Back from Oblivion

I can't believe it's really working! Many thanks to those of you have stopped in to let me know you're still reading! And thanks also to the fine user group at Blogger Help Discussion (no relation to actual Goggle help staff) who suggested different things until finally many of us were able to get to publishing again.

I was so successful at fixing my blog that I inadvertently published a post I didn't plan to post yet, my year end review, but it worked out okay. Even if it does look kinda naked there without any preamble or closing. My point in posting it was to remind myself that I've had a pretty spiffy year and to let YOU know that you were a big contributor to it. Your support means everything!

Now, with the rush of the holidays past, the completion of the bedroom painting (other than the correction of a wee mishap from the removal of the blue painters' tape) achieved, the decluttering of my office closet completed, and the Blogger mess resolved, I'm ready to catch up on reading YOUR blogs! I haven't held up my end of the Blogging Buddies Doctrine, but I'm back on target now.

Or as close as I'm going to get in the near future. :)

My plan for the remainder of today and tomorrow:
- Blog reading
- Bookshelf clearing/decluttering
- A trip to the gym (tomorrow morning to get the year started off right)
- Consumption of the snack-pack of Doritos I purchased (a full ounce of salty, spicy yumminess and it's all MINE)
- Work on my plans for 2009

In that order except, perhaps, for the Doritos which may move up the list.


Happy New Year to ALL!!

2008: Year in Review

My first post on Tippy Toe Diet

My freezer died and I learned to let go.

A bump in the road: my training studio closed

I bceome an imperfect 10

I disclose my Reasons Why

JOLT explained

SMART splurging explained

Makeover Monday is born

I saved a life and got peed on. A lesson to us all.

Cake Day Explained

I meet Laurie Notaro and do pushups on the ball, but not at the same time.


I meet fellow bloggers Dietbook, WVSooner, and Deborah

I meet Mizfit


I lose 100 pounds

Blogger Hates Me

I'm not sure this message will get through, but I'll try. Blogger is having some sort of ftp publishing "issues" and is preventing me from updating you all on what's going on in my fascinating life. Stay tuned...

A Cammy-sighting

Well, well, well. Look who's waddling past her very own blog. :)

So sorry for the unannounced absence. The week just kind of exploded out of control. Nothing ugly, just busybusybusy.

I hope your holidays were enjoyable, but I guess I'll find that out later today when I catch up on the 500+ open items in my reader.

Christmas with my family was wonderful. I'm glad I had already decided to allow some holiday calorie indulgences, because there were plenty to be had, most involving enormous amounts of sugar. :) I was sorely tempted to continue the splurginess for the full 12 days of Christmas, but that would have been wrong.

Tasty, but wrong.

So after a miserly two treat-happy days, I'm back to my (mostly) healthy way of eating. Turkey, tuna, chicken, turkey, tuna...

The weather here was unseasonably warm for the holiday, which allowed for a nice long walk in the sunshine on Christmas Day and again on yesterday. I also made it back to the gym on Friday for a good workout. I may go in for another workout today.

And then it's back to painting. I have the last itty bit of trim in the bedroom (delayed due to a need for minor wall repair, which I'm proud to say I did myself), and then it's on to the hallway!

Hope you all have a marvelous Sunday!

Makeover Monday: Peace in the Family

I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned it here, but now seems like a good time. When it comes to family, I hit the jackpot. I've never walked a day on earth without their love, and I cherish them in return. We have our occasional scratchy-patches, but they always blow over pretty quickly.

Years of experience have taught us what to expect of each other. I know that both my parents will give me lots (and lots) of well-intentioned advice I didn't ask for, and that my grandmother and sister will both say something that makes me cringe. As the lone liberal in the family, I will have more than one moment of tongue-biting to avoid an argument.

What I try to remember at these times is that I'm not perfect and neither are they. And if I expect them to accept me as I am, then I need to give them room to be who they are. Even when I want to bounce a wooden spoon off someone's head.

We may not be candidates for a Norman Rockwell poster, but we're reasonably close. Love trumps everything else, and the good times far outpace any negativity.

