15/365

14/365

This evening, my family and I were privileged to attend the performance of the Detroit symphony Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin with featured Cellist Sol Gabetta at The Arsht Center in Miami. Absolutely wonderful!!

13/365

12/365

Apple Spice Brown Sugar Maple Pancakes

Don't judge by the "burnt" rim. They are absolutely perfect when a little extra cooked on the outside. Makes for a soft center and crunch bite :) Syrup on the inside so there's no mess on the plate :)

11/365

Raccoon on the run at Hockey Thursdays!

10/365

I actually had the opportunity to go out today specifically to take some photographs. We have this Nature preserve boardwalk area by our house that I never really appreciated to its fullest. Today I tried.

Catcher in the Rye cont'd

It took me a while to read the next few chapters due to external complications but I am glad I found the time to actually read the chapters so far from reading the previous ones. One of the key moments happened in these chapters; insight into not only Holden but his peers as well illuminates and foreshadows future character revelations. Big words for something as simple as: you can learn a lot from a pimply nail cutter, primping secret slob player and a red hunting cap. The reader is introduced to three of Holden’s “friends” and their personal hygiene habits (or lack there of), a romantic interest and a security blanket. Holden is shown to obviously judge people on their outward appearance through his narration and yet not appreciate when he is judged for his. He wears his red hunting cap indoors rather than outside in the freezing cold so as to not stand out and yet stand out as a rebel. He has feeling for a girl but won’t tell her due to his insecurities that result from his fear of being alone or rebuffed. He obviously loathes his pimply intruder but does not inquire as to his purpose or force him to leave. He envies his sloppy primper for his popularity and date with love interest but does not appreciate his hygienic instruments as they are left dirty on the bathroom sink (worth noting as well that this same individual borrows Holden’s Hounds tooth jacket for the date).

9/365

My resolve was broken so easily!

8/365

I did not take a photo today. But I am sharing my new prized possession as a peace offering :)

7/365

WHO DAT!!!!!!!

6/365

Super Bowl Saturday on Fort Lauderdale Beach!

5/365

Florida Rainstorm

4/365

I AM NOT LATE!!! ok..... so I am...... but with good reason...

I SAW JOHN MAYER LAST NIGHT!!!! It's a shame I can only post one photo... SO here you go!

3/365

A friend of the family passed away today. I was shocked by how much I was effected by the news. I am one of those few who rarely show emotion when another human being passes; but show me a movie or tell me a story of an animal losing their life and I'm balled up in the corner sucking my thumb.

Not really relevant to this project but I figured a photo a day is a way to show through pictorials how I am feeling... i might as well use words too :)

Catcher in the Rye: Part I

So i've read chapters 1 and 2 so far. I had forgotten how Salinger's style completely sucks you into the story. One of the most important things to remember when reading or re-reading this novel in particular is this: HOLDEN CAULFIELD IS NOT A CHARACTER TO BE LIKED. It is also important to remember that there are TWO Holden Caulfield's in this novel: The one telling the story and the one he's telling the story about. Yes, it is physically the "same" person but the narration is coming from the Caulfield one year after the events in the novel have taken place. If there is anything I remember distinctly from my lit classes, it's that fact. Trust me, it'll stay in your head forever.

I decided as I was reading that I wasn't going to summarize the novel here but rather discuss different aspects of it and how, even though this novel is often referred to by the present generation as outdated and irrelevant, it is extremely relevant and applicable to the status-quo of the youth today.

Holden (the one in the story) has been kicked out of his prep school for flunking 90% of his classes; he doesn't want to talk about his family; he hates his school; feels bad for the history professor who flunked him because he is extremely sick; wears a red hunting cap; resents his older brother, D.B., for selling out to Hollywood.

With everything going on in the world today, there is a group of individuals that seem to reflect the very same views and emotions embodied by Holden Caulfield. The resentment towards their educational institutions for either failing them literally or for failing them in their purposes; the dissonance between youth and family; the empathy towards those ailing and frail; the rebellion towards conglomerate corporate america; the safety blanket.

All of these things are prevalent in TV shows, music or modern literature. Holden Caulfield is not a character to be admired or envied; Holden Caulfield is a character created to contain and represent the inner disappointments in us all.

