week 15 on WW

Well, I'm still "working it".

I am now seeing results from my efforts. Slow and steady.

Fifteen weeks without a donut.

Fifteen weeks without a f*&^%ing donut!

Fifteen weeks of working out down in cell block #9.

I hopped on the scale and I now weigh 110lbs.

My wet suit slides right on.

I feel pretty good.

So I decided to go to that la de da consignment store store in Newburyport and buy that french suit that I had been lusting after since today is the day the price would be reduced.

Instead of "rewarding" myself with a food treat that so many dieters do I figured I could reward myself buying that suit that I never thought in a million years that I would be able to fit into.

To my dismay, the suit was GONE!

Oh Shit!

The store's owner said somebody early in the morning bought it.

You snooze, you lose.

Oh well.

Since I reached my WW's goal and then some, my next goal is to improve my personality.

I can be a bit of an a$$hole at times.

Most of the time I don't even realize I'm being one.

I am trying to catch myself from being overly judgemental, controlling my temper and just keeping my snotty mouth tame.

It's wicked hard, believe me.

I'm at least trying to recognize my faults and working on being a better person.

Stop

Breathe

Pray

dive # 806, 807 & 809 August 27th 2010

Today was predicted to be a scorcher.

It wasn't bad in the morning but after the day's dive adventure as you pulled up into the harbor it got bloody hot. It's been a wicked hot summer this year.

Dive #806 August 27 2010

Fred, Chris and Pete were running the show. Pat was away on her annual "girl's weekend" so I missed her bubbly presence and funny stories.

We had a nice group of customers: Myanna, Linda, Bill L, Diane K and a new girl from the Northshore froggies. The water temp was a new England balmy 62F.

I was amazed at how many people are still wearing dry suits. I was perfectly comfortable, temperature-wise, in my wet suit. I only wear my dry suit when it is really cold out.

The first site we went to was the south side of Kettle island to stay out of the surge. The water was a bit surgy and choppy due to an inpending hurricane brewing in the south. The viz was 10 feet at max. I followed the new girl around for a bit until I lost her when I surfaced to get my bearings. There were plenty of lobsters around but they were all little guys.

I was only planning to do one dive since the viz was so crappy.

However...

Dive #807

I was just ready to get all my gear off when Pete signaled to me to "go down and retreive a weight pouch that dropped". I grabbed another tank since my "little bomb" was empty and down I went. I didn't even bother to put my gloves on since it was so warm. I swam around for a good 10 minutes but I couldn't find the weight. The boat kept moving so I was quickly becoming disoriented to where the weight would've landed. When I surfaced, Pete lowered the down line and KERPLUNK ! It landed right on top of the wayward weight pouch.

Hooray! Mission accomplished.

Yup, I'm logging this dive as a "retrieve and recovery" dive.

Dive #808

Oh what the heck, I have a tank all set up so why not go for another dive?

We went to "diver's leap". The viz was much better. I like this site because it is shallow and the best stuff to see is up by the wall. God knows why some people tend to venture away from this area to go deeper. I had fun looking around under rocks and crevices. I almost bonked heads with Bill L. I think he was doing the same thing as I was doing totally engrossed in exploration.

I was lucky enough to see a transient warm water fish that sometimes you see in Rhode Island this time of year.

I saw a juvenile spotfin butterfly fish!

However, this poor little guy probably will not survive living here when the water temp drops.

Another part of going out on the boat that is fun to do is to "bird watch".

Chris and I were trying to identify this one little water fowl. I think it may be a "common golden eye" but I am still not sure.

Maybe next time I should bring my bird ID book to verify.

*photo of force fins were found on an internet search

frogs!

We finally got the badly needed rain.

And boy, did it rain.

It was like "Florida" rain pelting down in buckets.

And of course, I still had dogs to take out for their walks.

The following day the rain stopped but not without causalities.

The street was littered with close to a hundred dead little frogs. They come out in the rain mostly at dusk and then get run over by cars.

It's really quite sad.

I always liked frogs (and toads). There is something about them that cracks me up. Maybe it's their bulging eyes or their broad grins. Or maybe it is the funny sounds they make.

My cousin and I have many childhood memories involving frog hunts. We would catch them and release them after we played with them for awhile. I find it amusing when I hear of people (girls AND guys) afraid to touch them.

My sister just recently recieved a message on her facebook page. It was an old grade school chum of mine that mistakenly thought my sister was me. He wrote, "Hey! Remember me? Do you still like frogs and Charlie Brown?"

It is really funny what people remember and identify you with.

Frogs.