Not everyone has this luxury, I know, and many people actually dread spending time with their families during the holidays. Instead of joyful togetherness, these people see the holidays as a time to resurrect long-simmering resentments, years-old feuds, petty squabbles and misdemeanors, misdirected bitterness—you get the picture. Throw in an abundance of alcohol and things can get messy in a hurry.

The Salvation Army has an excellent roster of suggestions for avoiding family conflicts during the holiday, among them:

Seek to understand more about how your family works.
Once you understand more about it (and the part that you play in
it) it will be easier for you to objective about it. Emotional
reactivity is not helpful.

Remember there are some things that, in the bigger scheme of
things, are not worth making an issue of. (Cammy note:
Obviously, some families have seriously ugly events in their
pasts, but your mother-in-law's questioning your choice of
spices in your casserole isn't cause for a major altercation.)

Avoid digging up the past. (Cammy note: Instead of focusing
on the past, why not spend the energy trying to make this
Christmas even more memorable as the one in which everyone gets along?)

Christmas may not be the best time to confront or expose problems.
There may be better times and better ways to do that.

Plan what is going to happen over the Christmas period and make
sure you feel ok about what is happening. If you feel you have
been dragged along with something that you really don't want to
be a part of, you are more likely to be resentful.

Christmas is a time to look for the best in your family and
friends. Look and speak to the very best in them. (Cammy
note: I really like this one as I've found that when you expect
the best from people, you very often get it. If you expect the
worst…well, you'll probably find it, even if it's not really there.
See this post if you need a refresher.)

Laugh, dance, get lots of hugs, give lots of hugs and go to
church. That way you won't lose your perspective of what Christmas
is really all about.

The bottom line is that WE are in control of our expectations, our actions, and our reactions. Unless we have too much wine, that is. And for those of us for whom that might be a concern, perhaps it's better to wait until we're home to imbibe. A nice glass of wine while we're patting ourselves on the back would be a truly nice ending to the holiday.

Wishing you all peace and joy, during the holidays and beyond.

Is This Blog Still Open?

Yes, all appearances to the contrary, this blog is still open.

What can I day? It's been a busy week.

I'm still painting, but I'm hopeful to finish up tomorrow. Word to the wise: If you're thinking about some DIY painting projects, invest in good paint brushes. It really does make all the difference in the world. What I thought was poor technique was mostly cheap paintbrushes.

Although the technique could probably use some work, too.

All week, I've teetered between getting a quote for someone else to complete all the other painting projects I need and tackling it myself, one area at a time (and none during holiday times.) I'll probably choose something in the middle.

Besides painting, I've been battling an eye infection and haven't really been able to use the computer much. But thanks to steroid/antibiotic drops, that's much better now. I should be back to business as usual this week.

Just in time for everyone to go on holiday vacation. :)

As far as fitness goes, I finally made it to the gym on Friday (yaaay!) and had a great workout. I was running short on time (note the pattern), so I did 20 minutes cardio and and 15 minutes of strength training. I also made use of the scale and was pleased to see that I'm holding steady. Considering that we had our office Christmas lunch, at which I enjoyed a piece of fried catfish for the first time in almost 2 years, I'm counting my blessings.

After the catfish indulgence, I realized that there was another item I've avoided for the past 18 months: antacids. Honestly, I can't recall needing Rolaids, Tums, Tagamet, or any related products since I started eating healthier. I probably won't be needing them again for quite some time, because the one piece of catfish was enough to last awhile. It was great, but too much grease for me. (Even before the weight loss/fitness quest, I had cut waaaay back on fried food for this very reason.)

Also in fitness news, I met with Trainer Daniel on Friday for a photo session. He might be using yours truly in some advertising! That's too big for me to think about right now.

But more on that this week (probably Tuesday).

I hope you're all having a great holiday season. I'm the teensiest bit behind on my blog reading (320 posts), but I'm hopeful of catching up during the week.

For now, my paintbrush beckons!

