Ten Things Thursday.... Again!

Well, Let's do this thing....

1. I am too Tight... I am getting a slight unfill and it is the first time in my 2 years post-band that I have to do that. It was my smallest fill.. only 1cc, 1 month ago but it is obviously too much when added to my 7cc pre-existing. I am doing well otherwise, I am trying to raise my calories which is what my nutritionist keeps jamming down my throat. I know that eating 1200-1400 calories is not working and she wants me eating 1500-2000, That seems like alot to me. Anyway, I am working on it.
2. I am loving a couple new TV shows... I only wish there were more hours in the day. I like Missing with Ashley Judd, Smash, and I am CRAZY about GCB... (Some of you BOOBS are from Texas, are those characters true to life, Awesome!)
   
3. I love to read, but it comes in Phases for me... I read books one after the other for weeks even months, and then I don't feel like it... for weeks even months. I am reading Kristin Chenoweth's(Love her, hence watching GCB and falling in love) Autobiography "A Little Bit Wicked"... right now, It is good but It is taking me forever to read it, since I am in one of my reading funks. BTW, I use the library... it is an incredible resource, use it!
   
4. I am going through tests and jumping through hoops to get to my revision surgery... The Band has taken me as far as it can and I am getting the help to get the rest of the way to good health... So Sleep Studies, Chest Xrays, blood tests, Psych tests, ultrasounds, etc... and It feels different this time. I want the info, and whatever happens I am better for it. I am thrilled with my band and it is a godsend for maintenance... which is wonderful. I only wish that I had the bypass first and the band 2nd... but then I may not have met you amazing BOOBS... So highsight's 20/20 and all.
5. I am not one of those... "It was ok, but the book's better" people. I love movies. I prefer the visual arts, even though my imagination is fantastic. If I love a book, I almost always enjoy the movie... Movies are an Escape! They can make you Laugh, Cry, and most of all Think. There you can find Romance, Drama, Horror, Comedy... and even History. In fact if it wasn't for movies, I am pretty sure most of us Americans wouldn't even know how our country was started.
6. Well, How about some critiques.... I loved "A Thousand Words", which is incredible since Eddie Murphy's movies are hit and miss and the critics hated it, but it was a heartfelt story with moments of laughter and pure joy. "21 Jump Street" was funny, and some older folks said it was Vulgar but it is a story about teenagers... what did they expect? It was fun and I am from Philly, cursing is an artform to me. I liked "Wrath of the Titans", It was great special effects and a good continuing story... (My Husband is a SciFi Geek so I see all the Special Effect Epics.) "John Carter" was also amazing special effects and a sweet love story. I saw "The Lucky One" last night, and Nicholas Sparks has done it again... I cried but I was taken away by the love story. I loved "American Reunion" so much, that I am going to another screening to see it again Monday... It was PYP(Pee Your Pants) Funny. I never stopped laughing and loved seeing all the American Pie Characters again.
   
7. I miss my BOOBS... It's been a busy 6 months since BOOBS 2.0 but It is nice having friends who understand, how I could have "Let myself go" and how it feels to struggle to beat food addiction and lose weight. I miss my Roomie Jenny most of all, She's my BBFF and the Farmer to my Bell, and since she lost her band (she had band erosion and it had to be removed) she has posted less often and struggled alone. Give her support everyone, She is an amazing friend... I am very blessed.
8. Goodwill is amazing... I am a used clothing girl these days, since money is limited and my size has changed alot. I love my Sisterhood of the traveling pants stuff and Goodwill fills in the rest... Yay!
   
9. I am craving weird things still... The last few days I wanted Pasta, and I don't handle it well so I don't usually eat it, but my body cravings don't care. I still crave Mashed Potatoes but it is less annoying these days. I started craving cereal a few days ago, so I got a box of the Fiber One Carmel Delight... a bit of a treat totally Yum, and I haven't eaten any yet... The option of it, seems to cure the craving. I crave sugar still, but I am working on it daily. I wish I would crave exercise, but alas... NO WAY!
10. It was my Oldest Nephew's 4th birthday yesterday and they had a party last weekend to celebrate... I was there to help decorate, and watched him play with his friends and open his gifts... I helped put together his lego firetruck... These sound like basic things to most of you, right? But what a thrill for me... Being there and not 1000 miles from there. I have enjoyed my first year of birthdays, pool parties, BBQs, Carving turkeys & Pumpkins, baking cookies, Seeing Santa, Sesame Place, Christmas Caroling, etc... Next weekend, I plan on coloring Easter eggs... This is the Good Life!
    

