Minnesota Politics, Immigration, and Family History
7 months ago
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
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 differe
nce. 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 fu
n 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 sch
edules 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 sa
ys 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 wo
rried 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 Christm
as 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 tw
o 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
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 differe
nce. 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 fu
n 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 sch
edules 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 sa
ys 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 wo
rried 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 Christm
as 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 tw
o 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
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
That's a lot of butter!
I'm now down 20.6 lbs on Weight Watchers! Yay! I feel good about this loss, really good. My clothes feel bigger, my face looks thinner, and my knee feels better. All joyous things.
However, from day one of my weight loss journey, I've had a hard time thinking about how long it will take me and how hard it will be to stay motivated for such a long time...really, for life. When I really think about it, it's hard not to get discouraged. To help me with that, B. came up with a good visual image - picture one box of butter (4 sticks) as one pound of weight off my body. One might seem small, but when you add up twenty boxes? That's a LOT of butter! That image helps me to recognize what an accomplishment my weight loss is as of right now, even if it's only the beginning of the journey.
It also amuses me to picture the 100 boxes of butter that represent what I need to lose to reach my "goal" weight (really, if I lost that much I would be smaller than I was in high school, when I was in good shape, so I don't see that happening.). 100 boxes of butter...that's just amazing!
Regardless of how many boxes of butter I need to or choose to lose, I feel good about the twenty I've already lost! I think it's important to recognize that as an achievement in itself, even if I have many boxes to go. Thanks to everyone who is supporting me, especially B. I'm sure she's sick of hearing about food, points, meetings, exercise, etc., but she's quite patient and supportive through it all. Gotta love that! Thanks so much to her and everyone else. With all of you at my back, I will be able to stick with it and eventually say "bye bye butter!" I won't miss you, not even a little bit!
However, from day one of my weight loss journey, I've had a hard time thinking about how long it will take me and how hard it will be to stay motivated for such a long time...really, for life. When I really think about it, it's hard not to get discouraged. To help me with that, B. came up with a good visual image - picture one box of butter (4 sticks) as one pound of weight off my body. One might seem small, but when you add up twenty boxes? That's a LOT of butter! That image helps me to recognize what an accomplishment my weight loss is as of right now, even if it's only the beginning of the journey.
It also amuses me to picture the 100 boxes of butter that represent what I need to lose to reach my "goal" weight (really, if I lost that much I would be smaller than I was in high school, when I was in good shape, so I don't see that happening.). 100 boxes of butter...that's just amazing!
Regardless of how many boxes of butter I need to or choose to lose, I feel good about the twenty I've already lost! I think it's important to recognize that as an achievement in itself, even if I have many boxes to go. Thanks to everyone who is supporting me, especially B. I'm sure she's sick of hearing about food, points, meetings, exercise, etc., but she's quite patient and supportive through it all. Gotta love that! Thanks so much to her and everyone else. With all of you at my back, I will be able to stick with it and eventually say "bye bye butter!" I won't miss you, not even a little bit!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
When is the flood coming?
Is a flood coming? Have warnings been issued? I'm not really sure, but clearly, Twin Cities men must think a flood is coming, as I'm seeing many of them wearing super short pants lately. As in ankle showing short. And in all types of pants - suit pants, khakis, jeans, you name it. Yikes! Obviously, women do this too, but lately, the male offenses seem more egregious.
Because I'm fairly confident we aren't about to be flooded, I'm not sure why this is happening. Perhaps people have packed on some pounds, making their pants fit shorter. Perhaps they just bought the wrong size, or maybe their tailors screwed up. Regardless, short pants make people look ridicious and clown like! I know my libran soul causes me to care more about physical appearance than I should, but I'm willing to bet the non-libran folks out there would completely agree with me as well. Short pants = clown car with you spilling out of it! Or Revenge of the Nerds. Seriously.
A rule of thumb - your pants should at the very least touch your shoes (don't quote this as a fashion rule - it's a Lisa rule for what looks halfway decent). I should not see your ankles, period. This is especially true when you are dressing for work. I know the economy is bad right now, but that makes it even more important to look sharp for work. Heck, even Target sells some decent dress pants, and you can always tailor your old clothing too. No excuses - end the short pants now! Oh, and don't get me started on male capris - yuck! ;)
Because I'm fairly confident we aren't about to be flooded, I'm not sure why this is happening. Perhaps people have packed on some pounds, making their pants fit shorter. Perhaps they just bought the wrong size, or maybe their tailors screwed up. Regardless, short pants make people look ridicious and clown like! I know my libran soul causes me to care more about physical appearance than I should, but I'm willing to bet the non-libran folks out there would completely agree with me as well. Short pants = clown car with you spilling out of it! Or Revenge of the Nerds. Seriously.