How funny is that?

Last winter I saw this old movie on TV called "Frogs".

It was so bad that it was good.

It was made in 1972 starring Sam Elliot. It was suppose to be a horror flick but it was more like a comedy. It is something that "Mystery Science theater 3000" would host.

Seriously, it was really funny about a frog invasion taking revenge on land developers and environmental violators.

My favorite childhood book is "Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Graham. One of the main characters (and my favorite) is Mr Toad. He is a naughty toad that gets into all sort of predicaments due to his insatiable quest for adventure.

Yes, happiness is a smiling happy toad (and frog)

comic strip in the making

As by request and suggestion from my dear husband he has encouraged me to include in my blog postings a comic strip that I have been working on.
Nearly 20 years ago (oh my God has it been that long ago?!?) I produced, illustrated and self published a graphic novel called "Fishkar". It was a bit of a dark eco-terror novel geared for a PG-13 audience.
I am putting together a cast of critter characters which will be very different from everything else I've done in the past.
It will be humorous and definitely, a bit twisted.
Stay tuned.
I hope you will enjoy it.

egg-xact

Lately in the news, there has been a massive recall of eggs involving a wide variety of brand names due to a salmonella outbreak. My first reaction was to shug my shoulders since I only buy my eggs at local backyard farms. I see the chickens walking around in the backyards happy and free to enjoy the sunshine. However, a bigger picture is at stake here involved with grocery store brand eggs.

As I am listening to the news about the recall involving Jack DeCoster and his massive Wright County egg farms in Galt, Iowa something clicks in the back of my mind.

This same clown was under investigation for some serious animal cruelty charges regarding the horrendous treatment of thousands and thousands of chickens.

I felt sick to my stomach.

I won't go into the details of what he and henchmen do to chickens in his factory farms from farms ranging fromMaine, Iowa and to many other places.

It is just sick.

Sure, you can buy eggs cheap for a 99 cents a carton on sale at Walgreens and local supermarkets.

But do you really want to support a$$holes like this that routinely abuse animals and sell you diseased eggs?

Isn't it better to support local neighborhood farmers?

The eggs are fresher. The chickens are happier. There are no hormones and toxic crap pumped into the chickens (getting into the eggs)

Animal cruelty is the worst in my book.

Chickens are such life givers.

Why can't we treat them with a little respect and dignity?

OK I'll get off my soapbox, but please support your local farmers !

chamber meeting

As a small business owner one of the things you need to do is to make yourself known in the local community.

One of the ways to do so is to be a member of your town's Chamber of Commerce.

I joined our town's chamber of commerce just when I started my business. I go to most of the functions as well. It's another good way to check out restaurants that I didn't know existed since our meetings are generally set in various member's restaurants.

I have to admit it does'nt come naturally to me to walk up to strangers introducing myself to promote my business. Matter of fact I feel down right awkward doing it. It's a real effort for someone like me who is not a social butterfly. I just try to pretend that I am "Mitt Romney" while shaking people's hands. Regardless, this is all a part of being a business owner by reaching out to the community so they know you are there.

Yesterday was "Chamber of Commerce' day in Massachusetts. All the chambers had some sort of function going on. We had a evening dinner cruise along the Merrimack river.

So I attended it.

It was actually quite nice. The caterer of the event who happens to be also my hair stylist made up a special vegetarian plate for me to make sure I had a nice meal.

She is a real sweet heart.

I spent most of evening chatting with her. We talked about our history in regards to Salisbury beach. We actually had a lot in common.

The evening was topped off with a spendid fireworks display. People were dancing with lively tunes from the 80's. I preferred to view the Newburyport and Plum Island scenery.

Like I said before that is a benefit of joining the chamber and going to events. This is something I would not normally would've done but I had a really enjoyable evening.

anger management

There seems to be so much anger all around. You hear about it or, witness it first hand; from road rage, domestic violence, substance abuse, temper tantrums, misunderstandings, selfishness, etc...

Is it the sign of the times? People seemed so stressed, over worked, disrespectful, and self absorbed.

I find myself pulled into this nasty abyss as well. The purpose of this blog is not to bitch and moan about my grievances. I try to keep things upbeat, funny and insightful. I am on the ever ending journey of self improvement.

So, I try to remove myself from the never ending drama that sometimes I get unwillingly trapped into. All it does it poison your soul dragging you into destructive anger, self loathing and finally, self pity.

As I write all this down it gives me a some good insight into my own behavior. Writing can be very therapeutic.

What I do now to calm myself down whenever I am confronted with or situated in toxic environment is to take a couple of soothing deep breaths and recite the "Serenity prayer'" over and over.