My 2 Year Bandiversary... Forgotten?

Yes, I did forget... March 23rd was my 2 year bandiversary. I spent it with my nephews... running after them, taking long walks, pushing them on the swings, chasing their baseballs, and playing airplane flying them around the room. So... Did I celebrate it? Hell, Yeah! 2 years ago... I couldn't do any of that. Let's take a walk down memory lane... now that I can, Walk.

• 24 months ago, I had to watch my sugar because I was Diabetic... Now, I watch my sugar to be healthier. I am no longer Diabetic.
• 734 days ago, I couldn't walk more than 10 feet without tears of pain building in my eyes... Now, I no longer need a wheelchair, I take the stairs with almost ease, I climbed a waterfall in Jamaica... This is the Area where I want to make much more advances... Who knows what the next 2 years will bring.
• 17,616 hours ago, I had to buy clothes online... or from a catalog. Now, I can walk into any plus size store and easily fit into anything... Who knows where I'll be shopping next year? But I will be trying the clothes on and feeling/seeing the fabric before I purchase...
• 104 weeks ago, I hid behind the camera, or behind my George in most photos. Now, I search the camera out, photograph my life and love, and my progress. I like what I see in the mirror most days, and I am far from my final goal.
  
• 1,056,960 minutes ago, I feared the doctor... my blood pressure was high, my cholesterol was high, I was too heavy to be weighed on the scale, they struggled to find a vein for blood tests. Now, I look forward to getting my health back on track and knowledge is power... I go often and take the info with a grain of salt... I weigh high some days and look like I have gained weight and I don't let it upset me, I just check again later or the next morning.
• 63,417,600 seconds ago, I was a shell of my best self... my outgoing, outspoken personality was lessened by my moods, my fatigue, my self-esteem... Now, I feel good about myself, I see my inner and outer beauty again, I smile more, and I feel sexy again. Who knows what sexpot has yet to emerge in the next 2 years?
  

At my heaviest, I was at least 475 pounds, I felt tired all the time, I never wanted to get out of bed, I stayed away from social settings, I didn't care how I looked... I stopped wearing makeup, and wore mostly sweats. Now, I take pride in myself and in my food choices... I am not a gym rat but I know my way around the gym, I am stronger in every way. I have hundreds of bloggers supporting my journey... I am no longer a recluse, I am a social butterfly again!

A Pinata full of Condoms and other thoughts.

Well, I am back. I was in Orlando for a few weeks and staying at a friend's house where WiFi hasn't been discovered yet. I was literally... "Off the Grid", or as Off the Grid as you can be with a Smartphone. I don't use my smartphone well. Even though I have had one for years, and I do check my email, GPS, Text like a teenager, text tweet, and basic facebook with it. I don't do much web surfing and I never write my blog on there... Even though, I downloaded all the Blog writing Apps.

• Orlando is awesome and all, and I love my friends down there... But It is hot as the surface of the sun and my crappy car's AC needs serious help. Spending time with my Florida Peeps reminded me of my first few visits back home when we moved down there. I remember how people were so excited at first to see me and as time passed each visit was met with less and less enthusiasm... People were busy and absence didn't make the heart grow fonder, it made it forgetful. My whole life in Florida was like that.... I had friends who got too close, too fast and then dropped off the face of the earth. I don't miss that kind of life. There are some good friends who made every attempt to see me on my visit, it was awesome... but how long will that last. There are many less friends since my serious friend making days were spent here in Philly... you know high school, college, single-hood. My George is my best friend, but it was easier to meet folks before we became inseparable about 20 years ago. Now, He is part of my deal....
  
