"Rate My Life" Quiz

Just for fun, I took this online quiz. Some of these quizzes are off-the-wall ("What Kind of Fruit Are You?") but this one asks questions that actually make sense. My results were pretty much what I expected, except "Friends & Family" was lower than I would have thought:

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	8.3
Mind:	7.9
Body:	8.2
Spirit:	7
Friends/Family:	5.6
Love:	9.1
Finance:	8.5
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

I guess that's because I answered "1 or 2" when it asked how many good friends I have. (Hi, Darce!) I guess it depends on your definition of "good." I have a lot of church friends who I really connect with, but we don't invest a ton of energy in getting closer. Some energy, yes--we go out to lunch, invite each other to our parties, are involved in covenant groups and church activities together, and have occasionally provided support for each other during hard times. But it's not like we call each other or hang out on a regular basis.

I've always been one to invest most of my relationship energy into my significant other. I think I've gotten better but that's still my default setting. Is that so terrible?

"I Thought He Brought Somebody Else!"

Paul and I have been able to consistently take our ballroom dance lessons every two weeks since New Years, and we're really making excellent progress. We always make an effort to go to the Saturday night dance party at the Cavana Ballroom the same day as our lesson so we can solidify and practice what we've just learned. Well, besides, it's really fun!

Tonight I wore my black stretch pants and one of my new tops that fits close to the body (it has some spandex). I must say, it sure is fun to dress like this--I feel like a different person. Since we're only there at most twice a month, we are always greeting people we haven't seen in a while. Four or five different people complemented me on my weight loss and said I look great!

I have to share the comments from one older couple that cracked us up.

She: You look like you've lost a lot of weight.
Me: I have.
She: You look great!
Me (beaming): Thank you!
He (to Paul): You know, I saw you here a couple of weeks ago, and (to his wife) I thought he brought somebody else!
She: We didn't recognize you.
He: But then I realized, That's his wife!
She (to Paul): And we knew you weren't that type.

A Rosy Day

I admit it--I love Valentine's Day. I enjoy holidays, including birthdays, as a chance to make a day special and different from all the rest. Paul and I are freakishly well-adjusted and take the time and energy make each other feel appreciated every day, so I don't need to read meanings into what he decides to give me, or even whether he gives me anything. I know that sounds smug, but it's really true. I think he's been traumatized in the past, having been "tested" and found wanting when it comes to symbolic gestures. And Lord knows I've been guilty in the past of investing all sorts of meaning, intentional or not, into what kind of thought went into a romantic gift.

For holidays, we "pre-decide" and discuss what we are going to do for gifts. Yes, it removes the elements of surprise and spontaneity, but it also removes the fallout that comes with poor communication. For Valentine's Day, he got chocolates and I made heart-shaped cookies. We both brought flowers (unexpected and sweet, and now we have two bouquets!). I had to work until 8:00, so Paul made dinner, easy poached salmon from Andrew Weil's book that was also the first meal he ever cooked for me. We ate at home by candlelight, had good wine, listened to Sinatra, and went to bed early. ;-)

Lift & Separate...Well, Certainly Lift!

I just couldn't put it off any longer. I've been wearing my old bras for over a year, and they would have been stretched out and useless even if I hadn't lost weight, but now they are truly sad, even a little deflated looking. So Monday night I hit the lingerie department at Dillard's (I'm too small for Lane Bryant anything now!) to buy 3 new bras and 10 pairs of new underwear. I've gone down two band sizes (to a 34) and back down to a regular large (size 7) underwear, and boy, does it feel great! (Yesterday I couldn't wait to get out of bed so I could wear my new bra--what a difference. I felt extra energized all day.)

While I was there, I checked out pants to replace my beige chinos that now gape horribly at the waist, and bought a pair of stone-colored linen pants by Calvin Klein at 75% off that fit me perfectly right now....and they're size 12! Yes, I know, insert vanity sizing/non-standardized women's clothing sizing disclaimer here, but still, that felt energizing. For good measure, I also got a pair of black slacks with purple pinstripes, different brand, also a size 12.

Monday and yesterday, I spent a lot of time sewing to alter my clothes, hemming both of my new pairs of pants and taking in 5 of my favorite Lane Bryant blouses that I love and don't want to have to get rid of. (God, I'm becoming such a girly-girl! But the health makeover has become my main hobby and now it's turning into a looks-makeover as well.)

At first I started this to improve my health. When I started out I was just over the obese threshhold (30.1 on the BMI calculator) and realized I had to do something about it or else be at high risk of diabetes, heart disease, etc. Now, at 32 pounds down, my BMI is 24.9, just under the overweight threshhold. I am now officially a minority, the 1 out of 3 American adults who is not overweight or obese! These last 12 pounds are completely for vanity, baby. And vanity as motivator is sure working for me these days.

This is What 30 Looks Like

...30 pounds, that is.


I celebrated by buying a few new tops. Here I am wearing one of them with the Muffin Top pants, which currently look great as long as I'm standing up. :-)

Good Karma

Wow. The Karma Fairies are really smiling down at me today. My stunt that saved the day at the BalletMet audition a couple of weeks ago moved them to send a thank-you note and a check that was more than the gig paid me in the first place!

Dear Karin,

Thank you so much for "going the extra mile" (literally) for us at our audition. You saved the day for us and we could not have done the audition without your quick thinking and extra effort.

Please use the enclosed gift to treat yourself.

Sincerely,

Chris Rogers
BalletMet

This is awesome! I am going to treat myself when I get a chance to go to Sephora and use my gift card Darcy gave me for my birthday, as I'm running low on several goodies at once.

On another ballet-related note, tonight was $5.00 noght at the Cedar Lee movie theatre, so I went to see Ballets Russes, a documentary on the 20th Century dance troupe that, as I learned, actually brought ballet to most of America. There were tons of stunning archival footage interspersed with interviews with some of the dancers, now in their 80s and 90s.

Also, a lot of the music, soundtracks to the pieces choreographed decades ago on the company, were pieces I play for class all the time, that I didn't even know were used in a ballet ever!

I actually owe a lot of what I do for a living to the Ballets Russes, when I think about it. They almost singlehandedly brought ballet to American conciousness.

I Look Like My Dog

These I Look Like My Dog contest winners are impressively hillarious!

Saturday's Windsong Concert

Last weekend, Windsong performed our winter concert to a capacity (240+) crowd. My hands never got warm the entire time, though I think that was due more to adrenaline than the coolness of the room, but we did an excellent job! Here a really cool review. (Only one quibble--she says I provided "occasional" accompaniment. I guess that's true if by "occasional," one means "only" 75% of the songs.)

Muffin Tops (Boring, Girly Weight-Loss/Body Size Post)

Our house is cold, I constantly wear sweaters, and my fingers and toes never get warm unless I'm exercising, but I keep reminding myself: body trying to keep warm=higher metabolism!

I lost a freakish 3.0 more pounds between Jan. 2 and Jan. 9, which includes another 1/4" on all measurements, so I am now down 28.5 pounds! And this in a week that included no walking, short (1 job) workdays (except Sunday!), and cookies and/or chocolate every single day. I celebrated by wearing my new size 14 Target jeans Monday and Tuesday. They're still a bit snug--if they weren't stretch there's no way I could have done it--and I have serious "muffin tops" over the waistband, necessitating a strict "all shirts long and untucked" policy, but I bet they'll fit in a month. (I wish I had made up the term "muffin tops." But I actually learned it from one of those lists of Top 10 New Words of 2005. Here is an example of the word used in an article. It was the first Google result after a search for "muffin tops." Oh, here's a link that's even better--an entry from the Double-Tongued Word Wrester Dictionary, complete with word history!)