It has a calming grounding effect.

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference"

I get peace by holding and cuddling my many birds. Walking dogs has also a very calming effect. I also try to distract myself by window shopping.

Yes, window shopping!.

I guess that is what 21st century American female saints do!

I just so happen to walk by that la de da consignment shop to see if they still had that gorgeous french suit.

And it was still there.

For kicks, I tried it on again.

It fit.

I simply could not believe it.

That totally made my day.

The store has a policy like Filene's basement that if an item doesn't sell by a certain date the price on the item is reduced.

I asked the salesgirl when the price on this suit will drop and she said in 10 days.

Little things like losing weight, finding bargains, and of course, and spending time with my animals make me happy.

Life is too short to waste on getting pissed because in the long run it won't matter in the end.

"Don't worry..be happy!"

the wild pigeons of Salisbury beach part 16

I made my usual morning pilgrimage greeting and feeding the pigeons.

There are a lot of new faces in the crowd.

Yesterday, it was extremely foggy , humid and dense by the beach. The pigeons spotted me but were cautious approaching the food. I couldn't see them but I am sure hawks were perched and positioned high above ready to take advantage of any opportunity for quick meal.

I hadn't seen "Brownie" in a couple of weeks and I began to get worried. I noticed a 'new' pigeon who, at first, I thought it was Brownie. She was a very light brown colored pigeon looking almost as if she had gone to the stylist for a 'frosting".

I spotted Brownie foraging across the street in front of Tripoli pizza. He must hang out with a different crowd of pigeons. Maybe the food is better up north, who knows."Busta Move" was there as well doing his never ending dance.

My husband and I went to the Franklin Park zoo to see their new "budgie aviary exhibit". It was indeed wonderful. Little kids, especially, enjoyed it because you could buy a millet stick and hand feed free flying parakeets. Of course, our minds were plotting and planning how we could have a a nice seasonal outdoor aviary for our birds. You would think we would be sick of budgies since we have quite a few of them. But their never ending comical antics always seem to amuse us.

The Franklin Park zoo is a rather nice zoo. I find their bird collection quite interesting. They have a rare palm cockatoo and new Zealand mountain keas. The zoo keepers are involved in "enrichment programs" to keep the birds happy and their minds active with various toys.

I am glad they do not have primates there.

Quite frankly, I am scared shitless of monkeys- especially after that horrendous incident in the news last year involving a pet chimp viciously attacking a neighbor without provocation. Regardless of that incident, I find them kind of disgusting.

One time, at Miami's Parrot jungle zoo, a bunch of monkeys in a outdoor cage leaned over simultaneously and shot diarrehea straight at my husband!

Primates are one animal species that really should wear underwear, if you know what I mean.

One thing I did notice that probably nobody else noticed at the Franklin Park zoo was the pigeons. The pigeons obviously took advantage of left over seed and feed in various bird enclosures. The pigeons were HUGE!

Yup, we travelled all the way to Boston to observe the pigeons!

Irrefutable pugs

Pugs are the funniest, but ugliest dogs.

Their eyes bulge and stick out in opposite directions making them kind of look like the late great comedian Marty Feldman. They have short snouts which makes them a bit unappetizing company at dinner time due to the constaint snorting and blowing snot from their squished noses.

People who have pugs absolutely love 'em.

Owners of this particular breed also seem to delight in dressing these dogs in various costumes. Ballerinas in particular.

I saw one pug at a dog show dressed as a policeman with his booger nose and all.

I remember hearing this ungodly story about this one pug who had problems with his bulging eyes. Apparently, the dog tripped or fell down the stairs dislodging one of his eyes. It didn't seem to phase the dog too much. But when he ran into the living room to greet his owner with his eye dangling on his cheek, the company present in the living room scattered out of room, screaming.

My husband and I had been invited to a la de da dinner engagement at a very posh condo complex in downtown Boston. The host of the party, along with his partner, had a pug. The dog was a funny little thing. I thought he was a very well behaved dog. I enjoyed the view of the Boston sky line from this gentleman's balcony. I also enjoyed checking out his collection of original artwork displayed proudly all over the condo.

The host was handing out crab cakes in which everyone seemed to indulge in. In the process of handing out the crab cakes he got bits of the cake on his fingers in which he promptly let the pug lick off. My husband who is the worlds worst germophobe on the planet saw this and almosted fainted.

I thought I was going to pee my pants laughing.