• I ate like shit down in O-Town, well.... like shit compared to my usual. I am going to the doctor's Monday and I will find out what the damage is and I will try to lessen it slightly this week.
  
• My niece's Baby Shower was yesterday, which is why we rushed back from Florida, and it went well. She got alot of gifts and she had a great time. I was way tired, due to the 1000 miles I drove the day before but I was up hanging streamers and stuffing torn wrapping paper into a trash bag while writing gifts next to gift givers for the thank you notes that my niece will need to be reminded 100 times to write out, hopefully she'll get them out before the child enters high school. My idea for the Pinata full of condoms got laughs but no real thought. I am relaxing today... thank goodness.
  

Ten Things Thursday.... Yay!

Well, Here we go...

1. I am feeling crappy these days, I have been having my TOM and it has forced some crazy cravings on me. I ate Black Licorice Bears at the movie theater last night(Don't worry, they are artificially flavored). I went to a Mexican restaurant called Mad Mex Downtown, and it was yummy, but my friend got the hummus dip with roasted pumpkins seeds in it and I couldn't leave it alone... Delish! It was all yummy during the eating but ... I feel Yuck afterwards. I mean the Hummus dip is sorta healthy but the chips, not so much.
   
2. As most of you know, My George works for Disney... We moved back home to Philly last Spring but we go down there several times a year for him to work to keep his benefits. These days since the job hunt up here is a bust for him, we are forcing a working vacation to DisneyWorld to pay up some bills. He's a server in the Magic Kingdom so we makes great tips... We are starting our long drive tonight. Wish me luck!
3. I am preparing for a revision surgery so I am on the 6 months mandatory weight management... so far so good. I figured even If I decide not to do it, I will be doing what I am supposed to be doing so that's good. I will have to go through all the same stuff again to get the insurance approval for both the band removal and the Gastric sleeve or bypass.
4. I love my Husband like crazy... most of you married folks know that in a long marriage you have ebbs and flows. And sometimes your husband is so annoying that you want to push him in front of a bus... LoL... I am totally crazy about my George... after 20 years together I still get butterflies in my stomach when I look at him. He's dreamy... LOL
5. I love to try new foods now... which is so different from me Pre-band. I want to find new protein sources... since it gets a little boring if you don't. I love fish, and I could eat it everyday. At the Mad Mex place, I had Fish Tacos, and they were yummy too.
6. I am sort of worried about my road trip, I eat alot of junk on road trips usually. It is the only time I eat slim jims...LOL I used to drink Pepsis pre-band, so that was the only time I drank soda too... but I did ok on my last car trip so hopefully this will be the same. I packed a couple of protein/fiber bars to munch on and I will be stopping to eat once or twice to break up the drive.
   
7. I have been shopping at GoodWill alot lately, finding some great clothes to add to my growing wardrobe. It seems alot of former fatties donate there... and the stuff looks almost new. One man trash IS my Treasure.
8. I am happy that I haven't even though about the food aspect of going to Disney.... It used to be all about the food. They have great restaurants and snacks... all over the theme parks and resorts. I usually am thinking about where should we eat this time... but It hasn't even crossed my mind. I do look forward to Sweet Tomatoes, they don't have them up here and I love it there. Plus since I have a lapband card, I pay the child's price so for like 5 bucks, I can taste a little of this and a little of that. And not worry that I didn't "Get my Money's worth"
9. I saw alot of movies since we last talked... I saw Will Ferrell's Casa De Mi Padre on Monday, It was funny... sort of a spoof on Mexican meloow dramas. I saw Project X tuesday, Which was a nerdy teenagers have a Epic party and become popular movie... I wasn't looking forward to it but it was well shot with you feeling like the videographer and great characterizations. I saw The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel last night, which was some amazingly dry witty brits, who retire to India with promises of this luxurious hotel and end up in shambles(It isn't released til May)... And tonight, I am seeing John Carter... before my long drive down 95.
   
10. I am hoping to see some friends and hang out while my hubby is working so text me if you want to get together... I will see you soon.