HYC Week 50

I think we can cross off "house painter" from the list of potential future careers. I just do NOT seem to have the knack for it. Or is it that I don't have the knack for it...YET? This article has me wondering if I just haven't given it enough time.

No weigh-in for this week. I'm forgoing gym time for painting time, trying to get my master bedroom finished once and for all. Well, except for carpet, which will be the final step in the home re-do. Since the gym is where the scale is, I'll have to skip the "official" check for the week. It was fine last Friday. Let's hope that continues.

Lest you think I'm skipping exercise, I can assure you that painting a room provides ample opportunity for giving the muscles a good workout. Paint can curls, step ladder step-ups (lost count around the 22,000 mark), squats, lunges, shoulder presses--oh yes, my muscles are getting plenty of business these days. None of it's cardio--well, except when I lose my impatient self loses her temper and starts ranting about something that's not working well. That gives the heart a good boost. :)

I hope to wrap up this project by Wednesday or Thursday night and get back to the gym by Friday, at the latest. I'll definitely be doing workouts on the weekend, because I have a Christmas party to go to on Sunday and there will be f-u-d-g-e there. The last time I had fudge was last Christmas, so I'm already salivating. (How many days 'til Sunday?)

Hope you're all having a great week!

Makeover Monday: Dreaming with Pen and Paper

I carry small notebooks and notecards with me everywhere I go. They're full of odd bits of ideas and scattered pieces of dreams, some in progress, others on the horizon. And some already in place. I recorded my Reasons Why in my notebook, as well as the health goals you see in my sidebar. There's something about putting ink to paper that helps my brain sort things out and see possibilities.

In her book Write It Down, Make It Happen, Henriette Anne Klauser refers to a notebook like mine as "a suggestion box for the brain." I like that. I like it a lot.

Writing down our dreams and aspirations activates the part of our brains that sorts out the important from the mundane, setting a filter, of sorts, to monitor the events around us and pull in any details that might be important.

And those details are all around us, waiting for us to pounce!

To borrow an analogy from Ms. Klauser, if you've ever bought a new car, you've no doubt noticed that suddently the streets were filled with cars of the same make, model, and color. Was there an overnight production run? No, they were always there. We just didn't see them.

Writing down our dreams and goals increases our awareness of the events going on around us. We notice things that previously passed us by. We'll likely notice so many things that it will be difficult to remember them all. Another good reason to keep pen and paper nearby!

The truly good news is that beginning this habit doesn't really require much of an investment. Paper, pen or pencil, and time--that's all you need! You can choose something as simple as a spiral-bound memo book, as elaborate as a bound journal, or something in between for your writing. Or if you're someone who travels lightly throughout the day, a simple index card tucked in the back pocket will do. (That's what writer Anne Lamott does, and it seems to have worked out well for her.)

What you write with is another matter of choice. I love the scritch-scritch-scritch of pencil on paper, but I also love writing in bright colors. Currently, I'm dreaming with a red pen.

While writing down goals, ideas, and observations as they occur throughout the day is good, it's also important to set aside time and place for wide-open dreaming. It could be a comfy chair in an out-of-the-way place in your house or a favorite coffee/tea shop. Although it may sound strange, my favorite place for dreaming with ink and paper is a McDonald's near my house. I've had some of my best ideas ever while sitting on their patio watching the traffic go by and letting my mind roam. Pick a place that lets your imagination work freely.

Speaking of imagination, if you're going to dream, dream BIG. When you're writing down your dreams, don't let any idea pass by undocumented--no matter how impossible or silly it may seem! You don't believe me? Perhaps Marianne Williamson's words will speak more loudly than mine:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

That's a sometimes-true statement for me. I fear failing, but there are times when I fear succeeding even more. (I'm working on it, I'm working on it.) Writing down those fears gets them out into the open as opposed to bouncing around my brain untended.

Whatever your dreams, whatever your goals--getting them out of your brain and onto paper is a concrete step of faith, a statement that you believe in yourself and in your dream.

So, what are you waiting for? Get to writing! I did:



If you care to share your dreams with us, please do in your comments. If you'd rather keep your dreams to yourself (for now, anyway), that's cool, too. Just make sure you honor them by writing them down.

