Pics and other stuff

Day 40

Who knew?!  So I have made it 40 days.  Isn't it in the bible that Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights?  Well - I'm about to pass Him up!  Is that bad - am I allowed to say that?  Actually, to His credit, I don't think he was afforded the luxury of the Optifast 70 Shake or the Optifast Chicken Soup!  And luxury it is.  Not.  Today I had a vanilla shake and about 2/3rd of the way through I started to gag.  All I kept thinking was "do NOT throw this up because the smell will NOT go away"!  Nothing smells worse than the vanilla shake packet once you open it.  Watch out - it is toxic!  By the way, the gagging stopped and the shake went down the throat.
I didn't exercise today.  I hate it when I am not motivated.  Saturday I talked about strength and today I feel nothing but weakness.  I guess both of them are allowed.  Some days I just get so frustrated because I want food and I obsess over it.  Then I have to pull my coping techniques out of my food-thinking coma and snap out of it.  I'm not off food forever.  Food will always be there for me.  I just need to not always be there for food.  I keep craving turkey sandwiches.  I so hate turkey sandwiches.  Freak!

First off, I must make a correction.  On Saturday I mentioned my highly over-priced iced tea from Teavana.  $4.47.  Not true.  That was a typo.  The actual retail price without going over was $5.47!  And don't forget to have your pet spayed or neutered.  Oops - got off track there.  Thought I was a contestant on the Price is Right.  See what happens when you fast?!
Just found out I have Book Club on Sunday.  Yet again...right down to the wire and have not read the book.  I don't even have the darn book.  I tried to get it from the library but being it's a new book, they don't have many copies and all copies have holds on them.  So I bid on one on ebay.  I do not want to own a hard cover book but I do now.  As soon as it arrives, I plan to read it (quickly by the way) and then turn around and put it back on ebay.
My friend, Marianne, took a walk with her Dad today by their home in Greendale WI.  She sent me some pictures which I think are so cool.  You can tell they are still having Winter weather there while here we are anticipating 80 degrees later this week.  Marianne's favorite are the ducks in flight. Very cool.








And before I sign off, here is my 60 Challenge...




60 Challenge Day #4
"A picture of my night"

 ♥ jules

On spending money (that I don't have)

Day 38

In the middle of Week 6.  Hanging in there.  I managed to watch everyone at church tonight eat spaghetti with alfredo sauce, casear salad, and bread.  And of course brownies and cc cookies.  Oh, did I mention the hot chocolate with whipped cream?  Geez.  I feel as if I am making progress though because while it looked good, I was not tempted and it only made me feel stronger.  I like it when I feel strength.  Strength is not one of the qualities that I grew up experiencing so when I feel it at age 46, it makes me happy.

Today was a day of over-spending.  And I'm not very proud of it.  I went to the Apple store in the mall.  First off, that place overwhelms me.  There are too many customers and there are too many employees wearing blue shirts.  Freaks me out!  I ended up there because I have been looking for a docking station for my ipod.  I seem to have lost mine.  I have been unable to charge it and therefore, no music.  Not happy.  So I went the practical route...Target and Wal Mart.  They no longer sell what I need.  I guess that would be because my ipod shuffle is now an antique.  Everything is bigger and better.  Or so they say.  I am perfectly happy with my ipod.  It was a gift and I absolutely love it.  So I thought since I can't find a docking station I had better go to the Apple store.  $31.54 later I now own a new one.  But the price kind of gave me a stomach ache.  I HATED spending that much money, esp on something that I am replacing due to my own carelessness.  On the way home I all of a sudden thought "ebay".  Now why I didn't look there in the first place, I have no idea.  Needless to say, the over-priced docking station is going back to the Apple store tomorrow.  I found the exact same thing on ebay for $3.59, brand new, free shipping.  Why didn't I try that in the first place?!
Here's my second frivolous purchase.  I really like tea and there is a store in the mall called Teavana.  I have never been to Teavana and was excited to see what they have.  First off, I found a darling cast iron teapot that I knew I must have.  $139.00.  Never mind.  I sampled some teas and found them delicious so I decided to step up to the counter and order myself an iced tea.  When you are on Optifast, unsweetened tea is one of the things you can have.  And when you can have something other than a shake or water, you go for it.  So I was asked if I would like to order one of their specialty hot or iced teas.  I said I would like an iced tea.  She asked what I would like and I told her I had no idea but could she recommend something.  Mind you, they have 99 different teas.  She pulled these bins off the wall and had me smell the sour cherry something or another and some sort of hibiscus something or another.  She assured me it would be delicious.  I ordered it and sure enough, it was delicious.  Here is a pic of my platinum iced tea...