Another friend of mine had quite a collection of Christmas cards displayed on her wall. Most were your traditional boring types, some had photo pics of kids and some had photos pics of their pets. The one card that stood out was one with a pug dressed up in a santa suit.

It would've been a kind of cute card except for, the pug had a raging boner.

I asked my friend what was up with his card and she just rolled her eyes in disgust.

She was hoping nobody would notice.

My husband likes pugs. Everytime we are out for a stroll and he spots one on the street he will point out ,"there's a pug!"

Funny little things, eh?

week 13 on WW

I seem to be over the donut cravings.

No donuts, cake, pastry, cookies or muffins for 13 weeks.

I'm doing Ok, so far.

I don't get the gnawing hungries any more nor do I have problems with digestive issues either. It's weird!

And I am still losing weight.

I weigh 111.5lbs now.

And I'm not trying either. Maybe this is where I am suppose to be.

No high fat, high sugar processed foods any more. I cut back on using oil substantially. No 'blind" munching-you know, just sitting with a big bag of chips or cookies munching through the entire bag.

At dinner, I give myself one solid portion. I don't go up for 'seconds" unless it is steamed veggies.

When I am hungry I eat a big bowl of fruit with cool whip. Dessert is a skinny cow ice cream sandwhich. Soup also helps fill you up too.

Yes, I have pizza, but just one slice. Yes, I get a high fat 'real" ice cream but I'll split it with my husband. Yes, I go for indian food but I'll just eat half portions. I'll have my morning English scone but just half of it. I have eggs (for protein) every day. I pre-make dinners in advance making sure I have enough left over for lunch the next day. I believe this is the keystone in making sure I don't get hungry and thus chowing through the cabinets like a herd of hungry termites. Preparation is definite KEY!

The ads for popular chain restaurants make me sick with all the gooey sauces they drench on their food. No wonder there are so many fat people. It used to make me hungry now it grosses me out.

I hope I can still stick with this attitude and continue to live this healthier lifestyle.

As like every journey, it is one day at a time.

dive #804 & 805 August 15 2010

I wasn't sure if I was going to make it diving today. My head was pounding saturday evening after my long day out up in Maine. Thankfully, I woke up with a clear head and I was relatively pain free.

Hooray, I can go diving!

Dive #804 August 15 2010

It was a decent day with the wind blowing out from the north. We had a good group of people onboard. I figured it should be a rather easy-going day.

My pals: Larient, Bill L and Richard B were present. We also had a new guy that ventured all the way from New York to join us. Diane K was reviewing her skills recieving Pete's undivided attention.

She's a Lucky Duck.

The captain was filming topside footage of the coastline. We ended up a Lanesville crossing. There were quite a few dive flags bobbing up and down along the coast. Divers were fitting in their end of summer vacation diving.

The crew was particularly watching this one dive float that kept heading further and further out away from the shore out to the shipping lanes. I thought to myself, "that is one helluva stupid swim". After all the customers got in the water, I started to get my suit on. The divers of that wayward dive float surfaced. Fred signalled to them to see if they were "OK".

No response.

Either they didn't understand the "OK" signal or they were in trouble.

Fred then signalled to them to come to the boat. One of them did, but the other one did not.

The diver that came to the boat was kid.

A young kid.

He swam to boat with his mask around his neck.

Oh no.

He was now on the boat with Fred.

And you might have guessed he got the lecture. HA!

Chris got in the inflatable to check on the other diver.

He was way out there.

Pat and I decided Chris might need assistance so we swam like mad out to where she and that wayward diver was.

What the F*&^ was this guy thinking?!?!

He was really far from the shore right smack in the middle of the boating lanes.

It turned out the guy was OK. His float got away from them and he chased out to sea.

Sorry, but those two divers weren't the sharpest knives in the draw.

Pat and I took turns pulling Chris and her inflatable back to the boat

We were exhausted. What a swim!

Chris joked about Pete and Fred being "two crusty ol' buzzards" onboard.

For some reason, I found that hilarious and went into a fit of laughter.

I think it was because I wasn't expecting it.

I did a short dive exploring around. It was pretty murky. I did see a good size school of pollack and few flounder.

Dive #805

We ended up at S & M. I'm not too crazy about this sight because it isn't really protected from boating traffic. Plus, it is easy to get disoriented here.

I get a little nervous in regards to jet skiers booting around too. I kept listening for boats just before surfacing.

I saw a lobster trap with a lobster exoskeleton in it. Larient said it was a lobster molt.

The viz was still fuzzy but I was happy to at least log a second dive.

I cheated death once again. HA!

Friday the 13th

It's friday the 13th.

I finally got my car back, thank God.

$555.00 later.

It needed a tune up and needed some electronics regarding the exhaust system. I'm just glad to have my car back. Everything seems to be OK now.

Who knows.

I went home afterwards and gave my car a good cleaning.

Believe it or not, when I went to the beach to do my morning run a black cat ran in front of me.

I chased it away so that it would not bother the pigeons.

Pesky cat.

On my way over to a clients house, I passed by a yard sale. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a large troll doll with it's pink hair waving in the wind. I had to stop and check it out.

For a mere $1.00, another troll has been added to "the museum".

OK, so far so good. No bad luck. Yet...

As I proceeded to the client's house on a busy main road I slowed down for a red light. There were three car in front of me stopped. In my rear view mirror, out of nowhere, a middle aged fat woman came tearing up behind me. She slammed on her brakes, beeping her horn and as I could tell seeing her in the rear view mirror, she was swearing profusely.

(?!)

I hung my hand out the window in a waving gesture to "slow down..relax".

She then pulled up on the embankment next to me swearing, "get off the road... you f*&^%ing bitch!" She then tore up on the embankment passing the three cars in front of me speeding up down the road.

What the ...? What was that all about?

Her face was bright red.

I am guessing maybe her laxative was starting to work.

Yikes...

cars....

As I was coming home from a client's house on tuesday my car started to cough, buck and shake at the many red lights on route home. At first I thought it might be 'bad gas' after a fill up but I get my gas at the same gas station all the time and have never had an issue.

Then, the dreaded engine light turned on.

Shit.

I still had two more customers to take care of.

My car felt like it was going to stall and then, it had a hard start up. I didn't want to be stranded so I took it to the repair shop I usually go to right after I finished my last customer for the day.

For my job I truly depend on my car. I don't have one of those jobs that I can "call in sick".

I HAVE to be there to take care of animals regardless of any excuse. No matter the weather, nor if I am sick or for any other reason. I have to be there.

If I go on vacation, I inform customers way in advance and sometimes have my cousin cover for me.

Luckily, my husband let me use his car so long as I don't put any dogs in his car.

I'm not keen on using his car or any other car for that matter. He has a compact car which feels like driving a go cart. I feel more comfortable driving SUV's and trucks. I am, very careful and cautious, driving his car because this is his car.

There are two things I never let anyone use of mine, and that is my toothbrush and my car.

Both are very personal to me.

I like my car too and hope it lasts for a very long time.

I have over 90,000 miles on it and worry what will happen when my car finally kicks the bucket.

Sure, I fantasize about getting a certified pre-owned BMW which would cost about the same as a new Prius. The reality is I wouldn't buy either one of them

First of all, can you see me loading dogs in a BMW? No way, no how.

Second of all, I wouldn't buy a Prius. Sure, they are cool little gas efficient cars but they are too complicated and "space age' for me. But the main reason is because I would not buy a Japanese car for the simple reason : Japan still hunts whales. (!)

Period.

Sadly, PT Cruisers and Chevy HHR's are no longer made which are both perfect vehicles for my kind of business. They are both fairly light SUVs which makes for OK gas mileage. Another thing to consider is the weight of the vehicle as far as registering under commercial status. In Massachusetts ,(Thanks to the mole -rat -joke -of -a -governor, Deval Patrick) the rate jumped from $50.00 to $160.00 .This was determined on the car's weight to determine the rate. I feel sorry for other pet sitters who have fairly heavy SUVs. It must cost them a fortune to register their vehicle legally)

When the time comes for another vehicle I would probably look for used newer model PT cruiser. I don't want a car with all the bells and whistles. It's just another thing that can break.

My Mother's car has heated seats. What would happen if that malfunctions? You would fry your ass!

I hate automated door locks and windows too. What if your car went over a bridge into a river? How would you get out?

Anyways, it's been two days without my car.

ARGH.....

Quotable quotes

Every once in a while I keep antidotal, funny and just memorable stored away in my memory bank. Some from famous people, some from movies, books, and some just from friends and family.
I know once I finish writing this post I will think of other ones, but here goes:


"so why do they call you booger?"- Revenge of the Nerds(movie)
"Oh come on, it aint that bad"-Kingpin(movie)
"Everything is illegal in Massachusetts-Edge of darkness (movie)
"What in the name of corn on the cob?!"- Because of Winn Dixie (movie)
"It's good to be king"-History of the World part II (movie)
"Does anybody have a breath mint?"-Ace Ventura Pet Detective (movie)

"There is nothing better than messin' about with boats"- Wind in the Willows (book)
"Expect nothing and you'll never be disappointed-chinese proverb
"Well done is better than well said"-Ben Franklin
"I'd choose an older woman over a younger one-because they are grateful!"-Ben Franklin

"He won't be down for breakfast"-Howie Carr (talk show host)

"Keys, comb, money, glasses...:" captain Fred
"The dog is under the bed"-grandpa Farquahson
"There are two types of people you never argue with: retards and drunks"-my father
"I wish I were Irish"-my husband
"What ever you do, don't look up"-Pete D.
"Don't let it bother you. Keep it in cartoon form"-my sister
"That's campin' kids!-uncle Don
"Oh shut up and drink it. Just think of sex and baseball"-my friend Sue
"Don't leave the door open you might let democrats in"-my friend Sue
"That's just being a dog"-my cousin Kim
"That's Ms. C*&^% to you!"-Linda G.

"reality overrules logic"-Saint Atlantis

* photo above is from "Mrs. Ballard's parrots" by Svenson

week 12 on WW

Nothing aggravates me more than all these obnoxious "pop up' advertisements you get while trying to read your email. Not only do they slow your computer down to a snail's pace but I find the ads offensive, especially the weight loss ads.

Pluuuulease.

You know yourself when you need to do something about your weight.

By being bombarded by some gross ad showing molten fat hanging over skin tight pants announcing some quick fix "dietary supplement" isn't going to do it.

It's offensive, really.

Today was my weigh in and I am holding steady at 113.

I think I am suppose to be at this weight or at least somewhere between 113 -118lbs. I had been at this weight for years until I discovered you could buy a 10 pack of kit kat candy bars, the family pack of pop tarts and that you can save on buying a dunkin donuts 'combo meal". (The 'combo meal" is two donuts and a coffee).

Yup, I had to recognize that was a problem for me and had to stop it.

I have still been working out 5 days a week down in cell block #9. The improvements are slow but my arms are almost back to being toned like before. I was getting those wobbly 'school teacher arms" that my sister and I used to make fun of when we were brats. My arms are looking OK but they still need work.

I can almost wear a bikini now but at "a certain age" no matter how tone and thin you are it is just wrong.

I think of the scene in the movie "Kingpin" where the gross ol' landlady tries to seduce the two doofus tenants in exchange of rent money by lifting her nasty pasty veiny legs in nylon stockings imitiating the seduction scene in The Graduate", exclaiming, "oh come on! It ain't that bad!"

A Classic Gross out scene.

I don't want to be pictured like that !

My sister and I still crack up over that scene.

Seriously, the "weight watcher' cook book and the" fat free international" cookbook has been a life saver as far as my weight loss program. I try to eat pure foods not processed foods. As healthy lifestyle chef Jamie Oliver said, 'if the ingredients look like a chemistry lab then don't eat it". Sadly, alot of the "weigh-loss-program'-already-prepared meals are big time chemistry labs.

And they are just gross.

Sugar free items are just poison.

If you can't have sugar then don't eat it at all.

Some fat free items are OK.

But, I have to laugh at people when they try to pawn off fat free frozen yogert on me telling me it taste 'just like ice cream".

NO! IT DOES NOT TASTE LIKE ICE CREAM FOR THE ONE HUNDRED TIME!

IT TASTE LIKE SHIT! OK?!

Give me a f*&^ing break.

And fat free muffins.

OMG.

Those really taste like shit.

A shit muffin.

That is what they are.

I know I can not have muffins because I can not control myself so I'm not going to waste calories on eatting a shit one.

OK OK. Enough of my rants.

The bottom line is strive to be the best you can be and live life as pure as you can achieve.

This includes monitoring the food and drink you put in your body.

This, my friends, is just a small part of my goal in achieving 'sainthood".

It's starts with the basics.

dive #802 & 803 August 8 2010

It was a good day.

My head is clear, which is like a gift.

No pain or fogginess.

And no shit-heads on the road.

So far, so good.

Dive #802 August 8 2010

A perfect day. Not blistering hot. We had a good group of people onboard.

Larient, Bill L, Richard B and his pal. It was good to see Bill L. I hadn't seen him in a while .It's always good to catch up on funny stories and misadventures.

We anchored at the "restaurant" near Folly Cove. Folly Cove was chock-o-block full of divers.

I like this spot because it is hard to get lost. There are lots of rock formations to explore under.

I checked the "fish finder report"in the NBPT Daily news, it was quoted as saying, "mackeral , bluefish and pollack were plentiful in the Gloucester region."