Happy Monday to all!

People Are Watching

I'm feeling all celebrity-like here. The super-charming, irrepressible Mary, of A Merry Life, flattered the heck out of me by interviewing me as a success story for her blog! Thank you so much, Mary! I not only had fun answering your interesting questions, I also had a few personal revelations along the way. (I love when that happens!)

A couple of Mary's questions centered on advice for people embarking on weight loss plans, and I've since realized another tip I would give. The amazingly talented Kelly* touched on it when she commented/questioned in my last post:

Does it get embarrassing sometimes- the focus on your looks? I mean, of course
you are healthier and happier and its a change for the better, but id get
uncomfortable with people gushing over how great i looked all the time. or does
it make it feel like it was all worth it?

Yes to all of the above, Kelly! The great comments are truly appreciated, and I'd be hurt (not to mention puzzled) if no one said anything. But I'd be less than honest if I didn't admit that there have been times when I felt like shouting, "Can we all stop looking at my body now? Please?" I never expected this sort of attention to my physical self!

That sounds ungrateful, doesn't it? I don't mean for it to. They mean well, and support like this is part of what has helped fuel this journey. But when you've spent the past couple dozen years trying to do anything to minimize your body and not be noticed, it can be uncomfortable to be under this much scrutiny. I'm serious, there are times when I'm surrounded by people at work, all commenting on how "skinny" I am now.

Gratifying? Yes!

Appreciated? More than I can say.

Fishbowl-ish? More and more each day.

Now, I've just got to find a way through, around, or over this discomfort. This whole thought process has me examining some of my goals for the coming year, which (if I'm successful) have the potential to bring on even more exposure and scrutiny. I've got to get myself comfortable with that! Clearly, I have work to do.

Thank you, Mary and Kelly, for giving me the opportunity to polish another rough spot! This is what I love about blogging!

*A Big Hooray! for Kelly, who was runner-up in the Best Fitness Blog category in DietsInReview.com's 2008 Diet Awards !

Randomness

Yesterday, I ran into a guy I haven't seen in years and years. We worked together for seven or eight years, and I saw him every day. Yesterday, I had to re-introduce myself to him. When I did, he started laughing. It seems a mutual friend told him just last week that if he saw me, he wouldn't recognize me, but he thought she was exaggerating. He had to call her right then and there to tell her that she was right! It was a nice moment.

An equally nice (but somewhat unsettling) moment happened this morning, when a co-worker sent around a group photo from the JDRF walk. Even though I distinctly remembered being present for the photo, I couldn't find me anywhere. I thought maybe they had gathered for another photo after I left. But then someone pointed me out. I hadn't recognized me either. I wonder if I'll ever get used to looking for a smaller person.

In other news, my Me Day was wonderful, if a bit soggy. I did have my cookie splurge, but I wasted it on a so-so chocolate chip when a macadamia nut was clearly the way to go.

I was so noodle-y, pampered,feel good at the end of the day, that I forgot what day it was and completely missed The Biggest Loser. I've heard that we're voting for/against Heba and Ed, but other than that I have no idea what happened. So what, if anything, noteworthy did I miss?

The weight loss/fitness/health bloggers are all over the Oprah story. There aren't many of us here who haven't been through what she's going through now. Having regained lost weight, that is. Most, if not all, of us avoided doing it in front of zillions of people. But it looks like she's on the right track now:

Winfrey says she's abandoned trying to get thin. She just wants to be
strong, healthy and fit.

It worked for me, O. If you need any tips, give me a ring. Or, you know, have one of your people give me a ring.

So if you could give Oprah one tip, what would it be?

Back to work now. Enough of this random funness.

HYC Week 49

Greetings from soggy Memphis! It's pouring here just now, perfect day to curl up with a good book.