2/365

My father has a Spider-Man figure hanging from the bottom of the TV in his office. We won him at a fair and that has been his home ever since. Spidey keeps me company on these long nights working on the computer. Here's to you SPIDEY!

Photo taken with Canon G9. B&W. Tweeked on Photoshop.com for the sketch effect. I found it appropriate :)

1/365

So here we go.

It rained A LOT today! Half of my town is flooded and from what I hear, the rest of the county isn't much better. But hey, WELCOME TO SOUTH FLA!!!

Addition to Project

In addition to my Belated 365 Project and in liu of our most recent tragic loss of J.D. Salinger, I am also going to re-read "The Catcher in the Rye". I will also post criticism and observations as I read.

RIP JD Salinger.

Count Down

So, only 3 more days until my belated 365 project can commence. I am actually really looking forward to the commitment it will require. Every day as I drive home or amble around different areas of my neighborhood my eyes refocus as if I were looking through the view finder of my camera. It has been a while since I’ve taken photos for pure recreational purposes; this should be interesting.

I wonder if I should have a theme for the project or a different theme each month/week/day…. I’ll have to see how it goes. I have a lot of spots around my neighborhood with “open fields” where, as I’m driving home, the sun turns the ground a brilliant array of orange and red and inevitable black.

One set back- if it even is a set back- is that I do not have Photoshop any more. Since I’ve moved to Mac, and my laptops crashed, I have not been able to successfully install Photoshop. I’ve become so reliant on being able to adjust the hues/contrast/brightness and overall feel of a photo that perhaps this will be a good thing for me. I’ll re-learn how to light my subject or position myself in such a way to capture rather than create a mood. Who knows, I may not be able to quit cold turkey after all and resort to using the ancient program known as Paint!! ::gasp::

So, only 3 more days until my much belated 365 project. :: sigh :: Buckle up!

Inspiration

I don't think i've written about this person before but, I will now:

Vincent Laforet.

Vincent is a Pulitzer Prize Winning Still Photographer and Film Maker. Be sure to read his Bio for more information.

Vincent is often recognized for his Tilt-Shift Photography skills. I posted a photo edited as Tilt-Shift a few blogs past. The idea is to take a photo and either with a special lens or after shot editing (photoshop), make it appear to be a miniature set or creation.

He was given a pro-totype of the Canon 1D Mark V and was basically told, "See what you can do." What he did was story board, direct, film and edit a short film in 3 days! The quality and substance is outstanding.

Being a loyal Nikonian, I watched the film with bias but was strongly moved and impressed by the artistry behind it.

I urge all of you (who ever you are) to read and watch his work.

February is the new January

My computer is finally up and running (sort of). I have all of my photographs on my external hard-drive and am read to go! Only set back- I am 21 days behind. I can not guarantee that a photo was taken every day. But, no worries, I will make February my new January. So...

Coming this February to a computer screen near you..... The Belated 365!

Just to start it off with a preview...

Video Interlude

Belated Project Endeavor

So about 3 months ago I made the decision to make January the beginning of a 365 project. If you do not know what a 365 project is, where have you been hiding??? It seems to be the "thing to do" now if you have a camera, website, flickr or any reason to take and upload photographs. 

As I mentioned in my previous post however, I have been having major technical difficulties. I am slowly overcoming the set back as I have now transfered all of my photographs to an external drive and now here, my very own G5 :) 

So I will now embark on my own 365 Photo project!!!! I can not promise that it will be interesting, inspiring or even mildly innovative. I can only promise that it will be mine!

Technical Difficulties

There is an inherent hatred of technology when one becomes so heavily dependent upon it. My 7 year old PC crashed again over winter break; not that I was expecting anything less. I’ve gone through 3 motherboards since its creation, two video cards and countless motherboard batteries. I finally had enough when I came home, pushed the ironic “on” button to hear only the not so gentle hummmmmm of the inner fans spinning while the motherboard stayed silently still refusing to show even the dreaded Blue Screen of Doom. I purchased a 1TB external hard drive, convinced a colleague to transfer whatever photo’s and music they could salvage to later assist me in chucking the aluminum tower of life sucking frustrating into the nearest body of frigid water (it is 40 degrees today in Sunny S. Florida. The flamingos are furious!) I am not without a backup for storage and cyber access, by any means, which is perhaps the only reason why I am not a puddle of salt and drool at the moment. We recently inherited a Mac G5, primed for use. My hopes are to transfer my 47GB of photos to said machine and continue my journey through technological torture. Hopefully, then, I will keep to my promise and continue to update this here space in a timely and regular manner.

