Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Meh...

I feel like I'm in a holding pattern at the moment.  I got down to 140.5, and then my weight did its usual wonky thing where it spiked up to 144 (thanks to a more carb-laden week -- mostly lentils, but it had an impact), then went back down to 140.5 again by last weekend, and THEN...

...Sunday hit, and I started my prednisone in preparation for my allergy testing tomorrow.  I have to have been off all antihistamines for a total of five days prior to that testing, and let me tell you it's been hell even with the steroids.  I'm itchy, my eyes are icky, and I hate this.  I can't imagine how bad I'd be without the prednisone, and regardless of any side effects I'm glad I'm on it.

Speaking of side effects, those don't appear to be awful.  I haven't gotten on the scale since I started the course because I didn't want to have to scream at it, but I'm still fitting into my pants fine and since that's the most important gauge in my world I think I can deal.  It may help that I'm drinking water as if anticipating a trek into the Gobi Desert, and also that I'm not using this as an excuse to eat All The Food.

But I am feeling as if I'm retaining water.  My fingers are a little tight, and my stomach is a bit more poochy than usual.  That'll be lovely for belly dance class.  Looks like tonight's going to be a sports tee kind of night rather than a dance top.

Have I mentioned the itch?  Because I'm itchy.  I loathe this.  I want my Zyrtec back.

More tomorrow, or maybe later if I'm too hive-laden after my testing.  Yuck.  Thankfully this too shall pass, and rather quickly.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Uhm... why????

Here's a map of where my readership comes from:



Okay, once you've settled down from laughing at my rather petite readership (I value each and every one of the six of you!), take a gander at where most of my viewership has been from the last week.  No, it's not the US.  Look harder at the dark green blip in central Europe.

It's the Ukraine.

*blink*

No, I don't get it either. 

So, anyone actually reading today from the Ukraine want to fill me in on what's so fascinating on my sporadically-updated highly-disjointed blog?

I mean, I could almost understand it better if it were my snake blog

Who knows, perhaps an English class is using me for their curriculum.  Have mercy.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

No Title for You!

Why no title today?  Because in 6.5 years I think I've about run out :P  Or at least I'm out today.  But regardless, forward!

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The scale has gone crazy in the past week.  I've been eating 100% on, just like I have been since January 7th, but last week I was eating the rest of the lentils I'd made over the weekend as opposed to my more standard lean protein/ dark green veg.  The lentils were marvelous, but by mid-week my weight was 144.  The hell?  No, no, no... icky.  When I finally was done with the lentils my weight started going back down and today I was a shade under 141 again, so I'm almost back to where I was like a week and a half ago.  Lordy.

This kind of scale craziness is why I've given myself until April 22nd to lose the entirety of the weight I put on over the holidays.  Sure, I can drop 3 pounds in a week as far as the scale is concerned, but then I can continue on, eating exactly what I've been eating, exercising exactly as I have been, and see zero progress for four weeks.

Then I'll drop another 3 pounds, seemingly "mysteriously".  Eyeroll.

It's nuts.  But It's how it goes.  On average, I lose a little under a pound per week, and considering where my weight is right now it'll take me just that much time to hit 135.

It's frustrating, but it's how my body likes to process things.  At least the scale eventually goes in the right direction, and considering that I fit into all my pants again, overall I'm good with it.

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Finally, because I'm shamelessly hijacking this from Nikki at Furry Bottoms, here are 48 random things about me.  Why?  Because I'm off work this afternoon with the still-ailing Gum Zombie and I figure I might as well :)  And no, there's no "I'm tagging X-people do to this!"  That gives me the headache.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Yes -- my maternal great-great-grandmother.  She was Amanda Jane also.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Listening to my sister sing O Holy Night over the Christmas holidays.  She's an operatically trained mezzo soprano, did the requisite recital at Carnegie Hall, etc.  At 33, her voice is just now reaching its peak and it is freaking amazing.

3 DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
When it's legible, sure.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
I don't think I have one.  I've been off that track so long it tastes like non-food.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Yup, 2 of 'em, male variant.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
The way I am now?  Yes.  I wouldn't have liked me 10 years ago, though -- I was living in an untenable situation and coping with that had me a bit nuts.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
It's just one more service we offer :P

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Nope -- they were taken out when I was four.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
No. 

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
I don't eat cereal.  Unless you count oatmeal?  If that counts, then oatmeal.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Nah -- although I do end up untying and then retying them when I put them back on.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Hell yeah.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Honestly?  I have yet to meet an ice cream I didn't like.  But my all-time favorite is Breyers Natural Vanilla Bean.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Whether or not they look pleasant.

15. RED OR PINK? 
Neither.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
That at times I'm so absolutely paralyzed by anxiety I cease to function.  It's ridiculous.  Fortunately, those moments are becoming more and more rare.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My sister, BIL, and niece.  The Divine Miss M is two-and-a-half years old now and is amazing.  We're missing so much with her living in NYC!

