Update on Weight Loss

I haven't reported on my weight loss in quite a while. I can probably say I'm 45 lbs less now. I'm technically down 44 lbs, but what's one pound? I can round up because I know I'll lose that one pound soon.

More exciting than the 44 lbs is that I am two-three sizes smaller on my top (depending on the cut of the top) and three sizes smaller on my bottom. My top is larger than my bottom. (Yeah, I think you all know why.)

My sister came by today and brought me a pair of pants from Ann Taylor that's four sizes smaller than my original size and they fit. Now I realize that Ann Taylor does major vanity sizing, so the pants are probably really larger, however, it was still very cool!

Now I can go into Ann Taylor and I can ask to see clothes in my new size! I'm so excited! I can't wait to go shopping for new clothes soon.

Friday I wore a new dress to work that's three sizes smaller. It's really snug on the top, but it fits really well around the hips. My co-worker was so glad to see me in something fitted because all my clothes are all so big on me.

So there you go. 45 lbs less as I near my one year anniversary with my lap band. Less than I expected, but way more than I would have ever done on my own. I know that for a fact.

So I'm grateful for where I'm at and I'm going to continue on for another 45 lbs in 2009. When I lose 45 more pounds I will be very very close to my ideal weight and the weight I was in 10th or 11th grade. That's my goal for 2009!

It Snows in Houston!

Okay, not real real snow. Not snow like you Northerners get. Or you Danish. But it was SNOW for Houston. Enough snow to make a little snow man! Here is my husband putting the carrot nose on Mr. Snowy.

It was a fun evening of making a snowman and throwing snowballs at eachother.

It NEVER snows in Houston. I'm 38 and it snowed when I was 3, 13, and 4 years ago we had a little bit of ice, but not this much. We haven't had enough snow to make a snowman in 25 years! So yes, it was an event! There's another picture of the snowman completed at skirt!

Weird Stuff Happens to Me

I was talking to my girlfriend today and she asked me if I've ever been to a restaurant called Julia's downtown.

I thought about it for a second and then I asked, "Julia's Bistro?"

And she was like, "Yeah!"

"Yeah, that's the restaurant that I fell in front of!"

"What???!!"

"Yeah, I went flying past the window on my way down and all the people sitting inside saw me fall."

"There are big windows on the front! Oh Loida! You fell there!?"

"Yes, and the manager came out to see what was wrong with me and was all, 'that's the city's fault' about the big holes in the sidewalk right in front of their restaurant. Then I stood up and he realized I was going inside HIS restaurant so he was all apologetic and ran and got me stuff for my knees and bandages."

She was laughing so hard when she heard my story and I realized it was kind of funny. I went ahead in, found my co-worker and Tony Diaz from Nuestra Palabra, and conducted business as usual, after I bandaged up my knees of course.

Then today I was reading Gwen's blog and I was reading how she's thinking of eloping or just going to Italy and paying some homeless man to pose in pictures pretending to be a priest. It brought to mind an experience my husband and I had in Italy on our honeymoon.

We were walking along a busy street in Rome, looking for La Boca de la Verita, and we got stopped by an Italian man driving by, who pretended to be French and lost at first and then he tried to sell us some leather jackets. Somehow we ended up giving him something like $50 and we got a leather jacket we didn't even need. It was a very weird experience. It was too small for Rey to boot, so I took it home and gave it to my dad.

No, this was not a dream. It really did happen. Yeah, I think I have weird things happen to me.

Help Me Out Where I Need Faith

I was talking to a co-worker and she shared a scripture that she really appreciates. Her translation reads, "I believe, help me with my unbelief." I really liked that quote so I decided to see how the New World Translation writes it.

It reads, "I have faith. Help me out where I need faith." Mark 9:24

What a great scripture. I couldn't help but think that so many of us can relate to this. We all have faith but sometimes, because of our human inperfection, we lack a little faith. This scripture really spoke to me. It made me think about myself and where it is that I lack faith.

I just wanted to share this thought.

My Crazy Son & Life

This past weekend my son was sicker than a dog but he still didn't lose his sense of humor. At one point (I have no idea how we even got here in the conversation) he put a book under my butt and said, "This is a big ol' plate alright!" He is hilarious.

I started my new novel as promised. It's another family saga.

I am totally craving something very strange. Ham hocks. I want to go to my favorite soul food restaurant, This Is It. I need to go on an evening that I can eat.

Work is going well. Better this month than last.

I don't have anything else better to say. Go check me out on skirt! later. Maybe I'll have something better to talk about over there.