I just saw this article in Newsweek about the importance of core muscle strength for long-term health (yoga, pilates, etc.). My workout DVDs incorporate this training, and I already notice my back is a lot less sore. I gave Mouchie my ugly office chair and now use an exercise ball to sit at the computer, and sitting at a backless piano bench all day is a lot easier! Mouchie loves the chair, too--he sleeps on it, sheds on it, and uses it as a horizontal scratching post. At first I discouraged this behavior, but I've noticed it's saving wear and tear on the office futon. :-)

Surprisingly, I didn't gain any weight or girth over the Houston trip, despite lots of sitting, no exercise, meals out, and a party full of Texas-style entrees and an entire table full of homemade brownies, cakes, and cookies. I actually lost .5 pound that week, don't ask me how. That included the closest thing to a binge I've had since September--eating 24 oz of Jelly Bellies and saltwater taffy from a gift shop all by myself over 2 days. I guess that actually is a binge. :-S Strangely, we can have massive amounts of chocolate in the house and I won't do that. But I just can't handle the soft, chewy candies. Well, part of it was the "I'm on vacation/holiday" syndrome, which, mercifully, ended the day after we got home. Even that amount (I used to eat at least 24 oz of candy every day!) made me feel icky and gave me nasty gastrointestinal side effects. You'd think that would be a deterrent, but I still didn't stop. Oh well, my goal was just to maintain over the vacation, which I still managed to do.

Don't worry, I am not going to waste away! I started out with a 37.75" waist, and my goal is a 30" waist. (I have exactly 3" to go and I'll be there.) I don't even care what the other measurements are. Last time I was that size, I was at 140 pounds. I'm realizing as I get closer that my waist might not be that small at 140 this time (10 years older), so I might end up shooting for 135 or so. We'll see.

An Unintended Workout

I knew today was going to be jam-packed, but I had no idea just how much I would end up doing today. Here was my schedule:

9:30-10:30 UU Choir practice at chuch
10:45-12:00 Play for church service with choir singing
12:30-1:30 Potluck lunch, yak with friends
1:30-2:00 The first 1/2 hour of Worship Committee meeting, which I have to leave early from so I can get downtown in time for
2:30-4:00 Gig playing for audition class for BalletMet's Summer Intensive workshop. I then leave ASAP to arrive as soon as possible (though I will still be late) for
4:00-6:00 Windsong rehearsal (concert is this Saturday). Then I rush back to church for
6:30-8:30 Building Your Own Theology Class.

But how could anything else possibly fit into this schedule? you're probably thinking. Well, here's the story. Everything went great until I arrived downtown for the audition gig. It was held at the West Studio at the State Theatre (part of Playhouse Square). I have been gigging there intermittently for the past 18 years, and (other than it sometimes being chilly or the piano being out of tune) never have had any problems there. So I really didn't expect the scenario that awaited me.

I got there 10 minutes early (like a good little professional). I stuck my head inside the studio and noticed something unusual--the piano was gone. I glanced down the hallway and saw (what I thought was) the back of an upright piano against the wall. I introduced myself to the instructor and asked if there was someone who could help me move it back into the studio. She volunteered herself, and as we approached the "piano," we realized it was just a prop from the opera. The opera people were in the other studio, but there was only one piano in there and they were using it. Uh-oh.

I went down to the security guard, who first asked me if I had "ordered a piano" for the studio. He found the invoice, and, what do you know, there was the piano request in writing. He made a call to a worker, who was on break from 2:00-3:00. These are union guys, he explained. If he made them work during their break, they would charge double. They wouldn't be back until at least 3 and then they still had to "locate" a piano and then bring it up the freight elevator. I figured that, since the audition was over at 4 and it was now 2:30, by the time they got their act together it would be too late.

So after relaying this unwelcome information to the instructor, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I ran like a bat out of hell back to my car (3 minutes), drove home, making all the lights and only speeding a little bit (9 minutes), ran up the stairs to grab my little keyboard and accessories and back out to the car (2 minutes), and drove back downtown to my same parking spot (10 minutes). Fortunately, it was a nice, dry day. I then slung the 15-pound bag of accessories over my shoulder, tucked the 20-pound keyboard under one arm, and galumphed back to the studio and up the stairs (4 minutes). Smiling ballet moms greeted me and held doors for me. The instructor was beside herself with relief. "Oh, you're beautiful!" she exclaimed ecstatically.

She started showing an exercise when I entered the room, and by the time she'd finished I was all plugged in, set up, and ready to play (60 seconds).

Another example of how my regular workouts are paying off!
Total time spent saving the day: 25 minutes
Cardio minutes: 8
Strength training minutes: 6
Total minutes in target heart-rate zone: at least 25. Nothing like a beat-the-clock challenge to rev up the ol' metabolism!

Now my little keyboard is woefully inadequate for a ballet class. It only has 5 octaves. The touch is hard to control. I've banged it up over the past 13 years and some notes cause a rattling vibration or stick out too much or don't sound. But nobody cared. They were just so thrilled I was able to fix the problem.

The Great Purge of 2006

I did something today to celebrate my 25-pound weight loss milestone--I indulged in a huge purge. Oh no, you're thinking, don't tell me she's developing an EATING DISORDER?! Oh no, my little chickadees. Besides knowing that that's totally f****d up, I loathe vomiting and find the idea of doing it on purpose alien and vile.

On the contrary, I spent the morning purging my closet of unwearable clothes, something I haven't done in 4 years. Most of my pants and jeans are now swimmingly huge on me, to the point where even a belt doesn't work. All of my summer clothes from post-2002 look laughably dumpy, as they billow shapelessly around me with huge armpit holes and saggy waists.

A mood-booster: a little dark green dress and sweater set, labeled size 14 (not 14W, but Misses 14) fits me as well as it did in the summer of 2000! Can it be that I've now lost 5 1/2 years' worth of weight gain?!

I also put in the pile clothes I've had forever that now fit me, but didn't age well or just look too dowdy or out of style. I gave everything the benefit of the doubt, and tried everything on. Anything which inspired me to say, "You will never, ever wear this!" went in the pile.

I ended up with 2 kitchen garbage bags full of neatly folded clothes (about 50 pounds) and just got back from getting rid of them forever at the Goodwill. Boy, does that ever feel good!

On Monday, I went to Target to buy a "transitional" pair of jeans, as all of my denim is too big for me now. I got a pair of size 14 stretch jeans that almost fit me now. They still cause a bulge above the waistline so I probably won't wear them for another 3-4 weeks, but they already feel comfortable. I'm really, really getting there!

January Health Update Stats:

60% toward goal
Weight: -25.5 pounds
Bust: -4.0"
Waist: -4.5"
Hips: -3.75"
Thigh: -3.0"

Random Coincidence

I have morning off this week, and as usual, instead of doing something productive, I have been catching up on all my favorite web haunts I randomly came across this article about people who crash weddings. Imagine my surprise when, getting down to the last part of the article, "Todd" (in picture above) turns out to be Angus MacLane. Now he's an animator at Pixar, but once he was the 3-year-old down the street who was the first kid I ever babysat when I was 13. I babysat him and his little sister for the next five years. It's moments like this when the world just seems really small.

Birthday Weekend

My birthday was Friday and I'm 41 now. I love celebrating birthdays, no matter how old I get and I've never felt the need to be "discreet" about my age. So far every decade has been better than the last and I have no reason to expect the 40s to be any different. I like being this age--old enough to have some perspective on life and young enough to still feel pretty good physically.

Actually, I feel a lot better than I did on my 40th. It was nice this year, for one thing, for my entire family, Paul, and myself not to be violently ill with the flu.

I had a wonderful day Friday. After a workout, Paul took me to see Brokeback Mountain (which I highly recommend). An early dinner at Lopez followed, a heavenly chicken enchilada suiza with a kickass margarita--my favorite cuisine plus my favorite drink. It was so deliciously satisfying, I didn't need to eat for the rest of the day.

After dark, we went to see the holiday decorating and lighting display at Stan Hywet Hall, which, although it was cold and crowded, was beautiful and very fun. When I got home, I returned calls of all the family members who called to wish me a happy birthday. All in all, it was a great way to start my own personal new year.

Speaking of the New Year, we went out dancing at the Cavana Ballroom, where we take our lessons. Last time we did this, two years ago, my feet killed me for a whole day after dancing off and on for 4 hours. But now that I'm in better shape and weigh 25.5 pounds less (yay me!), the only discomfort I felt in my feet was not from the dancing, but from the fact that my dance shoes have a 1.5" heel and no arch support, and my toes kept jamming into the tip of the shoes from gravity, which I am not used to.