All $4.47 worth!  What?  I paid HOW much for some tainted water?!  After all this extravagance, the $9.00 bottle of OPI for Sephora nail polish in "Nonfat Soy Half Caff" (LOVE the name!) was way out of the question.  Maybe I can  have it the next time I go on some kind of silly shopping spree!

So I came home and savored every drop of my platinum tea.  Took some pictures of myself (don't ask).  Just the way I roll these days.  Oh, also bought Roxie a rawhide bone which the cat has taken over.  Figures.  As my friend Tigger says...ta ta for now! ♥

A trip to the mailbox

Roxie and I walked in the rain this afternoon.  That was kind of fun.  I thought so.  She wasn't all that thrilled. 

I got home and decided to check my mail.  I have an issue with mail.  It's quite simple actually.  I hate it.  Really hate it.  I only get my mail out of the box every 7 or so days.  I would go longer than that but I know that ticks off the postal people because if the box gets too full they have to take it back to the post office with them.  Wouldn't want to upset those people.  Those are the special people who deliver a continual flood of good news to everyone's home.
I hit the jackpot today.  2 State Farm insurance bills.  One for the Jetta and one for the Civic.  1 Welcome letter from Honda Finance Corp.  If I had balls I would say that they now own them for the next 5 years.  A bill from Kaiser saying I owe a bunch of money that I really don't.  Hundreds of dollars.  I have a co-pay for visits and prescriptions.  That's it.  They don't get it.  I can't deal with them so I have Luigi call and they say things like "Oh, are you a Kaiser member"?  Duh.  A letter from JP Morgan Chase saying they won't give me a car loan.  Who cares that I have all my money in their bank.  And poo on them because Honda wanted me and gave me 0.9%.  Take THAT, JP Morgan.  Notice how I said "all my money".  I think that might be a pretty bold statement.  Too bold actually!  And last but not least...the final sign that your brand new car is no longer brand new... I'm sad!

The license plates have arrived.  Oh and by the way...I already got my first dent.  Passenger side back door.  A dent the size of a big thumbprint.  Had to happen sooner or later.  But I was hoping for A LOT later!

Idol time.  And to all a good night. ♥

Day 35


5 weeks complete!


Weight Lost: 4 pounds
Total Lost (5 weeks): 34 pounds

I am exhausted tonight.  I will keep this short.  Had an ok day.  Got a bad headache this afternoon but Tylenol Rapid Release took care of that. 
Tonight was my Tuesday to dog sit Cassie (my dog sister).  She was behaved except for snapping at Zoe.  I don't like that but I do realize that there are times that I would like to snap at Zoe myself!  One thing I have to say about Cassie and my girl, Roxie, is that they are so good about asking to go out to pee.  Neither one of them would even think of peeing in the house.  Which brings me to what happened on Sunday.  A friend came over to my place for about an hour.  She brought her dog.  Cute dog, BUT...as they were leaving, she glances down at my carpet in the living room and said "oh, look what he did - sorry".  Her darn dog peed on my carpet.  What is wrong with people?  It's the owner's fault, not the dog.  That really gets me upset.  I know some people would say that dogs are just marking territory and all that.  It's BS.  I saw that dog go over to the door and I said to her "looks like he might need to go out".  She said "oh no, he is fine.  He is just checking everything out".  So whose fault is it?  Hers.  There is no excuse for your dog to be peeing in the house.  Anyone's house.  My dog just wouldn't.  She knows that is not tolerated.  Just a sore subject with me.  Can you tell?!
How is it that I am married to someone who loves those bizarre food shows?!  I can hear the TV in the other room and the guy on there (Andrew Zimmern) is raving about pig placenta puree!  I don't even know what to say.  Makes my most hated food sound delicious (lima beans). 
I think it's bedtime! ♥

60 Challenge Day #3 - A picture of the cast from your favorite television show
"Better With You"
(Debra Jo Rupp from That 70s Show is so funny!)