18. WHAT IS THE TECHNIQUE THAT YOU NEED TO WORK ON THE MOST?
Telling the anxiety beasts to shut it.  Again, it's getting better (I'd not still be in my belly dance classes if it weren't), but there's still work to do.

19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
None -- bare feet (it's like 80+ out there).

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
My standard lunch.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
"The Talk".  I have trashy TV tastes when I'm off work with a sick kid.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Forest Green.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Christmas trees, big holiday meals cooking, berry-scented candles.

24. HOW IMPORTANT ARE YOUR POLITICAL VIEWS TO YOU?
I like my own political views, and I really resent anyone trying to push a different opinion onto me. What I believe is what I believe, nothing you say will change it. Don't preach, don't push, don't even try. (this was Nikki's answer and I lifted it shamelessly and in its entirety, because it's how I feel as well)

25. MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY OR BEACH HOUSE?
Mountains definitely -- but the beach is only an hour away.  And honestly, if someone offered me a beach house I wouldn't turn it down!

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Sumo wrestling.  Yes, I'm serious.  I was in Japan back in 1993 during Sumo season and it was the first televised sport I actually understood.  It's delightfully basic.

27. HAIR COLOR? 
Originally it was dark brown with chestnut highlights.  Now its natural color is "Marilla Cuthbert" iron grey, so it's instead dyed a medium-reddish-brown base with golden blonde highlights.

28. EYE COLOR?
Irish blue-green-grey

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Nope -- I tried as a teenager but my astigmatism is severe and the only lenses I could wear were gas permeable lenses, which were essentially hard contacts, just with a little bit of flexibility.  It felt like I had tin can lids in my eyes no matter how long I worked to wear them, so eventually I resigned myself to the fact that I'd be wearing glasses the rest of my life or view the world through a bit of a haze.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Freaking pound cake.  Dammit.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings.  I look up movies in IMDB or Wikipedia to make sure the endings are happy.  If they aren't, I won't watch.  Real life is quite enough realism for me, thankyouverymuch.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
In the theaters?  I think it was Magic Mike.  I didn't know who Channing Tatum was before that movie.  Nice, nice, nice looking boy.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Brown.
 
34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Winter, or what passes for it down here.

35. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Effing damn pound cake.

36. STRENGTH TRAINING OR CARDIO?
Strength training.

37. COMPUTER OR TELEVISION?
I'm a multitasker.

38. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Kim Harrison's Ever After (no relation to Cinderella -- this is the latest Rachel Morgan urban fantasy book)

39. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Dust?  It's dark blue, so... yeah, dust.

40. FAVORITE SOUND?
My husband coming home at night.  Yes, I'm really this sappy :)

41. FAVORITE GENRE OF MUSIC?
It depends on my mood -- sometimes it's bubblegum pop, sometimes it's hard rock or metal.  My MP3s range from Katy Perry to Iron Maiden, with some Bach and Mozart thrown in for good measure.

42. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Japan.

43. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I read really quickly, although I don't know if that's so much a talent as it is more a symptom of my book addiction.

44. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? 
Near San Francisco, CA

45. WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW?
Central Florida

46. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR HOUSE?
Grey wood siding with some faux-stone accents.  

47. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR CAR?
Dark green

48. DO YOU LIKE ANSWERING 48 QUESTIONS?
It's either that or I'm a masochist :)

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The "Winter" Plague

We're currently dealing with the annual winter* plague, which means sick kids.  The Elder spent the weekend and yesterday convalescing, and the Gum Zombie woke up yesterday with a fever.  I left the boys with Choreboy while I went on to work (we've been freaking slammed, and it's been awesome because hooray! something to distract me from the clock ticking), and today the Elder went back to school.  The Gum Zombie, though, is still home, and today's my day to stay home with the sickie.

As his temperature rises, he becomes more perky.  I don't get it.  Here's hoping he can go back tomorrow or at least, failing that, he can head to my parents' house while I get back to the office.  I have sick days for a reason but they are limited and we're still slammed.

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Since I was home today anyway I made some whole wheat pancakes for breakfast.  I had two, and measured out my butter and syrup (yes it was real and it was amazing).  Those combined with some blackberries came in just under 400 calories, and while I won't do pancakes every day (I think I make them twice a year) these were definitely worth it.  Lunch will involve a piece of Ezekiel bread with a tablespoon of nut butter of some sort, the rest of the blackberries, and a piece of 2% cheddar.  Dinner's looking like my old faithful of turkey burger with mustard and steamed broccoli.  A snack will figure in there somewhere -- likely apple with either cheese or more nut butter.

It'll do.