Thank you for reading and please feel free to share your thoughts, concerns, comments, and silent nods of understanding.

Next up: Photos from my Family Vacation to Destin, Florida!

Does Orientation Really Matter?

I went to St.Augustine for the first time ever with my family this past weekend. For a bit of back story: I used to live up north and am quite familiar with the culture and architecture therein. I have been living in Sunny South Florida for some 15 years now and have been to the Keys and many coastal areas. I had never been to St.Augustine, until now. Very interesting. It is a combination, in my personal opinion, of both ends of the Eastern Coastal Spectrum.

We were able to stay in the heart of St.Augustine; inside the major shopping areas and along the Castillo Fort on the bay. The small alleys which were soley dedicated to pedistrians brought me back to what life must have been like in the late 1700's to the turn of the Century. Apartments built upon varied shops and markets; the oldest Wooden School House in Florida; small inlets with bakeries and coffee shops crowded the cobble-stone walkways. The architecture is very much reminiscent of northern towns; pennsilvania almost. Which is odd considering that St.Augustine was mainly inhabited by the Spaniards. Bringing the feel back south was the oddly familiar feel of Key West; Ghost Tours and Trolley Tours were advertised at every corner.

In all, it was a very interesting little town; one I will most definitely return to. Especially when it is Pizza Time!

Hersha Lucas Shower

Click here to view these pictures larger

I WON I WON I WON!!!

I entered a contest on Music Induced Euphoria for That SummerTime Sound novel give-away and I WON!! WOOTAGE!!!

Check out the site! Great for Music Lovers!

I've been bad...

I know... I've been a very bad blogger....

In all due fairness, however, I am working three jobs now in lue of my up coming trip to Germany!!! One of my new employments is working at JCPenny Portrait Studio's. It has been absolutely amazing! My manager confessed to me that my training was one of the most difficult ways to learn that she has ever seen. I had to learn the fast and hard way because, that's just how it went! I had shoots with maternity, twins, families of 12, 4 boys under the age of 6, fiesty 2 year olds, relentless toddlers, frustrated teens, odd couples and courageous survivors.

As a result of learning how to take posed portraits rather than casual candids, pardon the alliteration, my brain has been non-stop. I find myself looking at random individuals and thinking: "They would be great to photograph" or, "the way the light is hitting that baby... GORGEOUS!" or my favorite... "That would look great in a 10X10!!"

::Sigh:: I find myself doodling a lot more now and surfing the web for ideas and inspirtation. I hope I get to put them to use in the near future!

It has been a while that I have looked forward to spending 10 hours a day on my knees making kids and grown ups alike laugh :) What a tough job!!

Birdies

I am not a crafty person but I wanted to add some flare to my room :)

Had a PicNic... Had a Blast!

This weekend was one of the most action packed ones I have partaken in for quite a while! Saturday we had a picnic to say Farewell to some dear friends of ours.

Which was thrown quite wonderfully by the two lovely ladies above!

It was just a gorgeous day to be outside. It's days like that where I am actually glad to live in South Florida!

Back from Orlando Weekend

It was a good weekend :)

Side Note

I know....

Some friends of mine and I are submitting items to an art show sponsored by Bear & Bird in Lauderhill. The theme of the show is MEMEME Self Portrait. This is my entry :)



I was going to go more Serious and "Artsy" but I figured I would have fun with this one. So I did!

Come Check it out! (And try to find me on the poster below... hint.... alphabetical)

I'm SORRY!

I've been a bad blogger.... I haven't posted in almost 1 week.... I"M SORRY!!! It's been a busy and eventful week though. Today is my last day where I work. Yeah... I found out on Monday that the grant that I was on reached its max so I can't come back until June!! THANK YOU!!!

So, i've applied at other places including Broward Gen. as their Baby Photographer! I hope I get it!

