Conversations With A Woman 2.0

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Yes, I've been gone for a bit...

...however it's been for a REALLY good reason. You'll notice that the date on my last entry was 6/7/08. That was the day that I met (in person) a really amazing man.

We met the weekend before online and talked - A LOT - both online and on the phone. In my humble opinion, we clicked instantly. I tried to be cautious and to not get too excited about this man, but once I met him in person, it was over. Those of you that know me know that I'm not one to hold back unless you give me a reason to. So far, I've been given no reason not to care as much as I do about this fantastic man.

I've gotten lectures - TONS of lectures - from those that care deeply for me. "Don't give your heart away so quickly!" As much as I love and appreciate my friends and family that would caution me against caring so much so soon, I must say that I have consulted my instincts and I have prayed heavily on this and all answers that come back to me are that life is too short and I should follow my heart. That resonates strongly with me and therefore I'm going to honor my instincts and my heart and continue to follow this path with this man.

Last year, Jef and I met at a Red Lobster for dinner. I had written down all the attributes that I wanted in a man in my life. I showed the list to Jef and we discussed in detail all the points I had made, and then I put the list away. I took that list out a few days ago to remind myself what I had asked for. This beautiful man fits all of the attributes with only 1 or 2 exceptions, and those exceptions are so minor that it doesn't even matter. I must admit that seeing that made me cry - extremely happy and relieved tears - that I had indeed gotten what I asked for and even more. To say that I am blessed and thankful doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of how blessed and thankful I feel.

I turn 41 on July 1. This has been an INCREDIBLE year since my last birthday. I have lost 152.2 lbs, not to mention all the other great things that have happened. Then, I got an early birthday present - almost exactly a month before my birthday - in the form of this extraordinary human being that has come into my life.

Thank you God! Thank you God!! THANK YOU GOD!!!

Peace Love and Happiness!

// posted by Joan @ 11:14 AM

Saturday, June 07, 2008

I am so tired - but so don't want to go to bed

I have been rather busy lately, and I'm having a love/hate relationship with that fact. I am currently so tired, but I'm like a little kid that doesn't want to go to bed because she might miss something. Life has been rather interesting lately and a good kind of interesting to boot! Woo Hoo!

I think I'm going to give in and go to bed, but wanted to post something as someone has been looking daily to see if I will. LB: See! I did it! ;-)

Peace Love and Happiness!

// posted by Joan @ 10:15 PM

Sunday, May 11, 2008

For a day I was a Super Model!

Patrick is taking a photography class and his class is currently working on taking photographs of people. Jef and I got together with him yesterday and I got to play "Super Model" for a few hours!

The picture above is Jef's favorite of the bunch. All of Patrick's favorites were some that I will only share with close friends and family because they are really goofy looking! LOL!

It was interesting as we looked through the pictures that both Jef and I commented (at almost the same time) that I'm starting to look more like my Mom. I don't know if it's the weight loss or I'm getting older or a combination of both, but there were a few that I was thinking, "Wow! I'm turning into my Mom!"

That's not a bad thing! My Mom was a beautiful woman. There were times when she didn't enhance her looks to the best of her ability (and as a result, Marti and I will never let our hair go completely grey!) but even then, she was beautiful.

Speaking of beautiful Mom's - Let me take this opportunity to say, "Happy Mother's Day" to all you Mom and Mom-like people out there!

Peace Love & Happiness

// posted by Joan @ 12:12 PM

Weight loss continues to happen!

I'm completely back on food and still losing weight! Woo Hoo! I'm now at 138.2lbs lost! Woo Hoo! Woo Hoo!

It's been kind of challenging losing weight a whole lot less dramtically than I was losing before. This last week I lost 2lbs and the week before 1lb. Now I'm very pleased and proud of those pounds lost, but when I used to average 6.5lbs a week when I was on Optifast, it's kind of different to get used to!

Now that I'm officially off Optifast, I'm in a group called STARS (I know it stands for something, but I'm not sure what) and we meet weekly. This past Friday we got a presentation from a plastic surgeon and it was really exciting! I'm still a long way from ready to have surgery as I still have a bit of weight to lose, but it's still good to know what options I have.

For those of you that may have never been really obese, you might not know that when you lose a large amount of weight, you have quite a bit of excess skin that used to hold your copious amounts of fat. So when you lose a lot of weight, for some cosmetic and some medical reasons, some choose to have that taken care of via plastic surgery.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I've been really challenged by work lately and consequently I haven't been making it to Water Aerobics. I was really wrestling with this and was asking myself, "If I'm working 25 hours a day 8 days a week, how am I going to get exercise in?" Well, I got my answer! A co-worker mentioned that a group of women are walking and asked if I wanted to join. I didn't hesistate one second when I answered, "Yes, please!" It's been really cool!

Here's hoping that your finding answers to your challenges in creative ways!

Peace Love & Happiness!

// posted by Joan @ 11:54 AM

3-D Totally ROCKS!

Y'all may remember that back in August I had surgery to fix my eye. I had what some call a "lazy eye" and, in addition to making people think I was looking beyond them instead of at them, it prevented me from seeing 3-D effects.

A friend and I went to Stone Mountain a few weeks back and they have a 3-D show there and it was looking like it might rain, so we thought, what better way to wait out the rain? I went in expecting to not see a thing, but I DID! IT WAS SO COOL! I was carrying on and laughing my head off like a little kid! NOW I get it!

Peace Love & Happiness!

// posted by Joan @ 11:46 AM

Long time no see, huh?

Hello out there! It's been a while since I've blogged. Some of it is due to I didn't want to not pull up my blog and not see my little Fred. Some of it was just being too tired to blog. Work has been kicking my ass lately, but I've been trying to kick back and I'm hopeful that maybe things will calm down a bit.

Since I've last blogged, I got Shelby a kitten. I was having lunch with a friend when I mentioned that I wanted to get Shelby a kitten. My friend lives just up the street from the Paulding County Humane Society, so away we went! Bella is 8 months old, all black with blue-ish green eyes and just a little love bug. SHELBY HATES HER WITH A HATE THAT DEFIES ALL OTHER HATE IN THE WORLD. So much for getting Shelby a kitten. (heavy sigh!) Right now, I'm letting Shelby have a time out from hiding and running and hissing and spitting and yowling at Bella by letting her have a litter box, food and water in the bedroom with the door closed. I really had good intentions when I got Bella. However you know what they say - the road to hell is paved with good intentions!

Peace Love & Happiness!

// posted by Joan @ 11:35 AM

Friday, April 11, 2008

Fred 1988-2008

My beloved Fred passed away this afternoon about 12:15. Before I took her to the vet, we sat on the recliner together and cuddled and she sat on the crate in front of the open window in the sunshine. I took these pictures right before I took her to the vet.

She went very peacefully and I was with her the whole way. Needless to say, there were a lot of tears shed (and are being shed) but I know she's in a better place. I like to think that Mom was waiting for her on the other side.

I love you and miss you already, my sweet Fredalicious.

Peace Love & Happiness

// posted by Joan @ 12:51 PM

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Easter Weekend in Dallas

I went to visit HDW in Dallas, TX over Easter Weekend and had a great time. I flew for the first time in many, many years without using a seat belt extender so that was a wonderful way to start the trip!

We went and got a mani/pedi and waxing on Thursday, Friday during the day we went to the Dallas Arboretum where they have an event called "Dallas Blooms;" Friday evening we went to the Dallas Museum of Art where they were having an evening thing with music and a sneak peek at an exhibit that was going to open the next day that was by an artist that loves Bluebonnets (I LOVE Bluebonnets!); Saturday I went and had a totally awesome experience with HDW's Thai massage therapist,Ty; and Sunday we went to Easter Brunch and then to see Horton Hears a Who before I headed to the airport. It was wonderful to be back in Texas if only for a short while! I've included some of my favorite pictures from the trip. You can see the rest on Flickr.

Peace Love & Happiness!

// posted by Joan @ 2:16 PM

4 lbs lost for a total of 128.2!

I didn't weigh in on 3/21/08 because I was out of town, so when I weighed in on 3/28/08 it was for 2 weeks. I lost 4 lbs which I feel really positive about because my "monthly visitor" had visited and I ate a little more than I was used to while I was out of town.

YAY!

Peace Love & Happiness!

// posted by Joan @ 2:14 PM

Saturday, March 15, 2008

3lbs lost for a total of 124.2!

My second week of eating was pretty uneventful, which is great! I was very pleased to get on the scale and see that I've lost another 3lbs!

Today I got to start eating lunch! Woo Hoo! One of the recommended lunches is a whole wheat tortilla, with 2 oz of low fat cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and salsa. OH. MY. GOD. It was freakin' amazing! So simple, but so tasty!

The last couple of weeks have been a bit of a bear at work. We've got a lot of people out of the office and we're being expected to pick up the slack. Now, I'm all about pitching in to get the job done, but I didn't make it to water aerobics once last week and I only made it once week before. Fortunately, the weather was good that I could get a few brief walks in, did some heavy duty vacuuming, (yes, that's exercise!) and spent some time on my recumbent bike. However I love my water aerobics and I miss it!

I went through the whole blaming work and the people who were out and all sorts of other blame game techniques, but I finally made it back to the fact that I knew I was going to be expected to work some extra time and yet I didn't get to work until 9:00. Finally logic kicked my brain's butt and said, "You have no one to blame but yourself, girl! You've got to get up and get to work early so you can leave in time for water aerobics." My brain couldn't argue with that, so that is the plan for next week. Wish me luck that I'll get back on my water aerobics routine!

I went clothes shopping last night and was trying on this pair of pants. I put them on and they were too big. Too big? What the hell is too big? I took the pants off and made sure that the tag inside the pants matched the tag attached to the pants and lo and behold, they did. I wander out to the sales floor and got the smaller size, and I'll be damned if they didn't fit! Now, I don't remember the last time I fit in this size. It's been A LOT of years. What a great feeling that is! I can't even describe it!

I was flipping channels the other day and came across an episode of "Big Medicine." I don't normally watch this show because it just makes me sad and has me thinking, "There but for the grace of God, go I." However this episode featured a girl who lost all the weight she needed to lose and was having a breast lift and abdominoplasty. Once I get to where I want to be, I want to have a breast reduction and abdominoplasty. They showed her journey and how she hurt like hell afterwards, but when she healed, SHE LOOKED AMAZING! Man, if I look 1/4 as good as she did after I have my surgery, I will be over the moon!

Here's to amazingly simple and tasty meals and feeling good about yourself!

Peace Love & Happiness!

// posted by Joan @ 6:31 PM

Mother Nature is PISSED OFF!

Boy Howdy! Mother Nature sure got her knickers in a kink last night and today! Downtown ATL was ripped up last night as a EF 2 Tornado went through. A tornado! In the city! I know it's not unheard of, but it is rare!

I talked to 2F today and he told how he was at his Bookstore in East Atlanta Village when the storm hit. He said, first the hail, then the rain and then the wind. He said as he hunkered under the counter he just knew the roof was going to be torn off the place. Fortunately the store did not sustain any damage, however his immediate neighbor on the other side did.

Luckily, aside from the rain and a wicked lightening and thunder show, my neighborhood got off easy. We were under a tornado warning for a bit this afternoon and the sirens went off, but not much more than rain and the occasional rumble for thunder. It was kind of surreal because as the sirens were going off, it was sunny out.

Growing up in Texas, which is known to be part of "Tornado Alley," I was fortunate enough to be close to tornadoes, but never in one. Mom and I lived in a A-frame house and we had the couches on opposite walls facing each other. We both got under the cushions of those couches as the tornado roared by about 1/2 mile away. I was saying the Lord's Prayer under my breath as fast and furious as I could while we heard the winds howling outside. It was pretty scary!

It's interesting - when I was younger and was feeling out of control or freaked out by something in my life, I would inevitably have a dream about being in a tornado. I would wake up on the verge of screaming and heart pounding from those dreams. I haven't had a tornado dream in a while, and I remember the last time I had one, I felt peaceful and not scared to death like I used to. Maturity setting in? Who knows?

Here's hoping that wherever you are the weather is pleasant and so are your dreams!

Peace Love & Happiness!

// posted by Joan @ 6:06 PM

Sunday, March 09, 2008

3 pounds lost for a total of 121.2!

I made it through my first week of beginning to eat without much fuss and still lost 3lbs! Woo Hoo! I was feeling pretty good about that!

Friday when I got home it was 63 degrees. I woke up Saturday morning and looked out the window to see snow! It was a very small amount and didn't even think about sticking, but was still fun to see!

I got dressed and went to Costco before meeting Jef and Orbit Boy for a very informal celebration of Orbit Boy's birthday. We drove around after lunch looking for a new place for Orbit Boy to orbit around. Our conversations are always very interesting and Jef continues to say that we should do a Podcast and share or witty, though frequently ribald, repartee with the world. Of course we would do it under aliases to protect the not-so-innocent! Jef has declared that the true test for my Prince Charming will be if he's able to keep up with and survive a conversation with the 3 of us. So, Prince Charming - start boning up, sweetie! ;-)

One of the things that Jef, Orbit Boy and I like to do is go to used CD stores. It's usually Orbit Boy that walks out spending the most money, however the last 2 times, I've been leading the pack! Yesterday, not only did I spend $31.00 at the used CD store, but I bought a CD at Starbucks when we stopped for coffee and conversation. What can I say? I love me some music!

CD Purchases for the last 3 weeks: kd lang's "Watershed," Lyle Lovett and his Large Band, Herbie Hancock's "River: The Joni Letters," The Soundtrack for the movie "White Nights," A CD called Bella Luna which features the likes of Dean Martin and Rosemary Clooney, Prince's "Planet Earth," Janet's (Miss Jackson if your nasty) "Discipline," Erykah Badu's "New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), Cyndi Lauper's "Shine," Soulhat's "Outdebox," Jen Chapin's "Ready," Nickel Creek's self titled, 2007 Lost Highway Record Label Sampler, Stevie Ray Vaughan's Real Deal Sampler and Christopher Riley plays Radiohead. Whew!

I have been looking for the Soundtrack to White Nights for years! I had it on cassette back in the day and played it to death. So as I drove home last night after my day with Jef and Orbit Boy, I had it cranked loud and remembered why I loved this soundtrack. There is the beautiful song by Roberta Flack on there called, "People on a String" that gives me chills to hear. I know it may not mean anything to anyone else but me, but I just love it!!!

Here's hoping there is lots of good music in your life!

Peace Love & Happiness!

// posted by Joan @ 9:56 AM

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