We had a catered dinner and met some new people, who took this pic of us:

I'm wearing my new jacket that Mom & Ron gave me for my birthday, and that I've been living in for the past 4 days. Took it off to dance, though!

At about 11 pm, we were treated to an exhibition dance by our instructor Jim and his wife Suzanne. She played the role of Jessica Rabbit, complete with bright orange wig and body-hugging dress with fake boobs, knocking the men dead with her wiles. It was cute and very entertaining.

We had a midnight countdown with champagne punch and a balloon drop, followed by more dancing. I have high hopes that 2006 will be a great year!

Texas Family Reunion

You know, I was expecting Texas to be more of a foreign country. Well, beautiful 70-80 degree weather right after Christmas was a pretty dramatic shift. And it is true, everything's bigger there. Even the traffic lights are 2-3 miles apart, and it takes at least 45 minutes to go anywhere there. We passed by signs pointing out Tom DeLay's district and the Halliburton headquarters--we were definitely in BushCroneyland.

Most of our time was spent near where Paul's brother David lived. All of us visiting family members stayed at the Holiday Inn about 2-3 miles from David's house, and spent most of our time hanging out together talking, eating, driving, and eating some more, having an overall good time.

We all first met, some of us straight from the airport, at a Sears portrait studio for family pictures. Paul's family always does this at reunions, as they tend to happen only once every decade or so. I think it's a great idea.

We decided to get some taken of the two of us, and I think they turned out pretty cute.

We ordered prints, including some wallet-sized ones, plus a CD of all of the images so if people want to make calendars, cards, extra prints, etc, just email me and I'll send you the original jpeg file. You can see them all here, along with the pics I took during the rest of our trip.

I really enjoyed meeting and hanging out with Paul's people. Everybody knew not to talk about inflammatory topics, so there was no weirdness on that issue. I loved seeing family resemblance here and there, and seeing family photo albums.

You have to see this pic. It's Paul's grandmother holding a tuba with Paul's father in it! :-)

That Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Well, one of them, anyway! Yesterday, Darcy came by to visit for a few hours. We spent the whole time just yakking, catching up on all the topics we miss in our phone conversations, exchanging fun presents, and indulging in our annual photo session--this is the third Christmas Eve we've done this. It was so good to see her. It meant a lot to me.

We thought we'd shoot some obligatory Cute Couple pics while we were at it. One of them might make our Christmas cards next year.


At about 6, we had to kick Darcy out because I had to get up to church to rehearse with Amy and Sharon for the service, which started at 7 pm. It as a lovely service--carols interspersed with readings, some humorous and some touching, and ending with several verses of Silent Night by candlelight. We hung around for another half hour socializing over cookies.

We had minestrone soup and a few more cookies for dinner while we watched our DVD of It's a Wonderful Life, a tradition that Dad started maybe 10-15 years ago (not from my childhood). Paul & I have watched it every Christmas Eve we've been together--this is our fourth--and I love this tradition. This time we didn't have to cram packing into our schedule because we didn't have to fly anywhere today, or leave the house at all, for that matter.

We slept in as late as Mouchie would let us (about 8:30) and then enjoyed our stockings filled with clementines, shelled mixed nuts and dark Malley's chocolate foil-wrapped bells. We had a few fun little gifts from mostly family, and laughed at Mouchie as he played with the wrapping paper.

We roasted a 10-lb ham (my first ever). Wow, was that ever good. We got it yesterday morning at the West side market. It was a bone-in, non-precooked one, and super high quality. We coated it with a sugar rub with ginger, cloves, mustard and lime zest with pecan halves all over it--delicious, and not that hard. I managed to fit in a workout and we did our Christmas cards together while listening to David Sedaris's Santaland Diaries, one of our "sentimental" holiday favorites. We got to talk to Dad, Becky & Hannah, Eric, and Mom on the phone.

The rest of the evening's plans include watching A Christmas Story and packing for our trip to Houston tomorrow. Paul's family is having a huge reunion there from the 26-29th. I checked the weather and it's supposed to be in the 70s the whole time we're there! Whoo hoo!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

I Hate Being Late

Being late is one of the things that stresses me out. I've noticed that peole fall into one of two types: the Time Concious and the Time Oblivious, and I am firmly in the former camp. Other people have nightmares about being chased, falling off a cliff, or being naked in public. I have those, too, but my worst ones are about missing an important flight or being hours late for work with no way of communicating to the person waiting for me.

This morning, I woke up in the dark worrying about the Christmas packages (non-calendar stuff and kids' gifts) that I sent last Monday by Priority Mail (Guaranteed 2-3 Days Delivery Most Locations!) Surely they should have made it by Friday (yesterday), and actually should have made it by Wednesday or Thursday.

Yesterday Paul brought home a box of all nine of our calendars that had been sent to our box at the UPS Store. I had asked the company, Digi-Labs, to send them individually to the intended recipients, they emailed me back saying they said they would, but it looks like they all got sent to me. Oh well, they're here, so I won't complain.

I sent an email to you all, asking if any of you had received one individually, and since everyone who replied back said no, I wrapped them and sent them off today. There was absolutely no line at the Post Office today, as people are aware that it's Just Too Late for Christmas delivery, so there was no stress at all, and I am happy that you all will get them before New Years'.

So why the early morning stress? you ask. Well, Becky said she hadn't gotten my package for Hannah Jo, either. This is upsetting to me, because late Christmas presents for adults, especially when warned about, are really no big deal. But to a kid, it can be really disappointing. Flaky as I can sometimes be, I've never let kids down with late Christmas or birthday presents, and I don't want to start now.

I can't help but wonder what other of my Monday packages still haven't made it. I know Mom & Ron's did because she emailed me Thursday. Eric & Rusty? Alec? And it's not even my fault! Stupid Post Office.

Christmas Present Disaster

Warning to loved ones: Spoiler Alert Re: Your Christmas Gift

I was all excited that, after tracking the package all week, the calendars I had ordered were delivered today. We have a crazy weekend hosting a party tomorrow, then overnight guests Sunday, so the earliest I could lovingly wrap and mail our gifts out would be Monday, cutting it close but not so close that I would have to pay premium postage.

When Paul picked up the box and brought it home, he was suspicious of its lightness. Shouldn't 9 calendars weigh more than 1.0 pounds? I opened it--and it was only one calendar--somebody else's! I was SOOO PISSED!

No customer service contact info was in the paperwork, so I went to turn on the computer and find it online. While waiting for it to start up, I noticed the paperwork had a different order#, 2 digits away from mine, plus the rightful recipient's contact info, including email and phone number. She lives in El Cajon, CA! I was just flabbergasted that they could fail to notice the completely non-matching zip codes, at least!

So I call the number, wait on hold for a few minutes, and.........eventually get directed to an answering machine! This really didn't look good. I didn't know what else to do so I left my number along with a request to either fix it and send it overnight or give me my money back. Not trusting they would get the message, I also sent them an email.

Then I thought, hmmm, maybe Lisa in California got my calendars, and we can just send them to each other and be done with it. I should call. As it turns out, she got 10 calendars that should have gone to yet another family, in Maryland! Who, by the way, she has tried to contact via email and hasn't heard back from. Arrrrgh. Did I mention I was pissed? Ain't no way my family members and other loved ones are gonna get these in time for Christmas.

The tech guy did call back half and hour later, though, offered to reprint them and send them directly to my recipients if I just email him their addresses. So I did that and requested that they reply and confirm that they're really going to do this.

I still feel very uneasy, given that this is the beginning of the weekend, and the last weekend before Christmas, as it happens, and I won't even know they got the message until at least Monday. And if they don't get it together, your presents won't be there in time.

Cold December Health Update, or A 21-Pound Salute

It's been so freakin' cold here since Thanksgiving. In fact, it's the second coldest December ever recorded here so far. Because of the high cost of heating oil, this is the first time in my 23 years here that the room temperature settings in buildings I frequent have been cool enough that sweaters are a necessity. I have never understood the peculiar midwestern custom of cranking up the heat to 75-80 degrees, which to me is more appropriate for shorts and t-shirts than winter sweaters and layered ensembles a la L. L. Bean.