In Diet News..... Wednesdays weigh in confirmed another 4lbs lost! Not as much as last week but still significant! I can definitely see it and feel it now. I still feel energized and am not bored of the cookies yet. I've learned more recipes and have impressed the culinary master himself- my father! One of my new additions to this posting will be putting up the recipes as I go perfecting them.

I'm still going strong and have added a work out routine to my schedule. My sister (Mangonett) and my mother are my work out buddies which is awesome!!!!

I will post more later. For now... I have to make the last hour and 15 min of my last day count. Bored.com!!!

2nd Weekend

I'm continuing in a good way! I stalled for about 2 days after Wednesday and then dropped another 2 this morning. I went out lastnight with some friends and was surrounded by seemingly delicious pizza but I stuck with my plan and satisfied my appetite with a delicious Lamb Kebob!Mmmmm :)

GOING GOOD! GOING STRONG!!

We've Reached The End of Week 1 and Start of 2

Wow!! One week today.....

It has been a very interesting week. I'm more suprised in myself than the results to be quite honest. It is not an issue of will power because that I do have; nor is it an issue of dedication because that I have as well when I understand the ends. It is more of how I have been able to listen to my body with a purpose and with understanding. I am learning so much about how my body reacts to stimulants and triggers. My mother quickly changed the channel when it landed on the Food Network lastnight. When asked why she responded, "because I don't want you to be tempted or to get hungry". However kind of her that was, I realized that watching such things on Television is not my trigger. I am actually intrigued now more than ever with cooking shows to see how I can adapt recipes to my needs. For example, 3 nights ago I saw Mario Batali make Crab Cakes that looked absolutely amazing. So lastnight, that's what I made with my specific needs and requirements. They came out pretty darn good.

I am surrounded every day by foods and "temptations". By listening to my body, I am learning how to have control over it. My brother in law was craving Hong Kong Tokyo as I had mentioned previously and he was hesitant on eating it infront of me because he didn't want me to feel bad or to get angry that I "couldn't" have it. I assured him that it was fine because it wasn't that I "couldn't" have it- I could have had the entire carton of it with the egg rolls and crab rangoons. It is that I know I "shouldn't" and my resolve in that I "Wouldn't" have it. That is control. Knowing the end result of both choices made the decision very clear and easy to make: (1) Eat the Fried Rice= Regret it, Ruin the Previous days, prolong the wanted future (2) Don't eat fried rice= no regret, no stomach ache, stay on path, get to desired results faster. There is always a hidden third choice however, (3) don't eat fried rice= make fun of brother in law while he is groaning on sofa in pain from eating too much :) hmmm......

This marks then end of week 1 and start of week two. I have eaten roughly 42 cookies; 560oz of water; 80oz of lean healthy proteins; 10lbs of spinach and vegetables. With what results? I weighed myself this morning as promised and was suprised by what it read: I have lost 7lbs in 6.5days. That is a little over 1lb per day. If this continues, I am looking at a total of just over 28lbs by the end of my 4th week. Wow! I've been in communications with my phyiscian and they have assured me that all is well. As long as I am getting the nutritional values I need, then there will be no harmful side effects. Wow!

On previous diets, I would be quick to celebrate and reward myself with a "cheat" day or "free" day but not this time. This is just all the more motivation to kick it up a notch. Starting this second week, I am increasing my exercising routine and inculcating some free weights to start toning and making sure there's no ugliness when it really starts to show.

So HERE WE GO!!!!!

Day 6

Well, tomorrow will mark 1 full week of the new program. I will weigh myself when I wake up and just before bed to see how I've done. I feel I have done well. I have had my moments of AH but nothing too bad. I've read some of the blogs and forums and many of those who were successful say that the 2nd week was their hardest simply because it gets "old fast". Then again, many of them started the program weighing over 300lbs so let's see! Tonight I made myself crab cakes with low-fat mozzarella cheese. It came out pretty good! I'm definitely sticking to the blueberry and oatmeal raisin cookies. I don't think I can handle the chocolate chip ones again. Blah!

So one week down, 4 to go!! Not bad!

:)

Day 5

Guess who I met yesterday....

Yup.... And I know why...

