Super Skinny Me

Well, it's been a while since I've been here—a few days anyway. Since I haven't posted anything about weight loss in quite a while, I'd like to suggest a sure fire way to loss that holiday weight: Get yourself a case of stomach flu. That's right folks, it's guaranteed to make you drop five or more pounds in a hurry. It comes complete with nausea, diarrhea, headache, and lethargy. Anyway, it isn't really funny, and I'm still suffering through the headache.

But I did run across a cool website called Super Skinny Me. Despite the name, it doesn't promote anorexia. It's actually put together pretty well. If you have ever wondered what your body type is or exactly how many calories you'd need to cut from your diet to lose those pounds, this site has the calculators to do it. You can find info about different diets that you can't find, easily anyway, anywhere else. The site is loaded with cool stuff. Check it out.

It All Makes a Difference

I don't usually make two posts in one day anymore. But I ran across a story today about a guy who gives whatever he can to a charitable organization everyday. I have wanted to find ways to give for a long time now. I was operating under the impression hat you had to give thousands of dollars for it to be worthwhile. As it turns out, I was I wrong.

Carlo Garcia gives anywhere from $5 to $200 to organizations that serve people—everyday. He has given away about $2,500 this year. He maintains a blog that allows his followers—some 5,000 now—to give as  well. They have given about $3,400.

In the past month, I have given about $45 to two organizations that help people around the world get fresh drinking water into their homes—Water.org and charity: water. One of them also provided sanitation assistance. I thought that was nothing until I read Carlo's story. All it really takes is for people to help each other. If everyone gave a little bit, it would help a lot.

I have posted a widget on this blog where you can go to Carlo's blog to read about him, and maybe donate a little money to the cause.

If you really can't afford to donate money, there are plenty of other ways you can help the people in this world who need it. Habitat for Humanity always needs volunteers—I plan to get involved in this organization in anyway I can.  There are plenty of other organizations that can use office help, food delivery services, or phone calls to shut ins. It doesn't take a huge wallet to make a difference. It just takes a willingness to give.

Geez: You're In Public

It's been more than 20 years since I published my first article. When I went into journalism, I supposed that people would be accepting of my every word. After all, what I was saying was fact. So why wouldn't they see that? Well, as it turns out, it doesn't work like that. People can be and are harsh and cruel. I've been called a liar, ignorant, and other more colorful things. I've been told I should apologize and then find a new career. Why bring this up?

My point is that anytime you put yourself out in public, you open yourself up for criticism. Some of it actually will be constructive. Some of it will be hurtful and biased. But most of it will be good. Unfortunately, as human beings, we seem to zero in on the hurtful, biased comments. When I published some of my first articles and was criticised for the first time, I cried—even though the criticism wasn't actually mean. It took me a while to figure out this was the way it going to be—if I wanted people to read anything I had written.

It's the same way with blogs. Blogs in out there for anyone, anywhere to read. And some people aren't going to be nice. The thing is: You're going to have to grow a tough enough skin to handle it. Being thin skinned will keep you upset, and you likely won't post the things that most of your readers have come to count on. You'll start holding back, and, eventually, you'll lose readers. Stick to your guns, and blow off the few negative Nellies that will come your way—and they will.

I have come to a point where I appreciate the negative comments because I learn something from them, too. And getting negative comments means that people are reading your blog. So it's all good.

Old Habits Die Hard (OK. I Get It.)

I dreamed I was living in a charming old building that had been made into apartments. Two other people lived there—both of them were people I had known long ago but were no longer were part of my life, although they remain strong memories.

In this dream, I think I was living with a guy who had been a roommate of mine [we were friends only in reality as well as this dream] but I’m not sure. Across the hall was where another person lived. This girl was really a friend of the roommate—but I had known her. Although she was married, she tended to be rather provocative. She lived a colorful life, let’s say.

In this dream, she at first invited us into her apartment. But she disappeared shortly after we went in. She had gone to the back of the apartment where there were some stairs that lead to what may have been a fire escape. Anyway, it was an unguarded way that other people could get into the building.

A serial killer had gotten into this stairway and was trying to get into her apartment. She did not appear to be worried because she thought she could outsmart him. Part of her plan was to taunt him (death). I didn’t think that was such a good idea. This serial killer murdered people using a knife—often severing major arteries. He was poking the knife through an opening in the door, but she was able to avoid being cut, for a while.

I became fearful that this scheme wasn’t going to contain him much longer and choose to leave. (I choose to leave before I got cut.) I went to my apartment and tried to lock myself in. I realized, however, that once he killed this girl he would come after me because I knew who he was. As it turns out, I was right. He didn’t kill the girl, but she wound up in the hospital with several cuts, although they were not life threatening. The guy didn't do much or say much. But when he did, it was usually whining.

The murderer made a threat toward me, but now I don’t remember what he said. But it was along the lines of he intended to kill me. It was my intent to get out.

I was tired of the apartment anyway. Although beautiful, it was no longer my style, and now it had too many issues that were beyond my control—like intruders. It was old and had lots of things that needed repaired—none of which I really wanted to tackle. I wanted to move on. And that’s what I intended to do.