Of course we keep our house on the cool side, because we're on the frugal side. If I'm chilly, I just put on another sweater, light jacket, bathrobe, etc. and I'm fine. But even the landlord for the Cleveland School of Dance is being cheap this year, or perhaps merely negligent with heat maintenance. Usually in the past, the building is so stifling we are tempted to open windows in the middle of winter, but now it's noticably cooler. At first, I thought this was great. I could finally wear the cute sweaters I almost never wear and not be uncomfortably hot!

But every day, it's been getting colder and colder there. Today it had to be 60 or below, and my piano is right next to the drafty window. Everyone was commenting/complaining about the cold. The students were even getting silly the way you do during a crisis such as a blizzard or power outage. We felt the radiators--stone cold. It was like the heat wasn't even on! Between every single exercise I got up to jog in place or do lunges to keep warm, which helped a lot.

I have just been feeling cold all the time, and much hungrier. We've been eating things like pork with sauerkraut or barbequed ribs, plus a few Christmas cookies every single day (I made leb kuchens and gingerbread cookies last week). But (here comes the Health Update) being cold really gooses your metabolism, as it takes a lot more energy when your body is trying to keep warm. This is why our wise fellow animals fatten up all summer and fall, and by the spring have lost a third of their body weight.

I am now down a whopping 21.5 pounds in 13 weeks--that's 8.5 in the past 4 weeks alone! One more pound and I will be exactly halfway to my goal! Here are my new stats to date:

48% toward goal
Weight: -21.5 lbs
Bust: -3.25 inches
Waist: -3.75 inches
Hips: -3.25 inches
Thighs: -2.5 inches

Yay me, and still not a single day of relapsing! And cheers to Darcy, who I talked to last night--she's lost 20.5 pounds so far! We are awesome.

Also, after a 5-week rotation of my new FitPrime DVDs, I've started to do the other, more demanding set I got, the KickButts, every other day. Yes, they're harder, and I can't do all the reps yet. I don't think I overdid it today (it was a tough body-sculpting one emphasizing weights), but ask me again tomorrow. I hope I don't wake up feeling like I got run over by a truck.

The Challenges of Winter Walking

Ever since Thanksgiving, we have had bone-chillingly cold and snowy days more typical of January than of early December (technically still autumn). But have I wimped out and started taking the car to work at Case and CSA? Oh, nooooo. I am absolutely determined to keep walking 5 days a week all winter no matter how disgusting or forbidding the weather. I've decided I can walk in anything as long as I'm dressed for it.

The things I hate most about winter weather (besides it being the longest season of the year here) are as follows:

1. Sidewalks and roads with standing nasty water/slush due to poor drainage, causing me to get splashed by clueless motorists and/or coming to the realization that my boots aren't as waterproof as I thought

2. My face gets freezing numb, inspiring colorful language whan a particularly brutal blast of wind assaults me. This also causes me to involutarily hunch and cringe against the cold, therefore causing a bad-posture-induced backache.

3. Constant runny nose from the cold, or worse, nostril-cicles

4. Hat hair

My solutions to the above gripes:

1. 2 years ago I splurged and got a huge, calf-length down parka that is as bulky as a winter sleeping bag, but it's a lovely color, keeps me warm and provides a layer of protection from car splashes. Personally, I don't get the concept of short down parkas. I mean, if the wind chill's 15 below, aren't your legs and butt gonna get cold, too?

2. Last week I ordered this face mask online. Genius--it covers your nose to your neck without covering your whole head, therefore keeping your hair from being more of a disaster than it already is from your parka's hood. Sadly, the only solutions to hat hair are 1. Don't cover your head and endure the agonizing cold or 2. Give up walking outside.

This past week had wind chills in the single digits every single day. At least 3 people at work expressed disbelief that I was still walking, but your intrepid heroine was ready for it, slogging through unplowed sidewalks feeling fairy warm and comfortable, head held high. I had my mighty parka, with hood drawn tight, face mask, sunglasses against the blinding glare (it was sunny with a lot of snow on the ground), and laced-up hiking boots.

I noticed something interesting, though. Usually other pedestrians and I say hello as we pass each other, but now everybody avoided making eye contact with me, and some even looked a little freaked out as none of my actual face was visible under all the protective gear. When I got home and looked in the mirror, I could kind of see why:


I look like some sort of bloated, deranged insect. I have clearly reached the stage in life where function beats out form.

May-December

I've heard the Ashton Kutcher/Demi Moore marriage referred to as a "May-December romance." I don't know about you, but I think, metaphorically speaking, you don't reach the "December" phase of life until near the end of it. You know, "winter of my discontent" age. At the minimum, at least the age you're old enough to be a card-carrying member of the AARP.

Demi is 43, only a couple years older than myself! If she were the 28-year-old and he the 43-year-old, they would have called it "May-September," if anything, or at worst, "mid-life crisis meets trophy wife." It seems that women Of a Certain Age are perceived as older than men of the same age.

All of these seasonal descriptions got me thinking about the idea of the metaphor of months corresponding with the human life cycle--spring as the time of youth, summer young adulthood, autumn middle age, late autumn to early winter old age and death, and the bulk of winter perhaps that dormant time after death or before birth.

If I were going to assign what I consider appropriate ages for each month, what would they be for a human with an average 80-year lifespan?

March: Birth, infancy, early to mid childhood (0-8)
April: Late childhood to young teen (9-16)
May: Peak fertility years (17-24)
June: Young adulthood (25-32)
July: Mid Adulthood (33-40)
August: Early Middle Age (41-48)
September: Middle Age (49-56)
October: Late Middle Age/"Young" Old Age (57-64)
November: Old Age (65-72)
December: Late Old Age/Death (73-80)
January and February: The Twilight Zone

This little exercise has made me realize how much in denial our society is about how Aging=You're Gonna Die Someday. Middle age is always however old your parents are. We think death is optional, and if we just keep eating healthy/working out/getting ourselves sliced and diced with cosmetic surgery procedures, it won't happen to us.

A coworker of mine was going on and on about how someday in our lifetimes, we'll have the technology to live to 120, and he was all excited about the idea of living that long. Yeah, I don't particularly want to die either, but to me that just seems like hogging the stage and wearing out your welcome.

Dear Mr. Smoke Alarm

You know we love your desire to constantly look out for our safety, your willingness to stun our ears on all three floors at the merest whiff of smoke, amply warning us, and probably our nieghbors, of the possiblilty of a devastating fire.

But, with all due respect, I could have lived without your opinion on the wisdom of my decision to use the broiler the other night. Yes, I know, our oven isn't the cleanest. We don't know how to use its self-cleaning feature,* so it has a layer, or six, of our cooking spills from the past 3-4 years.

Every time I opened the oven, even before putting the chicken in, you just had to open your big mouth with that incessant, shrieking high A-flat "people repellent" tone of voice, causing me to drop to a fetal position with my fingers in my ears, moaning my annoyance. Getting a chair under you to fan you and calm you down was painful as it necessitated the removal of my fingers from my ears. I think I showed admirable restraint in not ripping you innards out, (as I so dearly desired,) but carefully took the time to figure out how to open your battery case and remove what I thought was the equivalent of your brain. A humane lobotomy, if you will.

Imagine my surprise when, as I was basting the chicken, you let forth with more mighty wailing, even battery-less! And not only you, but your syncophant disciples on the basement and top floors who just have to echo everything you have to say. It's enough to make one wonder whether all that public safety talk about replacing your batteries whenever there's a time change is just a load of B.S.

I know it was you, though, because you finally stopped when I fanned you, not your siblings on the other floors.

I know some people pray in vain for miracles, and it doesn't seem fair that I, who never requested one, should receive the Miracle of the Battery-less, but Still Functioning Smoke Alarm, and I don't even appreciate it. Can I trade this one in for a Vision of How To Temporarily Deactivate the Smoke Alarm?

*After this incident, Paul went online and found an oven manual, not of our model, but of one very similar, with self-cleaner instructions. I guess we'll have to wait until spring to do it, since it will be very smoky and smelly so we'll need to have every window open.

Mid-November Health Update

Edited 11/18/05 to add: Here's a new pic of me standing up straight and holding it in on a good hair day.* I make a pretty good-looking size 18, even if I do say so myself. <grin>

*I think I've finally figured out how to style this cut and it's finally finished growing out, looking much better than three months ago.