Lastnight my mom and I decided to treat ourselves to dinner out on the town rather than cooking. We went healthy and had Sushi/Thai at the local restaurant. I was good and had a small serving a crab/spinach soup, a roll with no rice just crab eal and avocado and we shared edamame. The portions were about the same that I would make myself so it wasn't so far from what I've been having. Well, the human body is too smart for its own good because it realized that I was not having what I "should" in the sense that it wasn't home-made. The human body has a memory and usually after sushi/thai we would all split a desert. When we didn't order one, the minute I got back home, the Hunger Monster made an appearance. I was craving Jello or Dark Chocolate ALL NIGHT. But I was good! I RESISTED!! I had my last 16oz of water and went to sleep at a reasonable hour! This morning, it seems as though the hunger monster has retreated to its cave!

BWAHAHAHA!

Days 3 and 4: First Weekend

It is 4:45pm, Sunday afternoon on day 4. This weekend went by a lot less tempting than I thought. My family has been a wonderful contribution to that factor. My parents have stuck to their promise of eating whatever I make for dinner. I stayed at my sisters house this weekend and, although I was confronted with delicious Hong Kong Toyko take out, I wasn't tempted as badly as I thought. What I was really craving were the grapes in their fridge. It' is interesting how I have learned what was my weakness when it came to food before hand. I am a fruit fanatic and however healthy they are, I had way too many too often- SUGAR. I had a major craving for a dark chocolate bar as well. But I have been good. Tonite I am making myself Veggie burgers with organic cheese. Should be interesting!
I haven't weighed myself yet but I feel a difference in my jeans and my upper-under garment..... interesting....

Day 2: Blue Berries :)

1.oatmeal raisin
2.blue berry
10. chocolate chip.

Yup, that's my ranking. The blue berry ones are very good. They sort of taste like a fat free, sugar free blue berry muffin. Which is basically what they are lol. I warmed mine up this morning in the microwave and had it with some green mint tea again. yummy. For dinner I am thinking of making either Turkey or Chicken Tacos with fresh veggies and a whole wheat wrap which apparently I can have 1 serving of. yay! I was doing more research and there isn't really a strict list of what is and is not permitted on this diet. It's really common sense. They do provide you with items that are recommended in certain/maximum portions and it does say no "beef or pork" but in regards to other things such as carbohydrates and nuts and such, it's portion control. It's a calorie controlling diet. I added the numbers and I'm basically on a 1500 calorie a day diet which is what I am supposed to be on anyway in order to lose weight. You can increase the calories porportional to your needs simply by increasing what you eat at your main meal. Not bad. One blogger stated that he couldn't stay on the program because he got bored of 6 cookies a day but that he has used the cookies as snacks rather than eating other things because they do control your hunger, appetite and give you plenty of energy and nutrients.

Interesting....

End of Day 2

Have I mentioned how much better the oatmeal raisin cookies are?! Well, they are!

Again, I was only able to have 5 out of 6... they really keep you full. For dinner I made some crusted baked chicken with a spinach tomatoe goat cheese salad and a side of roasted veggies. Very delicious and very filling as well. I've rounded off the day with about 70 oz of water in my sister which isn't have bad and I'm still drinking. Didn't get a chance to go for my bike ride :( due to complications but I did work out in the house following some online workout tips including that thing where you put your back flat against the wall and scooch down as low as possible and hold it for as long as possible... yeah that hurt! I did some crunches, jumping jacks, push-ups, arm presses and I think my family thinks i've officially gone bonkers :)

Ah well, tomorrow is friday, day 3 and looking promising with Blue Berry Cookies.... Here's hoping!

Day 2 looks promising

I have to say that the oatmeal raisin cookies are WAY better than the chocolate chip! WHAT!? Yes, odd right!? I guess since oatmeal raisin cookies always taste like healthy cookies, they are easily made super healthy. They are delicious and I discovered that popping them in microwave for 10 seconds makes them really good! I had my cookie this morning with a cup of Green Mint Tea. Mmmmm :) Just had my 2nd cookie with a glass of water. That makes about 20 oz of water so far. I'm a little behind from yesterday but I took my grandparentals to the eye doctor this morning so I was a bit distracted. All is good though.

