31 October 2013

Happy Halloween

I love Halloween.  The costumes, the creepy music, the costumes, the movies - I love all of it.  My uncle introduced me to horror movies when I was a kid (it's been 30 years Uncle Chris, mom can't yell at you now).  We started with the Halloween series.  Granted, I watched most of it from behind my hands, but there is nothing quite like being deliciously scared to death, yet knowing you are completely safe at the same time.  Halloween will always be my favorite of the scary movies.  But there are plenty of others out there as well.  Here is a great montage I found on youtube.  Enjoy your Halloween and Be Safe!

 

Thank you all for joining me this month on my blog challenge for 31 for 21.  I didn't make it every day, but I got most of them in.  I hope you enjoyed following along.  Starting tomorrow I will be posting weight loss surgery items back on my other blog: http://nichole-myjourney.blogspot.com/.

Other items will continue to be posted here - for example, what I'm up to in Texas!  Happy Halloween all!


30 October 2013

An October Tradition

I post this video every Halloween.  It's one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite Halloween movies, The Worst Witch.  If you've never seen this movie, please do.  It's perfectly 80s and features a fun cast.  Happy Halloween All!

 


29 October 2013

It is a Truth Universally Acknowledged...

And so begins one of the greatest novels of all time (and my personal favorite).  First of all, thank you Mrs. Williams for requiring us to read Pride & Prejudice.  I have re-read it many times in the intervening years and it is still my favorite novel of all time.  My all time favorite adaptation is the 1995 BBC version with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth.  Swoon.  I choose to forget the Keira Knightley version exists.  No offense to Ms. Knightley, but I feel she was horribly miscast as Elizabeth.  Rosamund Pike as Jane was perfect casting, but they missed the mark with Lizzie.  Anyhow, my second favorite adaptation is the Emmy award winning Lizzie Bennet Diaries.  Have you discovered this yet?  You haven't?  Take a peek at episode 1.


And it only gets better!  Amazing cast, funny, smart, and it moves quickly.  You will not be disappointed.  I promise.  So, go watch all 100 episodes, right now.  Then come back.  Seriously, I'll wait.  


Are you back?  Did you love it?  I told you so!  Now since you loved LBD, I'm going to let you in on a secret.  The amazing people who brought you The Lizzie Bennet Diaries have started on Emma.  Welcome to Emma Approved:

 

And bonus?  They tell you where to find all of Emma's amazing clothes.  So if you're an Austen fan, then please, do yourself a favor and check out The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and Emma Approved.  LBD is finished - 100 episodes is all you get.  Emma just got started though and new episodes are released every Monday and Thursday at noon.

28 October 2013

Monday Day Book

I am thinking … that I can't believe I only have 2 more weeks left in Boston.

I am thankful for ... this new opportunity in Texas.  And the idea of a winter without snow.

I am reading The Widow Waltz by Sally Koslow
 
I am hoping …that I can get a good night's sleep tonight.  Katia decided that 3:45am was a great time to play with the moving boxes and try to peel the tape off.

On my mind ... trying to remember my keys when I leave work today.  It's not fun to get on the train and realize you don't have your pass...

I'm learning ... to pick my battles.  I have a short time left at my current position and there are things not worth causing a fuss over before I go.

Noticing that ... it's getting darker earlier. 

From the kitchen …lunch with two co-workers at Abe & Louie's.  I can vehemently recommend the Lobster Club Sandwich with the Sweet Potato Fries.  It will also be lunch for the next two days.  I will say, another perk of the surgery is that I have leftovers for days.

Around the house ... packing everything up to bring over to the storage unit this weekend so the movers can do their thing.  And once I am out, apparently downstairs becomes a play room.

One of my favorite things... Sofia the First.  Seriously, it's growing on me, along with Doc McStuffins.  I will now have both theme songs stuck in my head for the next few hours.