But--poor me--I can't. I have the day off and a tough schedule ahead of me:
11:00 massage (therapeutic, not like I'm going to enjoy it or anything)
1:30 manicure (emergency, major chippage on the polish)
3:30 hair stylist (regular schedule)

Somewhere in there I have to fit in lunch and, perhaps, a snack. A few months ago, I won a stack of free cookie gift certificates, and I've used only one. Today might be a good day to indulge in another one. These are big-as-your-head cookies, so I'll have to have a good think before I indulge. Considering I've already been to the gym this morning, it's probably a done deal. :)

Speaking of the gym...I don't much like it. The biggest problem is that it's boring. I need to be entertained while I work out. I miss my guys. {pause for uncontrolled sobbing}

I did make use of the gym's scale this morning, and I'm happy to report that I'm still in a happy place, weight-wise.

I worry.

Hope you're having a great week so far, but I guess I'll see in a few minutes when I check out your blogs.

(Edited to add: Please pardon my dust as I do some reconstruction work around here. I apologize for any unnecessary mucking up of your readers.)

Makeover Monday: 'Tis the Season to be Cautious

Last week an email circulated at work warning us all about carjackings in the area. It described the crime, reporting that it happened to the writer's mother's co-worker's mother-in-law. After an initial Eeek! moment, I remembered that a few months ago we received another email describing a mugging that happened to the writer's mother's co-worker's mother-in-law. Too coincidental for me. Sure enough, we checked it out and it's a hoax.

Still, given the season, perhaps it's wise to take a look at some parking lot safety precautions and if you're not doing these things, perhaps you'll consider a safety makeover. Please? I only just met you, and I'd be sad if you weren't in my comments section anymore. :(

Parking Lot Safety Tips

When Leaving A Building
The safest practice is to ask for an escort if security staff is available. (Most shopping centers in Memphis have security patrols, a result of a successful lawsuit by the family of a woman kidnapped from a Walmart parking lot and later raped and murdered. )

If security isn't available, ask a store employee to walk you out or at least stand at the door to ensure you get to the car safely. Or you can wait until someone else is leaving and ask to walk out together. (I do this one a lot. You meet really nice people this way.)

Have your keys in your hand before you leave the store, office, restaurant, etc. In a "women's safety" course I took years ago, we were told to position a key between index and middle fingers in order to go for the "eye jab" if we were attacked. I've done it ever since, even though I can't imagine stabbing someone's eye.

If you have a cell phone, consider punching in 9-1-1 and then hold the phone so that you can easily press the Send button.

Scan the parking lot for any activity before you exit the building.

Walk with purpose. Criminal types are looking for people they perceive to be "weak". A quick and purposeful stride shows them you are anything but weak.

Be especially wary in approaching your car if a van or other large vehicle with tinted windows is parked next to it.

If you have a keyless entry system, unlock the car door as you approach, making sure that you only unlock the driver's side door. (I get button happy and am forever clicking and re-clicking the lock, which opens all the doors. I am easily entertained.)

Make it a habit to check the back seat before you open the car door. (Unlike countless movie and TV types who, even when they KNOW someone is after them, NEVER check their back seats. Sheesh.)

Once in your car, lock the doors immediately.

Get moving. Don’t sit there primping or studying your purchases. Or is that just me?


When Leaving Your Car
Hide or remove any valuables.

Park as close as possible to your destination, especially if it's going to be dark when you return.

At night, try to park under a street light.

As you drive through the parking lot, scan the area to check for any loiterers or other sorts who give you the heebie-jeebies.

Leave your engine running until you've collected everything you need and you're ready to get out of the car.

