i was told there'd be cake

You have to do more -- go to college, pick a major, get a boyfriend, a job, an interesting scar, a dream house, an educated position on the death penalty. Suddenly you had more mail, more keys, more passwords, more toiletries. And all for less praise. People are less quick to applaud as you grow older. Life starts out with everyone clapping when you take a poo and goes downhill from there. If you stop and think about it, it's a miracle t hat we get out of bed every day and brush our teeth and remember to buy toothpaste. We all deserve to be congratulated but sadly that would mean there's no one left to do the congratulating.

Oh-- and Happy Memorial Day!

scale be damned!

What the fuck exercise? Seriously? Why have you failed me so?!

For the last 3 weeks I've been working out for about an hour a day (this includes weight training) for about 4 days a week. What is really pissing me off is, for the last fucking week, I've been GAINING a pound a day! I shit you not! I'm so irriated at this, and of course have stopped getting on the scale... but really?! Man oh man, nothing deters you from going to the gymnasium like packing ON pounds when you're trying to be good.

Now I havn't been "super" dieting or anything. My goal honestly is to get healthier, and to fit into my favorite pants, not to necessarily be lighter. Well, I guess I have to work on the diet too, fuckers! Ahhhh well, shoulda known it would come to this.

Basically I've been putting on weight for about a year now. Slowly but surely. The unemployment really didn't help matters either. Sitting on the couch for roughly 6-7 hours a day is horrible for the metabolism. I try to get out, and as I said before, exercise. That's why I spend usually an hour a day, as opposed to the "doctor recommended 30-40 minutes". Whatevs. Stupid metabolism.

I've cut a few things out of my diet entirely (for now):

• No more french fries until the scale starts to cooperate. NONE! *sigh*
• No more soda either. This includes diet. I don't need that much sodium or sugar.
• No eating after 8pm

That's about as far as my "dieting" goes. Except severely increase the intake of fruits and veggies, decreasing the red meat and other obviously fattening foods. (reading labels people!)

I have a few other inspirations to help me. I've been watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on abc.com. Its CRAZY! I love what he's doing! (In a nutshell, he's a famous chef, who has gone to America's "fattest and unhealthiest" city Huntington West Virginia, and is teaching people how to be healthier, cook for themselves, and make them all around smarter about their food habits) Its really startling to see how little some people know about actual nutrition or how horrendous the school lunch system is. Really check it out!

I also just watched the movie Food Inc.

Wow. Wow. Wow. All I can say is watch it. You'll never look at your food the same way again. Let me prefact this by saysing it isn't full of PETA videos showing cruelty to animals. I didn't have any "look away" moments. Its just extremely inforative about the status of our food industry (meat and vegetable), and how a few large corporations are really the ones in charge of everything. Now, I'm no conspiracy nut or anything, but the basic message I took away was, BUY LOCAL, and ORGANIC. And I may never eat a hamburger again. Add it to your NetFlix queue!

Finally I'm reading a book called "French Women Don't Get Fat."

I actually read a different book from this author, and I didn't realize it was her who wrote this particular book. I've picked up this one at Borders on several occasions, but just never purchased it for one reason or another. But this time I checked it out from the library and am really enjoying it. The author has some great ideas, all from personal experience, about changing the way you think about the way you eat, while still enjoying the things you love. Moderation, moderation. Right? But she includes lots of great little recipes and stories to drive the point home. And really... has anyone seen a fat French woman? Non!

Do you have any other ideas or tips? How do you stay motivated?

going mental

My life isn't always what I expect or want, so I have a tendency to read funny books. David Sedaris couldn't write books fast enough for me. Why can't he be more like Stephen King and crank a book out 3 times a year? Ahhhhh well.

I just finished this book and highly recommend it. I love reading how people's lives are more messed up than mine. And how they are able to laugh at it. Which helps me realize that nobody's life is all sunshine and roses, even if that's how they portray it.

Here's a couple funny tidbits from the book I wanted to share...

Irritated by my mother's ridicule,I rip open a package of Oreos that she's attempted to hide behind t he lettuce. I keep count while I eat them, and after knocking off an entire row, I don't trust myself to stop and throw t he remainder in the garbage. I even spray the leftover cookies with Lemon Pledge to avoid the temptation of retrieving them from the trash later on.

Seriously, who hasn't been there?!?

His lipless mouth, turned up at the corners, projected to the eye of the beholder either an aura of judgmental calm or of creepy mischievousness.

And my personal favorite, which rings all too true...

Part of the problem is that everyone ... wants a guy which a good sense of humor, but also wants a guy with "no emotional baggage," as if you could have one without the other. Let's be clear: if a guy's witty, he's got a Samsonite filled with issues. And i f he's a laugh riot, he's got a steamer trunk with decals of where he's been -- depression, suicide, addiction. Humor doesn't just come with baggage; its the matching cosmetics case that completes the set.

Everyone run to Borders and buy this book. It was buy one get one 50% off when I was there.

OH, and to my faithful reader(s) I've fixed the comment problem. I think you should be able to comment with no probs now.

Happy December!!

what's an internet?

I'm a natural born traveler. I can't get enough of it. If someone moves to a new place or studys aboroad... I'm buying a plane ticket to visit before they've unpacked their first wine glass.

I am however not a natural born reader. It takes a lot to catch and keep my attention. My bookshelves are filled with purchases of books which at the time seemed like a good idea, but once gotten home, never tempted me to turn the pages.

I do however love to read about travel. Funny stories, anecdotes, tales of adventure, motivation, encouragement, mishaps and inspiration. However there are so many weird kinds of travel books out there. I guess I'm picky about what I like to read, there's definitely got to be some humor involved and some moment or two of revelation. Does this make sense?

I'd like to recommend some of my favorite books to you, dear reader(s?) that have honestly changed my life. Definite top of my bookshelf here, not to miss.


Geography of Bliss, Eric Weiner.


Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert.


A Year in the Merde, Stephen Clarke



The Alchemist, Paolo Coehlo

Now my assignment to you, dear reader(s) is to take a look at my list, and recommend something else for me to read? Equally life changing, or at least entertaining? I'm curious to see what the verdict is...

Thanks! and Happy Friday!!

OH, and P.S. Am I the only one that, upon seeing that a book is on "OPRAH'S Book List" I have no desire to read it?

i like the word soul. i like the word mate. but soulmate?

i'm seriously behind on my blogging. My apologies. I still need to write about camping last weekend, and now I have more to write about. *sigh* oh well. maybe i'll get around to it, maybe i won't. I also may have shingles. I'll be going to the doctor's tomorrow to hopefully find out what's going on with this rash on my tummy. WHOOP!

anyway, i'm going to share this with you. I read it in a book recently and its given me a lot to think about. I really like it, comforts me in some way, even though losing people who mean so much to you is hard to understand or feel good about.

People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that's holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then they leave.