I am going to take advantage of my free afternoon and go for a bike ride around the neighborhood now. Going to shoot for at least a half hour to an hour or about 5 miles, whichever comes first :)

Not bad so far!

GO OATMEAL RAISIN! WHO KNEW!!!

End of Day 1

I just finished having Dinner and can not eat one more thing but I am really thirsty all the time... In a good way. With the package I was given a refridgerator magnet that basically lists everything permitted/recommended/forbidden. Vegetables are a large part of the "meal time" ingredient list. So, I used all I could plus 10oz of protein. My parents have decided all on their own to join me in the Dinner part of the plan, which makes me happy for them!

Dinner consisted of Turkey Cutlets, Mashed Butternut squash, sauteed baby portabella mushrooms, red/green/yellow bell pepper, spinache, red onion, eggplant, zucchini, french green beans and finished it off by steaming some asparagus. I used NO OIL or BUTTER by simply using a non-stick deep pan, cooking the vegetables first and then using the juices released from them to cook the cutlets. The butternut squash was done by using the microwave. If I do say so myself, it came out pretty darn well. I have always been a vegetable person so this wasn't that far of a stretch. I had some extra cutlets so, looking at the list, I rolled them with Goat Cheese and julienned spinach. THAT was good :) It's all about getting creative people!

In total, I was only able to finish 5 of the 6 cookies today. The plan permits the last cookie to be eaten after dinner but honestly, I can't eat one more thing. I've had over 80oz of water. YUP that's 8 times as much as I usually drink!

I feel pretty good. My stomach is a bit... active but not in a bad way. When you combine the cookie with the water, you can really feel it swell in your stomach which makes you extremely full. I've never had a problem with being "hungry" all the time, it was just quantity that was my problem (and quality). So far, it's handling both those areas.

Not bad for day 1. Here's looking to day 2!

A Whole New Chapter

So I realized that I don't really use this blog as much as I could. This is why I am going to use with an additional purpose. When I started it out, it was going to serve as a photography blog. I have kept to that for the most part but I am going to expand the horizon. Of what do I speak? ... Read on....

For the last 10 years I have been overweight. I was always "the chubby" one but I was athletic and active. When I moved here to Florida and hit my pubecent curse of my teens, I literally stopped moving. I kept ignoring the signs that my body was trying to send me in regards to my health. I would get fatigue quite easily; I wasn't as energetic; certain foods that at one point "grossed me out" were all the more apealing- greesy foods; my clothing size kept rising like the mercury in a thermometer. I would simply push these things aside and say to myself "Don't worry, it's just a phase. You'll drop the wait like that ::snap fingers::" Well, 10 years later here I stand at 5'6", 23 years old, 200+lbs, and tired of it.

I got a wake up call when I was looking through my sisters wedding pictures and video. I realized just how much I had let myself go. I started thinking of all the times I said "no" to a bike ride; "no" to going to the beach because I don't want to wear a bathing suit; "no" to a party because I don't have anything to wear. My family is not necessarily "fit" oriented. My sister has always been the petite one and the health guru and workout queen. My father always played sports with us when we were younger but about 13 years ago he had shoulder surgery after playing basketball and was off the routine for a while. He occassionally played sports and worked out since then but it was never the same. My mother, is of course a saint, but has had the same issue as me. We tell eachother "we'll lose weight together by doing this and this and that and this", meanwhile 2 weeks later we haven't done anything because we're going on vacation or, we have a family event or, we can't start just yet cause it's a thursday. Same excuses. I would always laugh when, as a family, we would decide to get fit because I knew it wouldn't happen. We would try bike riding around the neighborhood but then one day "The bike has no air". A month later the bike is resting against the air pump ladeled with cob-webs and dust. We would try to eat healthy but somehow, oatmeal cookies and oreo's and reeses and blue bell ice cream would walk right back through the front door and into our plates. I put no blame on my family what-so-ever; we are who we are. I began by stating that my wake up call occured when I was looking through my sisters wedding album. That was almost 9 months ago.