A rule of thumb - your pants should at the very least touch your shoes (don't quote this as a fashion rule - it's a Lisa rule for what looks halfway decent). I should not see your ankles, period. This is especially true when you are dressing for work. I know the economy is bad right now, but that makes it even more important to look sharp for work. Heck, even Target sells some decent dress pants, and you can always tailor your old clothing too. No excuses - end the short pants now! Oh, and don't get me started on male capris - yuck! ;)
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
PLOG Update
So far, no poop episodes! Yay! I figured Tony might have an accident (if it can be called that!) since both B and I were out of town two weekends in a row. However, so far so good. He seems quite happy, and right now he's sleeping next to me on the couch, curled up in a blanket. Perhaps he's over the pooping stage, but I think it's too soon to know for sure. Regardless, here's to more days filled without PLOG updates!
Another WW Update
I lost 3.2 lbs this week for a grand total of 18.4 lbs lost so far on Weight Watchers! Yay! This felt especially good because it was a rough week. I have a long way to go, but this start feels good, especially since it took place during the holidays! Woo hoo!
PS - a very happy 30th birthday to my friend Danette! Holy shit you're old! Have a great one!
PS - a very happy 30th birthday to my friend Danette! Holy shit you're old! Have a great one!
Monday, December 8, 2008
WW Update
I'm currently down a little over 15 lbs, but I weigh in again tomorrow after a really rough weekend filled with eating out and traveling. At least I managed to work out some. We'll see how it goes!
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!
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!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
WW Update
I completely fell off the Weight Watchers wagon last weekend. I had two more Thanksgivings, and I indulged at each. Further, I indulged the rest of the weekend too, in a BIG way. Fast food, pizza, crepes. Yikes! The scale won't be pretty tomorrow...in fact, I'm considering using my no weigh in pass. My weight actually went up the previous week after I had behaved and worked out (our leader thought it was probably just water weight from being sore, etc.), and I felt devastated after weigh in. I can't imagine what I will feel like tomorrow. Going up in weight after working hard makes it difficult for me to stay on track, so I think it's just best to avoid the scale for a week or two.
In fact, it might just be better to not focus on the numbers during the holiday season, as treats beckon everywhere. I got back on track today, but soon I will be participating in holiday gatherings galore, and I'm not sure I have the willpower to behave all season long. Given this reality, perhaps a better goal during the holidays is weight maintenance rather than weight loss. I'm going to do my best to stay on track, but I just don't think it will be that easy. Plus, life is too short to not enjoy some of the fabulous treats I'm going to encounter!
In good news, as noted in another post, I joined a gym - the JCC. I'm hoping this will kick start more weight loss, and it should also make me feel better overall. Stay tuned for updates on that front.
Overall, I think WW is still going decently well, but each day I'm starting to realize this is going to be a life long, difficult battle for me. I may not ever win completely, but I do hope to at least make some progress. As everyone tells me, I can try to eat well and work out for the next six months and hopefully lose some weight along the way or I can do nothing - either way time will pass. I might as well try during that time period. What do I have to lose, besides all the excess weight I'm carrying around? :)
PS - I'm starting to get bored with my food options. The problem is that if B doesn't cook, I need quick and simple meal ideas that are low in points (calories and fat, high in fiber). Anyone have any suggestions? A girl can only eat so much soup!
In fact, it might just be better to not focus on the numbers during the holiday season, as treats beckon everywhere. I got back on track today, but soon I will be participating in holiday gatherings galore, and I'm not sure I have the willpower to behave all season long. Given this reality, perhaps a better goal during the holidays is weight maintenance rather than weight loss. I'm going to do my best to stay on track, but I just don't think it will be that easy. Plus, life is too short to not enjoy some of the fabulous treats I'm going to encounter!
In good news, as noted in another post, I joined a gym - the JCC. I'm hoping this will kick start more weight loss, and it should also make me feel better overall. Stay tuned for updates on that front.
Overall, I think WW is still going decently well, but each day I'm starting to realize this is going to be a life long, difficult battle for me. I may not ever win completely, but I do hope to at least make some progress. As everyone tells me, I can try to eat well and work out for the next six months and hopefully lose some weight along the way or I can do nothing - either way time will pass. I might as well try during that time period. What do I have to lose, besides all the excess weight I'm carrying around? :)
PS - I'm starting to get bored with my food options. The problem is that if B doesn't cook, I need quick and simple meal ideas that are low in points (calories and fat, high in fiber). Anyone have any suggestions? A girl can only eat so much soup!
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