27 October 2013

Busy Busy Busy

Life has been crazy busy the last couple of weeks.  But we're coming up on the home stretch of the blog challenge and I am determined to post every day until Halloween.  Why so busy?  I traveled the previous two weekends.  These were trips that I had planned long before I had even considered moving back to Texas.  I'm glad I went, but the this weekend and the next two are going to be jam packed.  This weekend we had my niece's first birthday party which meant yesterday was a whirlwind of activity and I am savoring not having much to do today.  I hit the gym early and then ran to Target and CVS.  I did some cleaning around the house, paid bills, etc.  Now I am enjoying some relative quiet and down time.  Next weekend my sister and I are cleaning out my storage unit and doing some cleaning and organizing.  We also have a family party and I have Taco Night with my friends.

I've had several people ask, how has the weight loss been going?  It's going great.  I'm down another few pounds.  I am looking forward to my move to Texas and the ability to get in more than 2 workouts a week.  The only down side, and the only negative that I've had from the surgery is the hair loss.  Ugh.  I'm not going to complain too much about it as there are definitely worse things, but it's noticeable to me and I'm not feeling great about it at the moment.  Other than that, I feel really good.  Great, actually. I was hoping to not have to buy some clothes for awhile, but I've had to go out and get a couple of pairs of pants for work.  And, I had to buy one size down.  That felt pretty darn good.

Current Stats
Previous Weight: 225.2
Current Weight: 222.6

Lost: 2.6
Total pounds lost since 26 June 2013 (270):  47.4  


21 October 2013

How firm thy friendship ... OHIO!

At the gameI had the opportunity to go back to Ohio this weekend.  It was my first game since I was a Master's student back in 2000.  This was my first year as a lifetime member of the OSU Alumni Association and as such was able to participate on the Football ticket lottery.  Most who apply do get a ticket and it was my first year, so I had no expectations.  Just a few wishes.  1.  I wanted a conference game.  I didn't want my first game in over a decade to be OSU vs Ohio U and to walk away from a game where the score was 42-0.  2.  I didn't want the game to be too early in the season.  The sun and I are not very good friends and I didn't want it to be sweltering.  


Well, imagine my surprise when I got the notification that I had gotten tickets for OSU vs. Iowa.  A conference game!  And it as homecoming!  I was so excited.  It was a great game.  My friend from grad school - Jamie - came with me.  We were up pretty high, but it didn't matter.  We were part of the sea of scarlet and grey.  I've been to a Patriots game.  I've been a Pats fan my whole life and I went to my first game this year.  It was exciting and Gillette Stadium was very nice.  But there's just something about college football.  105,000+ screaming fans in the stands.  There was 1/10th of the population of my whole home state of Rhode Island in that stadium on Saturday.  


Despite the freezing cold - my hands were going numb, the game was incredible.  I had fun cheering on my beloved Buckeyes knowing that I was in the stadium with other students, alums, and fans who all wanted the same thing.  A good game and a good win. Tied up most of the time, OSU pulled away in the fourth quarter for the homecoming victory.  

O-H-I-O!

How firm thy friendship ... OHIO!

At the gameI had the opportunity to go back to Ohio this weekend.  It was my first game since I was a Master's student back in 2000.  This was my first year as a lifetime member of the OSU Alumni Association and as such was able to participate on the Football ticket lottery.  Most who apply do get a ticket and it was my first year, so I had no expectations.  Just a few wishes.  1.  I wanted a conference game.  I didn't want my first game in over a decade to be OSU vs Ohio U and to walk away from a game where the score was 42-0.  2.  I didn't want the game to be too early in the season.  The sun and I are not very good friends and I didn't want it to be sweltering.  

Well, imagine my surprise when I got the notification that I had gotten tickets for OSU vs. Iowa.  A conference game!  And it as homecoming!  I was so excited.  It was a great game.  My friend from grad school - Jamie - came with me.  We were up pretty high, but it didn't matter.  We were part of the sea of scarlet and grey.  I've been to a Patriots game.  I've been a Pats fan my whole life and I went to my first game this year.  It was exciting and Gillette Stadium was very nice.  But there's just something about college football.  105,000+ screaming fans in the stands.  There was 1/10th of the population of my whole home state of Rhode Island in that stadium on Saturday.  