In 1996, the first time I ever modified my lifestyle on purpose, I lost 35 pounds in 4 months, more or less keeping it off for a year and a half. I have been known to refer self-deprecatingly to that time as my "weight-loss-as-a-full-time-hobby period," meaning, of course, how worth it could it be when I had to spend every waking moment thinking about it?

Well, here I am 9 weeks into my health makeover with not a single week passing without measurable progress, not a single day of backtracking or bingeing (which I can't say about the first time). And I've come to realize I can't be successful at this without it being a full-time hobby or "project." I'm not OCD about it--I don't count calories, I don't do workouts more than 4 times a week, and no particular food is completely off-limits--but I do constantly think about things like how I can get more walking or fiber in, or how many weeks until I can comfortably wear my 2002 jeans.

It is so worth it, though. I feel like I've knocked 5 years off how old I feel (no longer feeling "middle-aged"). Caffeine is no longer necessary to jump-start me in the morning. My feet hurt a lot less, most days not at all. And I already look noticeably different, and can wear all of my 2003 clothes, having lost almost 3 years' worth of weight gain!

My new workout DVDs finally came about 10 days ago, and I've done all 6 FitPrimes once each already. They are the best workouts ever, and perfect for what I need at this stage of my life. I'm still walking 5 days a week, too.

I've set myself an ambitious but realistic goal--to get back to a size 12 (38-30-40) and 140 lbs, which is healthy for me. At the rate I'm going, I should get there by spring!

I'm about 30% there. Progress so far:
Weight: -13.0 lbs
Bust: -2.0 inches
Waist: -2.75 inches
Hips: -2.25 inches
Thighs: -2.0 inches

An Evening at Dale & Joy's

Last Friday, we spent a fun evening with our friends Dale & Joy, plus two of their kids and a few other assorted friends of theirs we met for the first time. It started with the preparation of gioza, or Japanese dumplings, made by Paul and Dale. They used to make them for years every Friday night after marital arts class, so they really know their stuff.

Here is a close-up of Dale's hands mixing the filling:

Dale, Paul and Joy cooking up a storm. I had the enviable position of staff photographer. :-)

After dinner, which included gioza, Paul's beef curry rice, and sake, we adjourned to the living room for some music making. This was the first time Paul and Dale had ever played together. The audience was very appreciative!

I asked Dale to take a picture when it was Paul's and my turn to play. This is the very first picture of us playing together! It was lots of fun.

Tonight we went to the Haunted Autumn Auction at the UU, which included yummy appetizers, a silent auction and a concert of live rock/folk music. What a great time! Since Paul was coming later, I walked (3 mi.) so we wouldn't have to use gas for 2 cars. I won a buttload of stuff, including 12 vouchers for Cleveland International Film Festival tickets, 4 vouchers for Cleveland Public Theatre, 3 gift certificates for food, and a homemade pumpkin coffee cake that smells heavenly. I immediately froze 3/4 of it wrapped in single portions.

Tomorrow Bev is coming over for a blogging tutorial from me--not that I think I'm an expert--but I guess since she knows zilch about it and I know a little, I can share what little I know.

Andrew's Apology and Other Updates

On Tuesday, I got a cell phone message from Andrew apologizing, saying he was in the wrong and I was right to be upset, and they didn't want to lose me. That did make me feel better. Am I a terrible person for not getting around to calling him back? I have a built-in hiatus from the Gospel choir (until Nov. 13) and it is just so nice to not have to deal with it for a month.

Weather Update
It has finally cooled down to jacket/coat weather, about 50 degrees. I love it. I can finally wear long sleeves, even at work (the studios are now "only" 75-80 degrees) and I no longer need a fan contantly pointed at my face attempting to dry off the sweat. Our house really holds the heat. Even when it gets down to 45 at night, it's still in the mid-60s inside, and that's without the heat on. Every day we keep thinking we'll have to break down and turn it on for the first time since April, but we still haven't. I love beating the system and saving on our gas bill by not using the furnace!

Fitness Update
This week I'm down 2 more pounds and another 1/4" off everything. My jeans are loose enough that they look better with a belt(!) This hasn't been the case for over 2 years.

I've moved up from my beginner videos to the more intermediate ones I haven't used for over 5 years. I'm taking it somewhat easy. They're kicking my butt, but I'm staying just this side of overdoing it. I'm 5 years older and, oh, 35 pounds heavier and my joints and feet don't appreciate some of the high-impact stuff.

I did a little research online to discover what's new with The FIRM's exercise videos, reading lots of reviews. It turns out the the original founders of The FIRM are now in their mid-fifties, and have come out with a new line of workouts for people over 35 that incorporates aerobics, strength training, Pilates and Yoga, with an emphasis on functional fitness, flexibility, and good workouts that don't kill you or strain your joints. I thought, perfect! and promptly ordered the whole master set. It should get here in 2-3 weeks. I can't wait!

I'm Having Doubts About the Gospel (Choir)

My Gospel Choir gig was so fun over the spring and summer. We sang every month in May, June, and July, culminating in the Raise the Roof Gospel Service on August 7, which was attended by over 200 people. We sang for 20 minutes and it went really well. We had the rest of August off and it was my understanding that we were going to start up in September with rehearsals to sing on the 4th Sunday as previously agreed upon.

Now I'm on the mailing list for their newsletter, which is how I found out they were planning to sing on the 3rd Sunday (their homecoming Sunday) in September ("featuring special music," etc.). Now this would have been fine with me if someone had let me know, but I was already committed that day at my own church. I got the feeling that no one there had any idea that my Sundays are full of other jobs and commitments, and I can't just be "on call" and flexible.

It's hard because their minister is on a 3-month sabbatical that doesn't end until November, so it seems like no one is in charge there. Andrew, the choir director, is talented and passionate but has real problems being organized, following through, and remembering agreements from one week to the next. So I wrote him a letter letting him know about my other Sunday jobs and reviewing the agreement for my availability for rehearsals and services. So no problem, Dorothea would play for their service on Sept. 18, then they would sing again on the 25th with me playing.

So I learned the 2 new songs, got there at 9:30 am as agreed on the 25th for rehearsal. Only one person showed up and Andrew himself was 30 minutes late! I was understandably irritated, especially when no one else ever showed up and we ended up not even singing after all that. I said I was going home and would see them not the next week, but the week after, as per our schedule agreement.

Last Sunday (Oct 9) was the day. Luckily it occured to me to check my cell phone for messages before trekking all the way there. There was a message from Andrew saying he was sick and rehearsal was cancelled. I called him back and said this was no problem, as I was sick too, see ya next week, etc.

So today I checked my phone--no messages--and drove all the way there, only to see no one in the sanctuary. I went downstairs to the fellowship hall, and there was Andrew along with 2 of the choir members. Everyone else had evidently left already. So once again, no rehearsal. I couldn't help feeling annoyed. I said maybe we should just sing for special occasions, two or three times a year maybe, because I was getting tired of putting energy into preparation only to have rehearsals fall through again and again.

Andrew was upset because every time he sees me I'm irritated, he doesn't like being bitched at, and if he had known I had so many other Sunday commitments in the first place, he wouldn't have hired me because, as he puts it, in his church tradition down South, a Gospel choir is a full-time commitment and his goal was to have it singing every Sunday! The other choir members were trying to calm him down, trying to explain to him that that isn't our agreement, apologizing to me for their fellow choristers' flakiness and thanking me for coming.

I guess we're not singing next Sunday, as we haven't had a rehearsal for too many weeks. I agreed to give them another chance for November, but really, I just don't need this aggravation. It doesn't help that David (the minister) isn't available, especially since he was the one to actually "hire" me. I know Andrew was just upset and venting, but that remark really bugs me. I feel like saying, "Well, good luck finding someone else who is both 1) able to learn your songs from a CD as well as I can and willing to do it for the small amount you're paying me and 2) available every Sunday to be at your beck and call. These 2 requirements tend to be mutually exclusive!" Grrrr.