My sister recently shared a comment her husband made referring to me in which he said, "She will never lose the weight living in that house." It was this comment that finally shook me out of the coma that I had been in for so very long. However true the comment was, I became resolved to prove it false. My brother in law said it with no ill will nor with any knowledge of how true it was but not for the reason he intended. I would never lose weight living in my house, with my family, because I always used them as an excuse and a crutch. I would just resign myself to believing that "It's because they won't do it with me that I can't lose the weight." Like morning coffee brewing in the next room, that very thought smells of garbage in my nostrels. I am beginning the month of March putting excuses like that where they belong: in the garbage.

I did my research and realized that I needed a kick start to my new endeavor. After much review I came upon "Smart For Life" and saw what I wanted: RESULTS. I have peers that have been successful with the program. It's not "weight loss speed" that I desire but rather a healthy way to give my body a shock and help me change my view of food itself. In case I haven't mentioned it, I LOVE FOOD! I love cooking and experimenting with new flavors and combinations. I didn't want anything to change in that field with the exception of quality and quantity. With Smart For Life, two meals are replaced with nutrient filled cookies or if you prefer shakes and soups. Dinner is high protein and vegetable meal. There aren't many unreasonable restrictions and some that after research, make sense! I purchased the 5 week kit and began this very morning.

I began with 1 chocolate chip cookie and an eight ounce glass of water with lemon slices. The program requires a minimum of 64oz of water a day. I purchased a water bottle that holds 36oz; I am already on my second refill. The cookies, I will not lie, are an acquired taste. They are definitely moist and spongy. The taste is somewhat bitter but not unedible. I had my cookie at 9:30 and have not been hungry since. I am required to eat 6 per day. I think I might find that difficult simply because, I am not hungry. But I will do it!

Exercise is very important as well for obvious reasons. Since I work about 30 hours a week, I have planned out ways to exercise at work. This morning rather that taking the elevator, I took the stairs to the third floor. This made it all the more apparent how much I need to get my health back- I was out of breath for about 5 minutes from just 3 flights of stairs. My goal will be to be able to climb all 5 flights on a daily basis with little to know fatigue what-so-ever. Seems minor but like they say "Crawl before you Walk".

I am going to keep this blog as a Weight Loss Journey Diary of sorts in order to not only record my efforts and success but also to share my experience in the hopes that whomever may read this and shares my pains may find that they are not alone! Far from it! I think that we all have issues with our personal health and opinions on our physical appearance. It would be too easy to blame the media and what society projects as "beautiful" and "acceptable" but I believe that we define ourselves. Pointing the finger is a lazy mans way of not holding the reigns of responsibility.
I refuse to be the one pointing a finger.

So.... this marks day 1.

Darn you Mangonett

not that anyone else reads this but yes, I have been tagged:

6 things that make me smile:

1. my zygomatic muscles
2. my family
3. the idiosyncrasies of my peers
4. when something turns out better than expected
5. great music/art/food/people
6. pictures

Rant Time with Tammy - GRAMMYS

Sunday February 8th, 2009 was the 51st Grammy Awards. I had a group over my home to watch and critique the event and boy did we have plenty of material to go off of.