Despite the freezing cold - my hands were going numb, the game was incredible.  I had fun cheering on my beloved Buckeyes knowing that I was in the stadium with other students, alums, and fans who all wanted the same thing.  A good game and a good win. Tied up most of the time, OSU pulled away in the fourth quarter for the homecoming victory.  

O-H-I-O!

18 October 2013

The Stars at Night

Are big and bright...do you know the rest?  Deep in the heart of Texas... I had decided once I moved back to Boston last year that in a few years, if the right position came up in Texas or North Carolina, I would move back to the South.  Well, that day has come sooner rather than later.  An excellent opportunity has presented itself so I am packing up and heading back to DFW.  More FW than D this time as the school I'll be working for is in Fort Worth.

This all happened very quickly and there are moments when I can scarcely believe that its happening.  Fortunately, the apartment complex that I used to live in (and loved) had a unit available, so housing is taken care of.  Where am I going to live is usually the biggest question.  This time, that was the easy part.  The difficult part (or one of them any way) was telling my current employer that I was leaving.  I really like my current job and the people I work with, so telling them was not incredibly enjoyable.  The other difficult part will be leaving my family and my super sweet niece, Rayla.  Fortunately at 11.5 months she's already a pro at Facetime.  Another bright spot - almost all of my possessions are still in storage where the movers left them when I moved last year.  So we're pretty much just reversing the process.  And all of this is happening in about 3 weeks.  3 weeks!  Crazy.  I told you this happened very quickly.  Fort Worth, here I come.

17 October 2013

Thursday Day Book

I am thinking … that I can't believe Spring registration is only a couple of weeks away.  Where is this semester going?

I am thankful for ... passing my exams.  I don't know what I would have done if I missed the research question this time.

I am reading Night Film by Marisha Pessl
 
I am hoping …that Ohio State wins on Saturday!  So excited for my first game in years.

On my mind ... making sure everything that needs to get done is getting done.

I'm learning ... that I have little patience for incompetence.  Okay, so I've known that for a while, but it's rearing it's ugly head this week. 

Noticing that ... the Survey students are outside with their gear and equipment.

From the kitchen …left my lunch bag at work yesterday, so nothing good.  Probably a salad from the cafeteria today.

Around the house ... I broke the plate on the outlet near my dresser yesterday.  It was a total chain reaction.  I was straightening my hair and my elbow hit a picture on the wall, which fell and hit the febreze plug in which knocked into the CO detector which broke the plate and cause the CO detector to fall out and start SCREECHING LOUDLY.  The CO detector is plugged in and silent now, but the outlet plate didn't make it.

One of my favorite things... my sweet niece, who will be 1 year old next week!!!

14 October 2013

Back to the PVD

Traveling can be hard post surgery.  I have a pretty good routine down when it comes to eating and making sure I take my supplements,  And I'll admit, I missed a couple of doses of calcium while I was away.  As I pulled up to my hotel in Durham, I noticed a Target next door.  After my work out Thursday morning, I ran to Target and grabbed some Greek yogurt and plastic spoons.  I had plans for lunches and dinners, but I wanted to make sure I started the day with some protein.  Bonus points for the Hilton Garden Inn having a refrigerator in the room!  Oh and also - this amazing shower:



I also managed to squeeze in a work out 3 out of the 4 days I was there.  I thought I was going to be able to skate a bit when I was at my cousin's house, but Ally would have none of it.  After being told that we'd take a brisk walk around the neighborhood, she made us do sprints.  Thanks Ally!  No sarcasm.  As much as I moaned about it, it was a decent work out and I felt better about the wine and cheese we consumed later.

All in all, it was a good trip.  I tried to make good choices and made sure I got in a good amount of protein.  All this to say, I lost another four pounds.  Maybe I should travel more often?