5 Weeks In--Health Makeover Kickin' Butt!

Other than a horrendously awful cold that just started improving a couple of days ago, my health has improved tremendously in the past month, one lifestyle change at a time. I knew if I tried to change everything at once, it would have been too overwhelming, and I probably would have said, "Oh, screw it--this is too hard."

I haven't had one single moment of weakness in over a month, I think because I'm thinking "Moderation" instead of "You Shouldn't." As an example, I eat extra sharp cheddar cheese every day--1 piece, with an apple.

Here's my timeline so far:

8/29/05. My job at Case starts and the price of gas goes through the roof. I have ample motivation to walk to work 5 days a week. every week I walk a total of 15 miles for a total time of 4 hours and 10 minutes.

9/8/05. I finish my last economy-size bag of bite-sized candy bars and decide to stop bingeing. For the next few days I still eat more than I need to, but at least it's real food instead of candy.

9/12/05. I begin watching portion sizes and eating more fiber. My stomach "shrinks" overnight and I am amazed at how little I actually need to feel full.

9/19/05. I decide to take my measurements so I can measure progress, even weighing myself for the first time in a couple of years. If I were a more typical female victim of our society's brainwashing, I probably would have thought, "Ugh, huge, what a cow," etc. But I don't hate my body. I just thought, "Wow, kind of big."

9/26/05. Time to start incorporating stength training, putting the mid-day holes in my work schedule to good use. I am alternating my 2 entry-level Firm videos 3 times a week. So far I've only skipped once, this past weekend, because I was sick.

I feel great. I've lost about 5 pounds and at least half an inch of every measurement. Ideally, I could stand to get rid of about 40 extra pounds (!) but I'm not in any big hurry. I don't want to become one of those boring people and get all anal about it. Last time I did that, and I eventually rebelled--for the last 6 years.

Column A Total Must Equal Column B Total--A "Duh" Concept

After agreeing with everything in this Newsweek column last week, I was moved to sign and add my comments to a MoveOn petition yesterday. It seems that our Congress is still planning to push through more tax cuts for the wealthy (which I think was a stupid idea even before the Gulf Coast devastation), and then--get this--plans to pay for it by cutting crucial social services which of course mostly benefit the poor.

I am a liberal except when it comes to finances. To me it seems painfully obvious that if you need to increase your expenses (Column A) you need to either increase your income (Column B) or cut down on non-essential expenses in column A. Food stamps and Medicaid are not optional expenses--they are the equivalent of emergency health care in my personal budget.

The MoveOn petition suggested I write my comments for our congressional leaders, so here is what I wrote:


Please, please do not support any more tax cuts for the wealthy. It's obvious that supply-side economics don't work, with more people in poverty every year since Bush has been in office.

If the government has a non-optional added expense (reconstructing the Gulf Coast), common sense says that reducing the government's income would be the worst idea possible. If you need to spend more money, you need to earn more. Seems like such a "duh" concept to me.

I don't particularly enjoy paying taxes (and we are one of those DINK couples who therefore pay higher taxes than those with children), but that is part of living in a society, so I don't complain.

We as moral human beings cannot just say to poor people, "Oh, too bad for you" when they don't have the fortunate circumstances and connections some of us are privileged to have. Cutting back safety net programs would just be inhumane. I don't know how you can live with yourself if you choose to do that.

Doesn't the wild fiscal irresponsiblity of this administration keep you up at night? It should. Just think of all those interest payments spiralling out of control, taking up a bigger and bigger chunk of the budget every year. Don't you care? At this rate, someday the entire country will suffer a storm surge of fiscal disaster when foreign countries currently investing in our treasury bonds decide it's not worth the risk. What is the government going to do, declare bankruptcy?

A Great, New (and Possibly Addictive) Tool

Here's a brilliant answer to the eternal question, "How can I (easily) be notified of updates on my favorite sites, at one convenient location?" Some of us (like Eric) post new entries on our blogs almost daily, while others of us (like yours truly) post maybe twice a week, maybe twice a month, maybe three days in a row.

I've discovered an amazing tool called Bloglines, where you can "subscribe" to any website that has regular updates, including blogs, for free, via the cutting-edge technology you may have vaguely heard of called "RSS Feeds." You know, the one that Newsweek magazine says only 10% of internet users know how to use. I am now one of the elite, and the Bloglines site has made it really easy.

I now subscribe to blogs by Darcy, Dad, Eric, and Rusty. So cool!

A Deluge of Work

When I was under-employed all summer, sometimes I felt bored. Now I feel pressured. Sometimes I'm not so sure which is worse.

Here's my weekend.

Sat, 11 am. Cindi's wedding out in Boondockland, Lake County. Running there from a 9 am class at Gladisa's, dragging 75-pound behemoth keyboard and lots of songbooks. Dressed up, probably in the rain. Have I practiced anything for this? No. But I already know a lot of the music I'm going to play, and I'm a good faker.

Sun, 9:30 am. UU Choir practice. This is one of the few things this weekend that's not stressing me out. It's just that it means no sleeping in.

Sun, 11 am. Play for church service. Since the topic is Joseph Campbell: The Power of Myth Revisited , Paul really wants to come. We've decided to play our version of Wagner's Liebestod, from Tristan and Isolde, that I learned for Darcy's wedding. When else would be a more appropriate time to play it?! Tristan is only one of the great myths Campbell explores in depth. We'll be playing two other short pieces, we already know as well. Yes, I do already know the music, but I still have to practice and then we have to go over them together.

Sun, 12:45 pm. Gospel Choir rehearsal. I'm supposed to have learned 2 new songs from a CD, including writing down the vocal notes since Andrew is bad with pitch. I've only done 1/3 of one of them. Well, if I'm behind for this one, no one will be mad. I meant to do it earlier in the week but I got sick with a bad cold for days and didn't feel up to it.

Sun, 4:00 pm. Windsong rehearsal. No, I haven't even looked at the music. I can probably get away with this one, too--I've certainly done it before.

I tallied up all the hours I'm actually working at my 6 (count 'em!) gigs, and its 35.5 hours a week. Doesn't sound like much, does it? Boy, am I glad it's not more. Could be worse, I guess. I could have a sugar hangover on top of everything else.

My Diet is Finally Ready to Become a Grownup

I always used to think that by age 40, I would have outgrown my candy habit, that I would be like other, more "normal" adults who say things like, "Oh, I think the peanut butter in Reese's Peanut Butter Cups is just too sweet." It didn't happen. I spent a lot of my copious free time over the summer (as well as the past several years) chowing down on my favorite candy while playing on the internet.

Well, I'm finally getting tired of the sugar hangovers and tired of feeling unfocused and lethargic even with buttloads of caffeine. I haven't had any candy since last Thursday (it's my 5th day), eating a bowl of non-health-foody cereal (Kix or Rice Chex) as a substitute. I'm actually less hungry and feel a lot more alert and even-keeled! My addiction must be totally psychological because I don't feel any withdrawal symptoms.

This doesn't mean I've become a candy teetotaler (let's be real here!). Nor does it mean I avoid dessert--I've had treats like sorbet, homemade banana bread or a can of (non-diet) coke, once or twice a day. I am never going to be a health food puritan/fundamentalist or Woman on a Diet--you know, the type who "feels guilty" after eating a Sinful Food. Screw that! Life's too short.

I'm going to embrace the philosophy of moderation. So far it hasn't been hard. Today when I picked up some things at Target, I window-shopped the 3(!) aisles of Halloween candy, decided none of it was really worth it, and left without buying any. This is big for me--I haven't passed the Halloween candy department empty-handed for at least 10 years.

Labor Day Weekend

We've had one of those weekends where everything lines up just right. Paul and I had all three days totally off work. The weather was perfect every single day, brilliantly sunny and in the 70s. And we had fun plans every day. We started our Saturday sleeping late and indulging in a leisurely breakfast of blueberry pancakes.

We had all the windows open because the weather was so perfect. Mouchie wanted to get as close to outside as possible, so he sat in the window. As you can see, the sill is skinnier than he is, so he oh-so-casually let his arm dangle off the edge.

Such a funny boy! Here he is from above. You can see all the beautiful shades of black in his coat, plus my blue-polished toenails on the floor far, far away.

Saturday night, we went to the last concert of the season at Blossom Music Center. It was the Cincinnati Pops' Star Wars Spectacular. Anthony Daniels, who played C-3PO in all six movies, narrated basic plot points between excerpts from all the movies. We noticed John Williams gives especially kick-ass parts to the horn section. Here is a pic of the Pavillion from the lawn, where we sat having our picnic.

I held the camera at arm's length to snap this one of us at intermission.

On Sunday (yesterday), we went with Bev, Fred and little Bruce to the Cleveland Ingenuity Festival, a downtown fest full of events combining the arts and technology. Brucie was a little young for most of it but enjoyed the bubble machine, live music and baby owl. He is at that age where he doesn't want to be strapped in the stroller, but would rather walk and push it himself. When we had had enough of going .02 MPH, Bev and Fred gave him a little "lift," which he loved!

A highlight of the festival for me was seeing the Symphony for 21 iPods. In a basement art gallery, the iPods were hanging from the ceiling all over the room, playing a variety of bright, sparkly sounds in space, changing as you moved around beneath them.

On the way out of the gallery, I saw this striking sculpture of blown glass. It didn't have a title, so I christened it Condomcicles.

We went to the old Cleveland Trust Rotunda, since I had never been there and it looks pretty grand from the outside. They advertised hands-on technology activities all day, but I guess they decided to end it early since nothing was going on. Still enjoyed seeing the beautiful building, though. It used to be a bank. Imagine doing your banking in a place as grand as a museum or theatre! The stained-glass dome above was beautiful, and we could see why someone is always arguing against tearing it down.

By five or so, my feet were killing me. I feel like such a wimp and an old fart, but it's never been the same since I broke my foot last year. We went to Tower City for a breather and sat by the fountain, which has jets of water choreographed to music.

We took the Rapid and walked a mile to get home, since Bev & Co. had left a couple hours before. We feel so lucky to live close.

Today (Labor Day) we went to a Lake County Captains minor-league baseball game with Paul's work folks, courtesy of his boss, Dr. Hoppel. We had a loge, a big party deck with a nice spread--burger, hot dog, taco, and ice cream sundae bar, plus pop and water. The food was really good.

A lot of Paul's co-workers brought their kids and grandkids, who were able to run around, etc. It was very breezy up there--it felt like we were out on the lake. The stadium was much smaller than Jacobs Field--maybe it holds 15-20,000. It was nice, though, and had a small-town feel. The captains won in 12 innings, so I was able to keep my streak of the home team always winning at every pro game I've ever attended--all four in my life!

All in all, a great weekend. Tomorrow it's back to work at all of my jobs, which I am actually looking forward to.

Gasoline Market Timing

All week I have been following the Hurricane Katrina coverage on NPR, Salon.com and the New York Times. It took a day or two for the magnitude of the catastrophe to sink in. I feel terrible for all those people who have lost everything and haven't been sleeping that well.

Of course, by Monday night it occured to me that gas prices would probably jump any minute. I started back at Case this week, walking to work all 5 days.

1. It gets me moving
2. It makes me feel more connected to my neighborhood and aware of the beauty I would miss if I drove
3.It saves the wear and tear of short trips on the car
4. My Case parking pass probably hasn't been activated yet anyway and I hate paying for parking
5. And not least, it's one way I can conserve energy and live lighter on the planet.

On Monday, the BP station I walked past was selling regular unleaded at $2.55/gallon, at least a dime cheaper than any other station nearby. Since I didn't drive that day, I didn't fill up and gambled it wouldn't be too bad Tuesday. With relief, I saw on Tuesday that it was still $2.57. I ran errands that evening, stopping on the way to fill my 3/4 empty tank. I was surprised there was no line. I remember right after 9/11, cars were lined up around the corner at every gas station.

The next day as I walked by and gasped when I saw the display sign--it was up to $2.99!! I had beat the system, saving about $4.00. I know, my tank is only 11 gallons, my car gets over 30 mpg, and I only drive 6000-7000 miles per year. I used to spend about $30.00 a month on gas, now it might be $60.00. The $30 extra isn't such a big deal for me, but I can't help thinking about those moms from all over suburbia driving their kids to ballet class in their SUVs. I just hope they don't decide to pull their kids out as a way of cutting back. I'm feeling like the NE Ohio recession, which lingered here for years before finally starting to lift only recently, might come back with a vengeance.

On Tuesday afternoon I went online to reserve plane tickets for our Houston trip right after Christmas. I wanted Paul to have a chance to check our flight schedule with his brother Peter before we purchased. The next day Peter sent us his itinerary (times were different than ours) with the idea that we could share a rental car.

So back to the Continental website I went, (I had just signed us both up for OnePass, since Continental is the only airline out of Cleveland that hasn't screwed us over,) plugging in the new times and cancelling the old reservation. Ack! Everything was over $100 more per person than the day before, including the same flights from yesterday's reservation! I was kicking myself for cancelling it so fast, since otherwise I could have bought it at yesterday's price, saving us $220.

But then I thought, let's check Expedia and Travelocity--maybe they haven't jacked everything up yet. And they hadn't! I bought those suckers fast, saving the $220, then emailed our itinerary to Paul's family members, advising them to book their flights ASAP before the prices go up. It felt so good to beat the system twice in one day!

This was probably my last chance to save big on gasoline-related expenses. From now on, I am even more motivated to 1. Walk instead of drive whenever possible, 2. Consolidate errands as efficiently as possible, and 3. Drive in as fuel-efficient manner as I can--stopping and starting as slowly and smoothly as I can get away with. I want to see if it makes a difference.

X-treme Flushing: The Great Toilet Upgrade

Wow. We were actually serious about upgrading all of our toilets after this lovely episode last month, and are now the proud owners of 3 brand spanking-new pressure-assisted toilets. These things are the piranhas of the toilet world. You'd better make sure all arms and legs are inside the cabin and the lid is down before flushing or somebody could get hurt.

I would much rather have a mighty fanfare announce my business for 4 seconds than deal with the sluggish, finicky crap toilets we had before. Is it normal to have to plunge every other day or am I just really hard on conventional toilets?

These things could probably handle 5 or 6 golf balls and have so far effortlessly whisked away even my most challenging offerings without leaving so much as a calling card.

Did I mention I'm thrilled?

Married 2 Years

A week ago today was our 2nd wedding anniversary. We like to make a big deal of romantic milestones whenever possible so, since we were in Colorado, we stayed in the Hotel Teatro,"Denver's #1 Rated Hotel." Check out the Deluxe Room on the Virtual Tour page to see exactly what our room looked like. It was huge and gorgeous. This is the kind of place where everybody on the staff treats you like you're one of The Rich People. After a delicious dinner of western fare (bison filet mignon!), we returned to find our bed turned down with premium Belgian chocolates left on the pillow. We couldn't help chuckling at the open TV Guide, encased in leather, along with a very elaborate remote, that was also carefully placed on the pillow. We certainly had much better things planned than an evening of TV watching!

A delightful surprise--there was a note from all four of my parents wishing us a happy anniversary and crediting our room with $40 for breakfast the next morning! That was really sweet and unexpected. (The next morning we thoroughly enjoyed a lavish room service tray with pastries, tea, orange juice, fruit platter and an omelet which we ate in a state of total indecency!)

After we got back to Cleveland we had a long weekend off work together. On Sunday night, we continued an anniversary tradition we started last year--attending the Cavana Ballroom's Sunday dance party in our wedding attire, which we can get away with because it's comfortable, lightweight and only a little over the top.



Lat year, we also wore our duds (sans hats) for a special dinner out. I don't feel bad that we skipped that this year. Unless I am leaning forward with my head directly over the plate, food, especially if it is covered in something tomato-based, tends to land directly on my chest, especially when I'm wearing something in a solid, pastel shade. I love that this dress is machine washable, but I just don't think it would have survived buffalo with barbecue sauce!

Family Recipes

I took note of a couple of recipes that came up in conversation. Here is a really easy one for a moist, delicious, reasonably nutritious cake from Mom:

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
1 Pkg Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 Can Pumpkin (sm) the plain kind, not pumpkin pie mix/filling
Use a 9x13 pan. Cook according to package directions.

