!

Weight Watchers update

I've now lost a total of 14 pounds on Weight Watchers! Wow! That seems like a lot, and I'm happy about my progress. However, when I think about how much I have to lose, 14 seems tiny in comparison. I try not to think about it like that, as it's overwhelming and scary. It's better to focus on the progress made and on the smaller goals I have, such as losing 10% of my overall body weight, etc.

Sticking to the plan has become a bit more difficult, especially lately, as I'm feeling hungry at times. Vegetables just don't always cut it when it comes to cravings! ;) Plus, sticking to the daily points each day takes a lot of work and planning, and sometimes I'm just tired and want to eat whatever I can find. I'm also worried I will become bored with my food options, but so far so good in that department. Lucky for me, I love soup and sandwiches, and both are super easy to make.

In really positive news, I made it through the first of the major holidays (see earlier Thanksgiving post) without gaining any weight. In fact, I still lost that week, and I ate freely that day (well, within reason). That was quite an accomplishment, and it gives me hope for getting through the next month and a half of holiday parties, cookies, meals, and events without having a total meltdown. I absolutely love holiday treats, especially all the cookies, and I'm not naive enough to think I won't sneak a few here and there, but I hope to minimize the damage. I do know that if I deprive myself completely, I will eventually break down and pig out. That's not a good option, so I'll have to allow myself some treats within reason. It's a fine line, and I hope to navigate it well. In reality, I wonder if I should accept weight maintenance during the holidays as a success...Time will tell, but for now, I feel good about my recent progress. Stay tuned for future updates.

A random PS: Happy birthday to my good friend Kami, who understands WW and all its accompanying struggles. I hope you had a fantastic day!

I think I might have a problem...

Hello, my name is Lisa and I'm addicted to groceries. Honestly, I can't believe how much money I've spent on groceries lately. I also can't believe how much food we have! Insanity!

Because I'm doing Weight Watchers, I need to have a lot of good, healthy food around. However, I might be taking that idea to an extreme. We had to rearrange B's shelves to fit everything in! Oh well, it's nice to be able to eat tons of good stuff without having to leave the house. Also, now that we have the staples, I hope to curb the expensive trips soon. If not, I will have to find some kind of support group for food hoarding. Stay tuned!

Weight Watchers

Long ago (think high school or early college), I used to be in decent shape, maybe even better than decent shape. I played 1-2 sports a season, and was participating in 1-4 hours of physical activity a day. I could play three basketball games in a day and feel fine. I could also eat whatever I wanted with little consequence. However, once all those sports ended and my eating habits didn't change, my weight spiraled out of control. It always bothered me, and once I demolished my knee, I realized it was even more important to do something. Further, my family has a history of arthritis and other auto-immune disorders, and extra weight exacerbates those problems. Basically, I've needed to do something for a long time, and I finally decided to do something about it - two weeks ago, I joined Weight Watchers (WW) at work.

I did WW in college and had some success, but ultimately I had a hard time sticking to it. This time, I think it will be different, as I earn enough money to buy good food and I have a supportive girlfriend who does a lot of cooking for me. Also, the WW plan has changed a bit, and I feel like I get to eat more food. That definitely makes a HUGE difference, as it's impossible to stick to a weight loss plan when you feel hungry all the time. The best thing about WW is that it's not really a diet - it basically just teaches you to stick to healthy choices and proper portion sizes. I can eat any food I want as long as I stick to my points for the day/week. The plan is realistic, and it's something I can maintain for life. Dieting is not.

Overall, I feel optimistic about my chances for success this time around, and so far, so good - I lost 5 lbs my first week! I'm not sure how much of that was water weight, but it still felt good. The best news - I didn't really feel hungry all week. The second week has been tougher, as I had to eat out for work a couple times (it's quite difficult to make good choices at some places), but overall, I think I'm still doing decently. I know two weeks isn't a long time, but I had to start somewhere! As my mom says, even if I lose 1/2 pound a month, I'm making progress. Only time will tell if I succeed this time around. With B and supportive friends and family, I think I can do it!

PS: I'm thinking about joining a gym, but I'm not sure which one to choose. Anyone have any good recommendations? Also for personal trainers. Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks!