Monthly Archives: February 2012

Weight Loss

Week Ninety-One

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Almost to week one hundred!  This week I lost 2.8, bringing my total to a grand 80.  That’s eight really, really heavy babies!  Or, for people who like singles, I’ve lost a healthy eleven year old girl.  I adore this game–and I can’t wait to hit one hundred pounds!  This week I’ve been focusing on trying to fill my diet with fruit instead of carbs.  So far, I’m just eating a lot of both, haha.  Oops.

To help, I’ve separated things into baggies for easy calculating.  For example, I separated meat into bags of 5 ounces so I can just defrost what I need.  And I’ve separated M&Ms into bags of 1 ounce.  Look!

It helps!  I can just grab what I need and not worry about eating too much or wasting time or making excuses.  Also, thanks go to Margo for providing the festive M&Ms.  They are deliciously pink.

That’s all for now!  I hope your week is pleasant beyond belief!

Literature Reviews

Clementine

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Clementine

Sara Pennypacker

I wasn’t too thrilled about having to read this book.  However, it surprised me immensely by being a great read.  Clementine is a student I would hate to have, but reading about the things she does is completely hilarious.  Especially when you read her logic behind the way she thinks and reacts to adults around her.

Even though she ruins things more than she fixes them, she’s got a big heart and always acts impulsively for what she considers to be the benefit of others.  I think this is a wonderful show of how kids can care about one another in the most simple, but complete of ways.
This would make a great read-aloud for kids–I highly recommend it to parents, teachers and librarians.  I ordered a copy for my library so I could read this to the kids.  Clementine may be the hard one, but she’s one entertaining kid.
Postcards

Rub It In

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This is another card from Chris–he sent it during his vacation in Florida.  It made me laugh a lot because that really is what my winters are like.  I knew Margo would get a kick out of it since her winter is also much nicer than my winter.  Thanks, Chris!

Letters to the Universe
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Dear Guy On The Phone On The 7 Train,

Had you been screaming your social security number and all of your banking information, I wouldn’t have been so annoyed.  However, since all you did was boast about your successful private happenings with some “mad hot chick,” I couldn’t help but glare at you.  If the universe was kind, that girl would have been in that car and the rest of us passengers would have had our night made.  Alas, the universe just teases us with such possibilities.

Love,

The chick with the notepad, trying to make your head explode with her mind.

PS: Complaining about how “no womans be making [you] no cake” isn’t going to get you any cake.  Just buy some mix at the store and make it yourself.  Seriously, you’d think it was rocket science.

Movie Reviews

Bridesmaids (2011)

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Bridesmaids (2011)

This movie wasn’t as funny as I thought it would be.  I found most of the things that happened in the film uncomfortably true.  Of course, I have a Helen in my life, and I’ve been in the situation the protagonist finds herself in regarding her best friend.  Perhaps I actually live in one giant comedy, but most of the time during the movie, I was impressed by the similarities between the film and my own life.  By the end of the movie, I was more sad than cheerful.

Now that I’ve said that, I promise I liked the movie!  I liked Annie and thought that even though she’s really good at screwing up her life (unbelievably good at it, actually), she’s also solely responsible for putting things back together.  And Meagan (who is kind of my hero) says one of my favorite lines in a long time.  At the end of the movie, during Annie’s lowest moment, Meagan explains that Annie is her own problem, but she’s also her own solution.  I think sometimes we forget that second part.  Annie isn’t perfect, but she’s real and strong. I liked her a lot.
If you have women in your life you consider a living stereotype, or you’re at the age when all your friends are beginning to get married, I you’ll really like this one.
Literature Reviews

Stone Fox

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Stone Fox

John Reynolds Gardiner

This book is massively short, so anyone pressed for time shouldn’t worry about that.  It’s about a boy named little Willy, whose grandfather stops getting out of bed because he owes the government taxes and he can’t pay them.  Willy enters a dog sled race to make the money they need to pay off their debt and save the farm.

First of all, what kind of bad guardian decides not to get out of bed to eat or work when they have a young child to take care of?  From the start of the story, I wanted to punch the grandfather in the stomach for not taking care of his grandson.  Then to make matters worse, the dog dies out of left field, and the story literally ends there.  What?  This story was terrible!
And the title is the name of a minor character who’s not even introduced until 3/4 through the book.  The story isn’t about him.  It’s about Willy.  The story should be called, “Willy and His Totally Useless Grandpa.”  Avoid this one at all costs–and especially when grabbing books for young readers.  It was such a waste of time.
Dani's Adventures in the City, Everything Else

Birthday Blitz

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Last week I had a birthday party for myself (February 1st), my friend Hilary (February 2nd) and my friend Zoe (February 3rd).  A ton of people came by my place to celebrate–it was fantastic (I almost wrote “fantabulous”)!  Hilary couldn’t make it, but we got her on skype for the candle-blowing-out, so it was almost like she was there.  Only there was a depressing lack of hugs.  But I made a great cake!  Check it out!

The cake itself was made of brownies (which I made out of beans and chocolate mix) and the frosting was homemade whipped cream and food coloring. Please note–the food coloring made the whipped cream look like cottage cheese.  Bubbles decorated the cake at my request.  He’s waaay better at it than I am.  There’s a picture of me making a face as I ninja-carried the flaming brownies to the living room for the blow-out.  But I’m not going to include that here.  Instead, I’ll show everyone who sat across from Bubbles (including Hilary)!

Nick decided to bring confetti guns to the party, so naturally we set off a few dozen rounds (Zoe had a bit of a vendetta towards the hummus).  Bubbles took pictures of the floor while I spent the remainder of the party itching to clean the 4 inches of shiny bits off my carpet.  It was great fun.  Finally, it was time for bed and several people stayed over to play a game I like to call “how many people can fit on the floor?”  It’s a game where I try to fit a lot of people on my floor.  Here’s a picture of most of the people:

Not pictured: Vito, Margo, Ally and me.

I’d have to say this birthday was beyond awesome.  I feel old, but I’ve got spectacular friends.  If I have to host a head of white hair in order to keep them, then bring it on!  But seriously, if the white hair could hold out a few more years, that would be cool too.

Literature Reviews

Dead High Yearbook

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Dead High Yearbook

Ivan Velez

This was a very short read.  It’s modeled after a yearbook and features short stories following the lives of students who met an untimely, supernatural death.  In order for them to “graduate,” and move on, they have to settle their story for the yearbook.  The book is large and a tad awkward to carry and read on the subway (but I did it anyway, because I’m obnoxious).

If you’re looking for a quick, entertaining bit, I’d recommend picking this one up.  It’ll keep you for a good hour and the stories are innocent enough.  However, if you’re hungry for something with an actual plot–look elsewhere.

Postcards

Curly Fern

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This card comes from Margo, who sent it to me when she visited New Zealand.  It made me very jealous, but it also was an awesome shade of green, so I hung it on my wall.  It features an adorable curly fern I wish I could poke.