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I've been having to work on some new recipes for lean protein sources since we reworked Choreboy's macronutrient levels.  I settled on this recipe for chicken in garlic-vinegar sauce and it was fantastic.  Skinning the chicken was a bit of a PITA, but I got to use my ridiculously over-priced Le Creuset Dutch oven and any day I have an excuse to use it is a good day indeed.

Not only did I love the outcome, so did Choreboy which is a good thing considering he isn't content with sucking down turkey burgers or tilapia every night.  Eh, it helps to break out of my rut as well on occasion.

Next I need to work out a decent low sodium marinade for my chicken that goes on my workday salad.  I'm moving from the pressure cooker to the George Foreman because, honestly, I just can't stand another week of the shredded variant.

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Rat count is still at 4, thank God, so we might have dodged that bullet. Another 10 days and we'll know for sure.

Okay, that's about it for now. I'm feeling sluggish, and I'd better not be coming down with what the kids have had.  Have a good one, y'all :)


*Yeah, I know.  "Winter".  It's 72 now, with a high of 84 expected.  But on Thursday we're not supposed to even break out of the 60's!  Choreboy's gonna be all bundled up -- if the mercury doesn't rise above 70 he considers it a cold snap.

Wednesday, February 06, 2013

Newsflash

Edited to add the following request, in light of a comment I just received and deleted:

Folks, I respect peoples' rights to believe or disbelieve in spiritual matters as they see fit.  Please do not troll the comments portion of my blog to leave atheist-bashing comments, or any sort of bashing comments for that matter.  Although I personally view myself as a "woman of faith", this blog obviously does not serve as any sort of major platform for my beliefs and I ask that you respect my boundaries in keeping it that way.

Thank you.

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I have allergies!  I know this comes as a shock to everyone.

Eyeroll.

But yes, I went to the allergist yesterday because having to move to steroid eyedrops just isn't a good thing for the long-term.  They're not great even for seasonal use, to be honest -- two of the complications are cataracts and glaucoma, two conditions which I'm also predisposed to thanks to genetics.  So on the 28th of the month I'll be going in for Official Allergy Testing.

What that means is that the last 5 days of February I'm going to be on a dose of Prednisone because I can't have any antihistamines in my body.  Bleah.  I hope a 5-day course isn't going to cause some sort of nasty weight gain.  Is that just intrinsic to Prednisone, i.e., does one just automatically gain weight on it?  Or is it the fact that it makes you so crazy-ravenous that you gain weight because you'll gnaw your own leg off if other options aren't available?

Regardless, that's what's going to happen, so I'll just suck it up and deal.  Hopefully I'll get some relief from this that doesn't involve me risking my future sight.

I had more to say, but somehow I can't remember what it was.  Genius, I haz it.  Okay, since I'm blabbering to no purpose, just have a good day y'all :)

Monday, February 04, 2013

Manic Monday

Yep, totally co-opting the song title, but it fits.  In addition to work I've also got to pick up my steroidal eye drops and take the rats to the vet.  Why?  Because we have to check on how their respiratory viri are doing.  I'm not hearing any more sneezes from them, so that's a plus.

The downside is I'm 99% positive that our three females are all knocked up.  Thanks, Oops! Sigh.

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Super Bowl Sunday was totally a non-issue as far as eating was concerned.  Choreboy and I aren't massive football fans, so we haven't even been paying attention this season.  To let you know how out of the loop we managed to be, I had to ask my mother who was playing and who won this morning.  So food was just that: food.  Saturday I fixed my favorite pork tenderloin recipe (linked here) doubled, so Brent would have some decent protein for the week, and on Sunday I tried out a new lentil recipe (this one).  The lentil recipe calls for red lentils, which I went and purchased.  I'd been curious about them for a while, but I'm cheap so I required an excuse to spend the bucks on Bob's Red Mill.  Well, I won't be making THAT mistake again, because once you've cooked the red lentils they turn into the same, disappointing muddy green the already muddy green (and much cheaper) lentils have!

Guess which color I'll be buying in the future, regardless of what the recipe calls for?

But -- visual disappointment aside -- the lentils were good.  I think the cayenne pepper and the mustard seeds added a bit more "oomph" to the flavor profile, which was fun.  Good thing I like it because I'll be sucking those down all week -- the full recipe makes a ton of food.

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Scale verdict?  140.5.  I'm interested to see how several days of lentils for dinner impacts that.  It's upping my carb intake a bit, so my guess is I might hold steady until I've finished all of them.  We shall see.

Happy Monday, y'all!

Friday, February 01, 2013

Guess it was Legit

141 according to the scale today, so it looks like the downward trend is legitimate.

We'll see what happens over the next few days.  Not in an "I'm going to blow it" sort of way because, uh, no.  That won't be happening.  I mean it more in a "let's see how long my body is agreeable to dropping poundage at this entertaining rate" kind of way.

In other news?  Craving peanut butter.  I could eat a jar right now.

I'm not.

Have a great weekend, everyone!