This is pretty much where the dream ended.

Now for my interpretation:

Dreaming of murder or intended murder usually means the end of something. The guy and the girl represent old habits [old friends] or parts of me that no longer work, such as being too free with the way I view important aspects of my life—my diet, my finances, my life. Although it’s worked for me in the past, it no longer makes sense to keep doing the same things. So a murderer comes to kill off my nonchalant way of leading my life. The old apartment has too many things that need fixed. It’s time to move on. It's time to regain control. It's also time to do the things I want to do. I don't want to be trapped someplace under constant threat of death. (Anyone who knows me can figure out what this means.) But anyway, it's the end. For me anyway.

P.S. The real meaning of this dream came to me suddenly. I think it has to do with my career more than anything else.

Christmas Vacation

No Applebee's for Him

On a recent road trip with my four-year-old nephew, he noticed an Applebee's that surprisingly disturbed him. He said he would never want to go an Applebee's. I asked why. He said: "I like apples, but I don't like bees." I couldn't argue with that.

More later. . . .

Fearing the Worst May not be so Bad

Lucy Van Pelt: Are you afraid of responsibility? If you are, then you have hypengyophobia. 
Charlie Brown: I don't think that's quite it. 
Lucy Van Pelt: How about cats? If you're afraid of cats, you have ailurophasia. 
Charlie Brown: Well, sort of, but I'm not sure. 
Lucy Van Pelt: Are you afraid of staircases? If you are, then you have climacaphobia. Maybe you have thalassophobia. This is fear of the ocean, or gephyrobia, which is the fear of crossing bridges. Or maybe you have pantophobia. Do you think you have pantophobia? 
Charlie Brown: What's pantophobia? 
Lucy Van Pelt: The fear of everything. 
Charlie Brown: THAT'S IT! 


I, too, have a fear of everything. I know i've said that before. I'm afraid, however, that you may have forgotten so I need to tell you again. 


My fears lead to worry. I worry about things that may never happen. When I let my dogs outside, I worry that they will get out of the yard and make to main road—where they will be run over. When I babysit for my nieces and nephew, I worry that they will somehow drown in the bath tub—whether or not they are taking bath. Or maybe they will get hit in the head, suffering debilitating brain damage. And then the police will think I did it, and I will be whisked off to jail where I'll have to spend the rest of life for something I didn't do. And my meals will be served to me through a slot in my cell's door. On the bright side, though, I'll probably finally lose weight. And I'll get in great shape in my six-by-six cell because the only thing to do in there to keep myself from going crazy is exercise. 


I worry, too, that sometime, on my way to work, I'll get stuck in a snow storm and have to pull off of the road. But it will snow so much that my car will be covered in a mountain of snow and no one will know that I'm there. A snow plow will ram into my car, pushing me over a cliff. And then I'll never know if my house gets remodeled or not. And no one will care. They will just let it go to ruin. And my dogs will have no place to go.


But if I do make it to work through a snow storm, I worry that I will get stuck at work along with my coworkers. And we'll be stuck for weeks. And pretty soon we'll start to get on each others nerves. There will be someone who thinks he or she is charge and will try to bully the rest of us. Then we'll all have join forces to take this person out. But then the next person who's in charge won't be any better. Some of us will keep journals of our experiences. And rescuers will find them because that will be all that is left of us because the only food we will have is what is in the vending machines and that will run out quickly. I think you get the picture. But maybe they will make a movie about our plight using our journals for inspiration. At least that way, we won't be forgotten.


Most of my fears have no basis. They do, however, come from a very active imagination. And it's the imaginary part of my life that keeps me writing. And keeps me thinking.


One of the reasons I wrote this post was to open this blog to other things besides writing about weight loss. If you have been reading, you know that I said a while ago that I intended to make some changes. I'm also considering a name change or maybe a new blog all together with links to this one. That does not mean I'm giving up hope on losing weight. It just means I need to expand my repertoire. 


So I'll let you know where it goes from here. Talk to you soon. K. 

Getting in the Spirit

I stole this idea from a friend. Enjoy!



Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say 
On a bright Hawaiian Christmas Day 
That's the island greeting that we send to you 
From the land where palm trees sway 
Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright 
The sun to shine by day and all the stars at night 
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way 
To say "Merry Christmas to You."

As Free As an Eagle

This morning, for the first time in my life, I saw an American Bald Eagle soaring through the air. Yeah, that's right. In my 52 years, I've never seen one before. And it was too cool. So does this mean I'm on the verge of seeing other things in my life that I've never seen before? Really cool things? Let's hope so. I think so. I feel it. This morning I was really angry that nothing ever goes my way. Then I saw the eagle. And it changed my attitude entirely.

If there is such a thing as reincarnation, I want to come back as an eagle. Imagine soaring through the air. Hanging out on cliffs. Checking out your world. I'd love it.

Anyway, this week has been busy. And I expect it will remain so. But it's all good.