I saw schools of pollack and cunners. At 35ft there was a serious thermocline that woke you up.

I had a reading of 54F. In the shallows, it was much warmer. There were some pretty anemones as you turned the corner of rock formations entering in the cove. I still had enough air in my tank for a second dive.

Dive #803

We turned around and anchored in Loop Hole cove. The boat was getting bounced around a bit due to boat traffic but that is what happens on a beautiful day. Everyone is out and about.

Chris was feeling a bit under the weather so she stayed aboard. Fred went in for a short dive.

Pete was out lobstering. Larient was filming. However, the battery on his camera died just as he was filming some fish activity.

I followed a lobster line. The viz was pretty clear at about 20 feet. I saw schools of pollack, a flounder and lots of cunners. I keep my eyes wide open for the possibilty of seeing dogfish.

It didn't matter that I didn't see any dogfish today.

It was just a really good day for me.

tattoo you

I hope my mother doesn't read this post.

Yes, even at my age I still worry what my mother thinks.

Anyways, it has been bloody freaking hot. Any chance I get or rather, gather up the energy I head for the beach. The biggest thing I notice on Salisbury beach is other than everyone wears the prerequisite red sox baseball cap (myself included) is that everyone on this beach seems to have tattoos.

I mean even grandmas have tattoos not just teenage boys. Yikes.

And it usually isn't just one small picture either.

You can call them 'tattoos, "'tats, "body art' or even the negative term, "tramp stamp".

I am compelled to stare at some of the "designs' people choose to put on their body forever.

Some people have their entire body covered with tattoos.

I cringe.

Let me tell you first hand it freakin' hurts like hell.

Yes, I have a tattoo.

On November 23rd, 1993, I took a ride up to Seabrook with a 'biker' friend of mine and got a tattoo.

I was going through a rebellious time and at the same time, I wanted something that identified who I really was through a simple tattoo.

Just to clarify what I mean by "rebellious". I was not rebelling against my parents. I never did and I never would.

I was, however, rebelling against my (ex) husband.

Our relationship was ending and I would do everything I could just to piss him off. This was my body, not his, and I could do what ever I wanted.

And yes, I bought myself a motorcycle. I would come and go whenever I F*&^ing felt like it.

I loved the freedom.

It was like blood in the water.

The more I had the more I wanted it.

Freedom is not something someone else can give and take away from you. I discovered all along that it was mine to enjoy all along.

Allallulah.

So it was appropriate that I got a shark tattoo.

This was my "girl scout badge" that I had earned since, yes, I went diving with sharks in the Bahamas.

A shark is my "spirit animal totem".

I am still amazed when I see people with multiple tattoos.

My experience in getting one was daunting.

I walked into the tattoo parlor amazed at how professional and clean it was.

The operating room was just that, like an operating room. A clean sheet covered table with a detail lamp overhead. The instruments were encased in packages that just came out of an autoclave similar to one's used for sterilization in a dentist office. Packages of disposable gloves and hazardous waste disposal"sharps" boxes were present. The only difference between this operatory room from a dentist office is that the "practioner" was not wearing a white lab coat but a leather vest, jeans with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. The magazines present were not "Good Housekeeping" magazines nor "National Geographic" but "Outlaw biker" and "Extreme Tattoo".

I pulled the side of my pants down but not low enough to expose my bum. I was nervous about exposing myself. The practioner seemed indifferent. I leaned over on the table reading "Extreme tattoo" to keep my mind busy. The smell of disinfectant enveloped me. The sound of the tattoo engraver buzzing was making my heart race. The shock of the first pin prick booted up the adrenaline.

As I opened the magazine quickly to keep my mind occupied, the first page of "Extreme tattoo" I saw was a picture of an older guy who looked like the comic actor Lesley Nielson. However, he was completely naked covered head to toe in tattoos. The part that triggered my wooziness was that he was pierced with about 5 long needles sticking through his penis looking like a big scary looking mace.

OMG

The room started to spin and down I went.

The practioner was sympathetic and offered me a Coke. After I drank it and I urged the practioner to finish his work so long as I could lay down.

He did, and periodically asking me if I was OK.

It did hurt, but I was OK.

They basically carve into your skin with a super fine needle.

I am glad I got it but I do not think I would get another one.

I think one special one is enough.

sew what!?

My husband just came back from a short trip visiting his family.

His mother made me a cross stitch sampler of goldfish as a gift. It is really quite nice. I can really appreciate the time and effort in a gift that is hand-made, especially something hand-sewn. I've done embroidery but I can not do cross stitching. The stitches are so small and precise. In order to display this piece, I went to a local fabric store up the street where I bought a pillow foam and red satin fabric to incorporate the goldfish sampler into a fancy pillow. From the "quilting skills" I learned from my mother I made a beautiful pillow in less than an hour (see picture above). Ta da!