Current Stats
Previous Weight: 229.2
Current Weight: 225.2

Lost: 4
Total pounds lost since 26 June 2013 (270):  44.8

11 October 2013

Friday Day Book

I am thinking … that I have a lot to do and a little bit of time.

I am thankful for ... my career.  I am truly blessed.  If you had asked me 20 years ago where I would be today, I never would have imagined this.

I am reading Night Film by Marisha Pessl
 
I am hoping …that I get on the road to Charlotte at a decent time tonight.

On my mind ...my itinerary for today: lunch with my mentor, birthday present shopping, Starbucks, and dinner with friends

I'm learning ...to run again.  I stopped awhile ago because all the extra weight was killing my knees.  I managed 10 minutes on the treadmill today. 

Noticing that ... it's still chilly and drizzly outside.  The weather in Charlotte is supposed to be better!

From the kitchen …sushi last night with Amanda.  It was delicious.  Greek yogurt for breakfast this morning.  The options are limited and not creative when you're traveling.

Around the house ...ask the housekeepers - I've been in a hotel the last couple of days.

One of my favorite things...new adventures and new challenges.



10 October 2013

NSV Travel Edition

Back when I was on Weight Watchers we talked about NSVs a lot. An NSV is a Non Scale Victory.  Basically, something that was positive about your weight loss that was not merely a smaller number on the scale.  It could be something like fitting into your wedding dress again, or being able to bend over and tie your shoes.  Most of my "victories" since my surgery have been scale related.  I've hit certain milestones - 25 pounds, 30 pounds, 40 pounds, etc.  When I got on my flight last night though, I realized I had achieved an NSV.

Let me preface this by saying, I dislike flying.  I am a terrible flyer and that has nothing to do with my weight.  I could weigh 130 pounds and I would still hate flying.  With that said, before my surgery when I was at my heaviest, there were things that made it worse.  I felt scrunched in my seat.  And the seat belt was all the way extended.  I knew that it was only a matter of time before I would have to ask for a seat belt extender and I would be mortified.  When I got to my seat last night though, it was comfortable.  My legs didn't squash into the arm rest and I had a good 5 extra inches on the seat belt.  For the first time in years, I was comfortable in my airplane seat.  And it felt good.

09 October 2013

On the Road Again...

I'm off this afternoon...heading out of town.  By 9pm tonight I will be back in North Carolina, Raleigh/Durham to be exact.  It's been almost 2 years since my last mini-vacation to RDU.  Last time I was able to go to the State Fair - so much fun.  This year my timing is a little off and I'll miss the fair.  I don't have much on the agenda, mainly visiting with friends and taking some time to wander the Duke campus.   I also need to find a birthday present for a certain someone who lives in Charlotte.  

After a few days in Durham, it's off to Charlotte and a weekend with family.  Including my sister and Baby R who will be joining us in Charlotte over the weekend.  5 whole days away from work, with no email, no phone calls.  Just some down time to rest and recharge.  I need to be recharged because next weekend it's on to Columbus, Ohio and the OSU/Iowa game! 


08 October 2013

Trivia Tuesday

I'm stealing the idea for Trivia Tuesday from my friend Sean.  If you like trivia, you need to check out Sporcle.  I played a lot of games on Sporcle when I was prepping for Jeopardy last year.

And the best trivia, in my opinion, is Harry Potter trivia.  So, courtesy of Sporcle, here are two games.

1.  Harry Potter A-Z:
I scored 26/26 on this one

2.  Harry Potter Top 200:  How many of the top 200 characters can you name?
I scored 117/200.  I missed some easy ones too.  It's hard to sit there and name characters off the top of your head.

Good Luck!