Highlights of the show were indeed the collaborations between Coldplay and- and I am ashamed to admit my pleasure of this performance- Kanye West, T.I with Mr. Justin Timberlake, Lil' Wayne and Robin Thicke, Justin Timberlake and Al Green, as well as the performances with Adele, Sugarland and the incredible Jennifer Hudson. These performances highlighted the arguable fact that perhaps there is still a glimmer of talent in this sad sad generation in which I find myself. I questioned what occurred to the producers and individuals in charge with arranging the performances as I watched the "collaboration” between MIA, TI, Kanye West and Jay-Z; Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift. That was surpassed by the aneurysm I suffered when the curtain revealed a performance between the generational star Stevie Wonder and the un-explained phenomena that is The Jonas Brothers. I will digress at this juncture; if you have any positive emotional attachment towards these three individuals I warn you that reading from this point on will not be to your favor.
The Jonas Brothers are much like that rare oddity such as Sponge-Bob Square Pants, Rock of Love, Momma’s Boys and Paris Hilton- the question WHY is never answered. Why have the Jonas Brothers become such a Pop Phenomena? Why do people keep linking the word “talent” with their names? Why are they not flogged when comparing themselves to Elvis Costello? And why, for the greatness of all that is holy not stopped when stepping on stage with Stevie Wonder?? WHY!? Someone please answer this three letter word for me!
Alright, if you skipped over this digression you are welcome to re-join at this point. After the blood began to flow to its delegated locations once again, I continued in amazement as the presenters took the stage and the winners their awards. In an homage to the late Anna Nicole, Whitney Houston made a come back into the world of 3 digit poundage as she presented the award for best R&B Album to Ms. Jennifer Hudson. With her heart felt acceptance speech, Hudson thanked her family living and gone for their support as well as the public for theirs.
Kate Perry, an advertisement for Jamba Juice and Smoothy King, took the stage with an all out performance of “I kissed a girl”. Proving all the more that studios are now focusing on over producing vocals, Perry tried her very best no doubt to sound a notch above late night karaoke at Uncle Bob’s Pub.
U2, constantly trying to distinguish themselves from Coldplay, brought out the rainbows in their performance- an attempt to hypnotize the public into donating all of our 401K and investments towards famine and overseas causes?
The star of the evening was no doubt Lil’ Wayne, taking home 6 out of 8 awards for Best Rap Album, Best Solo Rap Performance, Best Rap Performance & Rap Performance for Duo or Group.
Coldplay had their share in awards for Best Rock Album of the Year, Song of the year and best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals.
The surprise of the night was unquestionably the award given to Alison Krauss and Robert Plant for Best Album of the Year along with 4 other award. They were accompanied in this category by Coldplay, Neyo and TI. The quiver of disagreement and disbelief rippled through the audience as Robert Plant tried to stay hip and modern stating that in the past this would be called “selling out”. That statement flew over the low hung heads of all as they tried to grasp the reality that Robert Plant and Alison Krauss had beat out Coldplay, TI and Neyo.

The evening salvaged itself with the onstage magic that was B.B. King, John Mayer, Keith Urban and Buddy Guy as they made tribute to the late Bo Diddley. Without this life-saver of a performance, the evening would have been all to easily dismissed as material for Talk Soup and Best Week ever rather than a tribute to music and entertainment. In all, this year rose above last years elementary school recital award show but lacked in what is most important- TALENT.
Here’s hoping that 2010 brings with it something more.

WHAT!?

WHATT!?!?!?!?!?!?!!

Tushy Cushion

Alright, So I normally don't post stuff about decor and all that jazz but after today's driving extravaganza to find every clearance and outlet center known to man- south florida- I feel I must vent and divulge our findings.

My mother has taken it upon herself, yet again, to redo our dining room after donating our pre-existing furniture to a needy cause- the newlyweds. Not a pity donation, rather, the passing of an heir-loom. With that came the need to replenish our newly barren and dismal dining area. We had been most graciously given a temporary table, an EthanAllen one a that, but it came to it's end as we could no longer do with the "un-matchiness" I believe the word is. And now with the pending fate of the the buffet disappearing, we had to get the march and find our new decor! This time, we were hitting it with a budget and a mission! Here's what we got:


The thing with shopping at clearence and outlet centers is the simple fact that everything is on clearance. "what?!" you may ask... well, yes. At $40 a pop, there are thousands upon thousands of items- chairs alone filled one room. But the issue comes in when you need 4 or 6 or 8 of the exact same style chair! There are odd numbers or pieces that are damaged or pieces that look the same but AHA are not! If you don't mind a completely different style for each chair, then there's your meca. We were striving for the min of 4 identical chairs and then 2 end chairs with something to match. After visiting 3 stores, we came upon the one above. Now, I couldn't find the exact one online but there's an idea. The legs at the moment are maple and the fabric is a light green, almost asparagus. We are going to paint the legs to match the table which is an espresso brown/black. The fabric also has button-holes which add a nice detail and they match the rest of the house. We would love wing back or captain chairs for the ends. But that will come with time.
The table we found first at the outlet near my sister. Amazing find! A few "worn-in" marks but nothing too striking. The buffet/dresser/console we found at the Rooms-to-go in Pompano first and then after trecking south to Miami, went back up and purchased. It's very stunning in person and gives plenty of room for the china we currently have.
All in all.... good day. But OYE-VAY! All that for a tushy cushion!