Yes, I like to sew.

I've made quite a few outfits for myself. Sure, you can buy clothes for the same and even a cheaper price than making it yourself but I enjoy making "wearable art".

I've made custom suits. I like suits that fit well made with fine fabrics. As I had mentioned before on a previous post, most suits out there are made with inferior fabrics and just hang on you unless you go with $$$ la de da European suits.

My mother is really into making and designing quilts. My sister sticks her nose up in the air in regards to my mother's quilt making. I think she thinks it is "silly" however, she doesn't even know how to sew a button on a shirt. She doesn't understand or appreciate what goes into the process. It's not a 'mindless' process either. Alot of math calculations in regard to geometric patterns take place.

I asked my mother to show me how to make a quilt.

She was in her element.

We worked on what she would call "an easy cheating quilt".

OMG....

It took me over six months to complete.

It was a long tedious process. It is not like making clothes where you see results right away by stitching each piece on. Quilting takes forever to see any visible results of your work. It amazes me how much works goes into it. My mother will actually give away her quilts as gifts to people. (!?)

I find it relaxing and comforting doing old fashion embroidery work. I've hand embroidered fish and other things on dresses I've created. I've done the old fashioned pictures on pillow cases too.

When I've been to second hand shops and antique shops I've seen hand embroidered place mats, aprons, etc.. for sale.

I often wonder about the creator of these hand crafted items.

Who were these people? How did they end up in a antique store? Are they still alive?

Each piece tells a story, but is anyone appreciating what they have to say?

week 11 on WW

I was hoping to go diving on the weekend but I was so exhausted by the end of the week that the mere thought of driving 50 minutes each way, carrying gear, etc.. was overwhelming, to say the least.

I was hoping I would have saturday "off" so I could rest and recover so I could go diving on sunday.

But that didn't happen.

I had a mid-day dog walking customer. Even though this dog is (thankfully) a well-behaved dog I still had a committment to take this dog out for his 30 minute mid-day jaunt.

I needed a day to do nothing.

Sunday morning, I had a craving for waffles. The thought of driving to a breakfast restaurant, waiting to be served, etc.. was even too tiring for me.

Plus, I wanted to spend the day with my birds. So I opted to make a low fat blueberry pancake with blueberry syrup and shared it with the "gang".

Believe me, I was thinking of caving in for a nice big chocolate butter-crunch donut and a vanilla chai.

When I am tired I am weak.

But I didn't.

I went to the beach in the morning. The air was cool and breezy, not oppressive like it had been all week. I just read the sunday paper, people watched, and then took a nice leisurely walk to the public beach for a slice of that delicious beach pizza.

There are three pizza stands located on the Broadway boulevard: Tripoli, Christies, and Sal's.

I personally like Tripoli's the best. It's a bakery style pizza. It is called a 'shingle". The sauce is sweet with a scant amount of cheeze on it. Christie's is similar but with more oregano. Sal's pizza is triangle shape loaded with cheeze boosting as being "the largest slice on the beach".

I've never tried Sal's. I'm sure it is good, but I don't really like cheeze. I allowed myself to have a slice of Tripoli's pizza since I walked a mile on the beach from the state beach to get there.

I spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch with the birds, resting, alternating between each cockatiel vying to have their head scratched. They would line up on my leg pushing the bird in front of them out of the way to get their head scratched. They loved the attention and I needed this time to veg out. My husband was away for the weekend visiting his family so it was just me and the birds.

The time of reckoning was standing in front of me.

The dreaded scale.

I hopped on it hoping that I had maintained what I had lost. I think this is the hardest part of a weight lost program is keeping the weight off.

I think something is wrong with the scale.

It looks like I had lost another two pounds.

How can that be?

I'm not what you would say "dieting" anymore.

I'm just not eatting any donuts.

Here is the strange part, I am actually eatting more often. I generally have a lunch of beans, rice and brocolli with a large bowl of fruit.

I was eatting two donuts and a chai for lunch, but I was constainly hungry (!?!?!)

Another thing I don't do anymore is mindlessly eat. You know, eatting a huge bag of chips even though you are not really hungry but just because it is there. I eat only when I am hungry and I still write down what I eat in a diet log book.

Just like any kind of addiction, it is just one day at a time.

*p.s. That picture of the troll above is just wrong. That troll really needs a bra!