And from Eric, one that's low starch, high nutrition, and sounds delish:

Tacomole Salad
Brown 1/2-3/4 lb taco meat. Season to taste.
1 lb spinach leaves.
Toss w/6-8 oz guacamole.
Divide into 2 servings.
Top w/meat, crushed tortilla chips, tomatoes, and olives.

What a great trip!

We had a very rich, wonderful time in Colorado this past week. Grandma's memorial service was just right, and after a couple of days in Denver, we enjoyed a few days in the Rocky Mountains.

From eating out on the town and toasting Grandma's memory,

to cooking out and enjoying our "Magic Fans" from Eric,

to hiking along bridle trails,

to enjoying stunning views of mountains, forests and lakes,
to just hanging out on the back porch of our cabin to watch the hummingbirds,

we had a great time with the family. See all the pics on my website here.

Colorado, here we come!

Tomorrow we leave for a week in Colorado. Paul and I will be joining Eric & Rusty plus Mom, Ron, Phyllis, Alec, Peter and Roxanne for a second memorial service for Grandma in Denver. I was really disappointed I couldn't make the first one in Portland last December due to my cast & crutches, plus 3 jobs. I am going to be playing selections from Phantom of the Opera because it was her favorite music ever.

We've decided to make a vacation of it and will be staying in a charming place in Estes Park called Idlewilde by the River for a few nights. We'll spend our 2nd wedding anniversary (8/17) in Denver at the posh Hotel Teatro and maybe see a show or have an elegant dinner. We won't be returing until the 18th, and I anticipate a total internet vacation the entire time, not a bad thing.

Here are my reflections on Grandma that I will be sharing during the service.

One of my earliest memories of Grandma was the Christmas I turned 5. I was in my ballerina phase, and I wanted a ballet tutu more than anything in the world. When I opened my present from Grandma, it was this wonderful creation she had made herself--a skirt made out of stiff pink tulle, decorated with an array of colorful poufs commonly used to scrub pots and pans. *holds pouf as visual aid* I gasped in my excitement, "It's a ballet dress!" She laughed her famous laugh and said,"Oh, no, it's a Silly Grandma!" I thought it was the most beautiful skirt ever.

We always lived far away from our grandparents and didn't get to see them very often, so a visit to their house was a Really Big Deal. Grandma would bend over backwards as a hostess, wanting to make sure we were comfortable, well fed and had enough to do. When Grandpa would sometimes get fussy or grumpy when we inevitably got on his nerves, she would say, "Oh, he's just being an old fuddy-duddy!"

I was kind of an uptight kid and she was always loosening me up. Even in my 30s she spent several years encouraging me to try margaritas, which I didn't like at all at first. Now it's my favorite drink ever, and I always think of her whenever I have one. She was very proud of "corrupting" me at last.

Peace to you, Grandma. My life is better because you were part of it.

Bush or Chimp?

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While on a message board discussing our president's views on evolution, a poster asked, "How can a man who looks so much like a chimpanzee not believe in evolution?" It's so true! Check out this site -- it's frickin' hillarious!

Hazardous Waste

I never thought taking out the trash could be so dangerous as it was last Tuesday. These things always seem to happen to me when home alone. Paul was at Joy & Dale's, at a barbeque which I could not go to because I had Troy's ballet class to play for and then the piano competition to attend.

So I got home around 9:45 and thought,"I'm gonna get the trash now so it'll be done before Paul gets home." Everything went harmlessly enough until I took the kitchen bag out of the can. It was heavy and over-filled so I set it down on the kitchen floor. I took a step and ended up stepping on the bottom of the bag. Next thing I knew, something really sharp had cut the inside of my big toe, deeply I might add, as most of my weight was on that foot at the moment of impact.

It was the worst pain since I broke my foot. My immediate, instinctual response: a yell that made the walls vibrate, lots of cussing, and bursting into tears as blood started dripping all over the kitchen floor.

I was freaking out, hopping to the bathroom to get a kleenex or 3 to staunch the flow. Poor Mouchie was very upset by my antics. Usually when I yell like that only when he pounces on me while I'm running up the stairs, an attempt at behavior modification. Every time you scratch me, I will cause you to lose some of your hearing. This time I had to reassure him that for once it wasn't about him, but he still looked like this:
I limped upstairs to my bathroom where the band-aids were, but it was nowhere near ready for that. I went through about 10 kleenexes. Every time I took my finger pressure off so I could get another one, it would start gushing again, leaving giant drops of blood (like 1" in diameter!) all over my bathroom floor, some of which landed on my pristine white bathmat, upsetting me further.

I was still cussing and wailing like a frustrated infant when Paul called about 15 minutes later. I tried to calm down so as not to alarm him unnecessarily, so I just told him the short version. By the time he got home it had finally stopped bleeding and I was able to cover it with a band-aid, but if I bent the toe a certain way or accidentally put any weight on it at all, it felt like a burning hot poker.

I am so sick of foot pain, and it doesn't help that this is the same foot I broke. I couldn't walk much until Saturday. Now, a week later, it is just starting to feel halfway healed. So much for getting in better shape for hiking in the Rockies next week. I am glad, though, that it happened last Tuesday and not tonight, so it should be almost normal by early next week.

An Approximation

You wouldn't know it, but I've been growing out my hair for the past 8 months. I had a super-short pixie cut for about 3 years and loved it, but decided I wanted something softer and more girly, still easy but not The Mom Haircut (TM). I don't want to be mistaken for one of those women who've Just Given Up.

After a few hours last winter perusing online hairstyle websites, I found this cute style:

I figured, oh, by April or so, my hair could resemble this more or less. What I had forgotten to consider was that this model's hair was at least 3" long at the back and sides, whereas mine was about 1/2". Four haircuts later, as of today, here is my version:

It's cute and I love it but it ain't just like the picture. And this is after Steve styled it for me today. Who knows if I'll ever be able to duplicate this on my own. You'd think after 27+ years of actually caring what my hair looks like, I would've had enough practice by now, but you would be wrong.

High-Profile Gigs Coming Up

The Gospel Choir I've been playing for is going to sing 20 minutes' worth of music this Sunday at Archwood UCC for a "Raise the Roof Gospel Service" that is part of the Black, Gay and Proud Celebration 2005! It doesn't even matter that I'm not Christian, black or gay--I know it's gonna be great, it will have wonderful energy and I'll meet some great people.

Also, this week I talked with Mary Verdi-Fletcher of Dancing Wheels, and on October 1 I'll be playing at their 25th Anniversary Gala at the Intercontinental Hotel Cleveland, which by the way I can walk to in 10 minutes from home. I'll be accompanying actress Patricia Neal as she sings "Send in the Clowns" and playing background music for the silent auction and dinner. Mary said she immediately thought of me and didn't even call any other pianists. :-)

The First Cut

It's amazing I can even string 2 sentences together. Since Wednesday afternoon, I have attended 12 rounds of the competition--that's 39 hours of music by 30 pianists, only 3 hours of which I missed due to what little work I still have.

Yesterday afternoon I was seated next to a woman whose girth threatened to overflow around the armrest. I'm not small myself and we spent the next 3 1/2 hours trying not to invade each other's Personal Space Bubbles. I'm glad I didn't miss the round as it included three of the eight semi-finalists later picked by the judges, but I came home feeling as if I had spent the afternoon in the middle seat of a packed airplane.

Sometimes you've just gotta take a break. Since the competition is being broadcast live over the radio, I decided to listen at home to the first half of last night's round. WCLV's reception is so sucky it won't come in on any of our radios (except the car), but fortunately you can listen to it via streaming audio online. I blissfully stretched out on the couch, drinking a cherry coke while I listened, then took the five-minute walk to the theater after intermission.

When I got home, I finished picking my eight semifinalists so I could later see if I agreed with the judges' picks. I knew it would take at least 45 minutes before the announcement broadcast, so I settled in the office. The minutes crept by. 11:15 pm and we still hadn't heard.

Paul offered to make dinner and bring it up to me so I wouldn't have to leave the computer and miss the announcement! Of course I told him how sweet I thought that was. He just said it was nothing millions of wives of TV sports fans don't do every Sunday.

Minutes later we heard the announcement live, and four of my picks made it. On to the semi-finals today!