If possible, back into your parking space. It will allow you to leave quickly if you feel unsafe for any reason.

~~~

Those are the tips I know. Or to be more correct, the ones I can remember. If you have more, sing out in the comments! You'll be doing us all a huge favor.

Hope you all have a marvelous Monday. Be Safe!!

The Firm Wave

I don't usually watch infomercials. Generally speaking, they're pretty tacky. I'm also not much for buying trendy fitness products. My home gym consists of a treadmill (old, but enough), two 10 pound dumbbells, two 10-pound ankle weights, a yoga mat, a balance ball, and some stretchy cords. (We'll leave my bicycle out of it, since it's in the storage room for the foreseeable future.) You get the idea, though. I don't just go throwing money around chasing some magic answer.

This morning I saw an informercial that has me intrigued. Tempted, even. Have you heard of The Firm Wave? It's similar to an aerobic, or cardio step, only with a curved bottom (or top, depending on which exercise you're doing). In true infomercial fashion, there are all sorts of promises and testimonials about the effectiveness of the product, and they may be true but I'm a Doubting Thomasina when it comes to things like this. I'm just an infomercial snob, I guess. The thing is, though, that the exercises shown in the ad look like loads of fun, and they look like things I'd DO.

Decisions, decisions. Anyone tried/used this product? Results to share? Bubbles to burst? Inquiring minds want to know!

And while we're on the subject, anyone tried any other As Seen on TV type fitness or weight loss products? What'd you think?

Which now leads me to another question, the answer being none of my business: have you tried any fitness or weight loss product that you're embarrassed to admit to? (I have, which I think I've mentioned here before: Ayds!



Before I make my exit, I apologize for being absent this week. Accounting types will understand that the first week of the month is TORTURE. It's all behind me now, and I hope to spend some time this weekend doing a better job of catching up with you all!

Hope you all have a wonderful, wonderful weekend!

HYC Week 48

As I mentioned in my weekend wrap-up, I'm giving myself a grade of 'B' for the holiday week. I would've had an 'A', but I didn't make it to the gym as much as I had planned. I had the time; it just didn't happen. Fortunately, overeating didn't happen either, so it was a wash. The new scale I weigh on now (gym) is a little higher than my previous scale (training studio), but it stayed consistent from last week and my clothes still fit, so I'm claiming success. :)

Thanks to all of you who chimed in with winter hair care tips. My hair appreciates it a lot!

I started physical therapy on my shoulder last night. We did some sort of ultrasound thing on my neck/shoulder area, and the pain was non-existent for a few hours after the treatment. I'm optimistic that it will help in the long term.

That's it for today. I'm off to read up on YOUR progress while I watch The Biggest Loser weigh-in.

Hope you enjoy the rest of your week!

Makeover Monday: Those Ugly Winter Flakes

There's a chance we'll be having some decent snow flurries in Memphis today. We don't get much snow here, which means we go a little wacko when the white stuff hits. Since the temps are in the mid-30s, it will likely be a big, fat slushy snow--my favorite kind! One year we had flakes as big as my head, I swear.

Speaking of flakes and my head (brilliant segue, if I do say so myself), the combination of colder weather outdoors and central heating indoors have brought forth the first tell-tale signs of dry winter scalp to my shoulders. Fortunately, these flakes are teensy, but they have a tendency to multiply if I don't take quick action.

I hope you don't share in this affliction with me, but if you do, listed below are some tips for dealing with dry scalp and other winter hair maladies.

WINTER HAIR CARE TIPS

Switch to a shampoo and conditioner containing zinc, if you have flaky scalp. (Think Head & Shoulders.) Zinc treats dandruff and provides relief for a flaky scalp.

Try shampooing less frequently, if possible. Not really practical for those who have a daily exercise habit, but if you aren't doing anything to make your head sweaty, consider giving your hair a one-day break between shampoos. The cleansers in shampoos are sometimes drying to the hair and/or scalp, so a mini-break might reap nice benefits.

Use a good quality conditioner daily and deep condition at least once per week. While there are deep-conditioning products on the market, I usually rely on one of my two regular conditioners but leave it in for an extra half hour or so once a week.

Avoid the blow dryer as much as possible. Yes, it will dry your hair faster, but it also dries the scalp.

To combat winter hair static or frizzies, use a light styling product such as gel or mousse (non-alcohol based). If static attacks during the day, run damp hands over your hair. (I've heard that rubbing a fabric softener sheet over your hair will tame static, but it didn't work for me. My hair smelled especially good that day, though.)

Those are just the few winter hair care tips I know. As always, I'd love to pick up some new ones, so please sing out in the comments!

Happy Monday!