06 October 2013

Fall TV

Another Fall is here and with it is a new television season.  I feel like singing "It's the most wonderful time of the year..."  That's not to say summer is not without some good tv - RIzzoli & Isles, Major Crimes, and Top Chef Masters were on my must-watch list.  For Fall, I have been eagerly awaiting the return of several shows, NCIS most of all.  Over the summer is was announced that Cote de Pablo would not be returning as Ziva.  Tears all around, I know.  I was anxious to see how the show would handle her exit.  For those of you who have not watched yet - all I'll say is I was pleased with how her leaving was handled.  I'll also own up to crying during that episode as well.

So what else is on  the list?  Some returning faves: Criminal Minds, Castle, Once Upon a Time, Grey's Anatomy, and Scandal (of course).  I've added some new shows to the queue.  I was nervous about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.  I don't know why, Joss Whedon is a genius and there was nothing about The Avengers that should have made me nervous.  I was pleasantly surprised with how much I really liked the show.  Clark Gregg totally sells it as Agent Coulson (and he's married to Jennifer Grey - Baby!  Who knew?).  

On the comedy front - The Goldbergs and Trophy Wife have made in onto my hulu+ queue.  The Goldbergs takes all the elements of the 80s and wraps it up into a show that reminds you of the best and the worst of your childhood years.  The cast nails it and I definitely laugh out loud a lot during each episode.  And then there's Trophy Wife - Marcia Gay Harden, Malin Akerman, and Bradley Whitford.  It's smart, quick, and witty.  Definitely a keeper.  And it goes without saying that I great bug puffy heart Bradley Whitford.

So what are you watching this season?

05 October 2013

Saturday Day Book

I am thinking … that I cannot believe my niece is almost 1 year old!

I am thankful for ... my family.  Hands down, I have the best.

I am reading Night Film by Marisha Pessl
 
I am hoping …that I passed my comprehensive exam section.  I don't know what I'll do if I missed.

On my mind ...thinking about potential travel destinations for next year.  Maybe Hawaii?

I'm learning ...to eat slower.  Seriously.  It's the hardest part of the post-surgery process.  I am constantly reminding myself to slow down.

Noticing that ... the leaves are starting to change.  I feel like it happened overnight.

From the kitchen …nothing terribly amazing, salad for dinner.  Tomorrow I'm making chicken and biscuits though.

Around the house ... I vacuumed today!

One of my favorite things...Ohio State football. As if there were any kind of question about that.


03 October 2013

The Big 4-0

I made it there - I've hit the 40 pound mark.  Forty pounds down after my surgery.  I can hardly believe it.  I know it's totally vanity, but my clothes haven't fit so well in such a long time.  I even have some things that I've been wearing that have been a wee bit too big.  Too big!  I have this pair of pants that I love, just plain black work pants, but they drape beautifully and they're starting to get to be too big.  I need to go shopping for a new pair.  There are some dresses I wore in July, August, and September (and today - hello 80 degrees in October), that I won't be able to wear again.  They'll go on to a new home and hopefully someone else will enjoy them as much as I did.  I just wish I got to wear them longer.  Not a bad place to be in, I know.

I've started to think about my weight loss in terms of "where was I when".  You know, where was I living when I last weighed XYZ.  And I am at the point now where I can say I weigh what I did when I first lived in North Carolina.  The weight I was at when I attended my cousin Kelly's wedding.  I moved to North Carolina almost 6 years ago.  I've now lost all the weight I gained in the last six years.  

Current Stats
Previous Weight: 233.6
Current Weight: 229.2

Lost: 4.4
Total pounds lost since 26 June 2013 (270):  40.8

02 October 2013

31 for 21

I can't believe I haven't posted over here in a year!  Not since last year's blog challenge.  For the past however many years (I can never remember, I think of it as +1), I have been participating in a blog challenge as part of National Down Syndrome Awareness Month.  Michelle over at Big Blueberry Eyes got me started and it's now become a tradition.

I'm starting off marginally better than I did last year, when I started on October 3rd.  I managed to make it October 2nd this year.  There will be posts about Down Syndrome, but also about my travels, random thoughts, recipes, pictures, my weight loss surgery progress and anything else I can think of.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.






 
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