A Whole Lot of Nothing and a Whole Lot of Stuff

Design by Anne Taintor. My sister just gave me napkins with this phrase on them. Love em!

Last week I went to the Book & Author Dinner here in Houston and I totally enjoyed it. I especially enjoyed meeting Julie Powell of Julie & Julie fame and Charlaine Harris, the original creator of the True Blood characters. I'm not a vampire show fan but the writer herself was so inspiring.

An added bonus to the night was meeting Alison Cook, the restaurant critic, in person. She is SO COOL! I can't wait to go on a tour of Houston's chicharrones with her.

I wasn't planning on a quiet calm night tonight but it ended up working out that way. My friend was going to come over with her girls and her nephew and she canceled on me. Her kids were tired from their Fall Festival. We had ours today too but my little one napped so he was ready to play.

So we're just hanging out instead. Just relaxing and sipping on a Bloody Mary.

Recently I think I talked about taking the Strengths Finder test. It was either here or on my skirt! blog.

I took it for work and then I bought the book for my husband and he took the test too. I think it's a great barometer to help you become aware of your strengths.

I found out that they have the same book for kids. It's called Strengths Explorer. It's for children ages 10-14, but I think my daughter can handle the test. Once she takes the test and I take a look at it I can see how I can apply it or tailor it to my five year old boy.

I think that lately I've been going about things the wrong way. Instead of focusing on his weaknesses I'm going to start focusing on his strengths. He's such a smart little boy, but he's full of energy and he doesn't make the right decisions many times. I know he has it in him to make the right ones. So that's my goal. I ordered the StrengthExplorer book today.

My daughter is a born winner in life. She's self-motivated. She's the kind of person that's a self-starter. I hardly have to tell her to do her homework. She takes out her books when she gets home and starts working. She goes on the computer to the different sites she has to go to and does the extra work. She's just a doer. I know that if she keeps on the same path she will be successful.

My friend Lizbeth Ortiz had a phenomenal art show at Bohemeo's on Tuesday. I want to buy something from her. I bought a tiny heart in a box that is too cute, but I'd like to buy one of her larger pieces.

Next week my high school celebrates FIFTY YEARS! They are having a all alumni reunion anniversary. It should be a great event. I'm looking forward to that. It will be held at the high school and we'll be able to visit our old stomping grounds.

Some of Houston's Best Kept Secrets

Sculpturworx- David Adickes Studio
2500 Summer Street

I've known for a long time that local artist David Adickes had his studio on Summer Street near the Heights, but I had no idea that I had driven past it so many times in my life. It's right up the street from the new Target off of I-1o. The studio is up Sawyer from Target and to the right on Summer Street.

The coolest thing about the studio is that the yard is full of sculptures. Most of them are behind a tall fence but a couple are out in the open, like Obama. It's like going to a museum or art gallery exhibit.

For those of you who aren't familiar with David Adickes he is the sculptor of the famous tall Sam Houston in Huntsville and the man with the cello downtown in front of the Lyric Center. He's also created the president's heads on I-10 & 45 and the big Beatles statues.

My sister visited this weekend and we went to Sculpturworx as well as Casa Ramirez in the Heights. We had a wonderful time on 19th Street walking through some of the shops.

My sister came bearing gifts. She brought the kids a really cute and old book "Millions of Cats" by Wanda Gag. They loved it.

She also brought me the cutest little blue apron with shoes all over it and she got me a 2010 Anne Taintor calendar.

Back to Restriction and Eating Healthy

Magnet by Anne Taintor

I guess I've posted this image before because it was in my files. Today it's appropriate because I'm going to get a fill tomorrow.

Almost four weeks ago I got really tight, like abnormally tight. I couldn't get anything down. I had been sick and I'd had a lot of sinus drainage. It was affecting my lap band too. So I went in to have some fluid taken out of the band. When I got there I realized that I hadn't been there in 6 months and I hardly even lost any weight. What a waste of time!

The crazier part is that I was so tight most of the time. It doesn't even make sense. The only think I can attribute it to is that since I couldn't eat most of the day my body thought it was starving. So when I could finally eat late in the evening I ate too much and my body held on to all my fat.

On top of that I had the umbilical surgery at the beginning of August and I couldn't really work out for four weeks. Four weeks turned into eight and then twelve. That can happen so easily.

So I had them take out .7 cc from the band and I was able to eat for a change. It was a nice break. I still haven't eaten breakfast or even tried. I only have coffee and a protein shake. I've been having a more "normal" lunch and dinner. Not every day, but it's been nice to have some flexibility in my diet. Some days I still only have soup for lunch and a small dinner.

Tomorrow I go back in to get tightened up again. It's time! I had a good break. I ate some things I had missed, like Kim Son Vietnamese and Sawadee Thai. Now it's time to get back on the wagon. I'm going to get a fill tomorrow, but I'm going to tell them to only put .3 cc back. I think it's a good half way point. I'm going to see how that works.

This whole process has been an interesting journey. I've actually learned a lot about myself and my addictions. I have addictive behavior. I've pretty much recognized that about myself. I transferred some of my addiction to food to other things. I recognize that what I need to work on is my addiction instead of what I'm addicted to. I believe that recognizing this about myself has been the most valuable benefit of the lap band. I also believe that realizing this and admitting it is very healthy of me. It is one of the things that I want to change about myself as I enter forty.

Every time I think about this I think about what my lap band doctor told me the day before my surgery. He said, "Some people get a lap band here (pointed at his stomach) but they don't get a lap band here (pointed at his head)." That has stayed with me every since.

I know I have been less than perfect. I could have lost more weight, and I still can. I just need to find my groove again and I will get there. I need to get back to the gym. I know what I need to do. Get off my butt and exercise!

My husband has been following a vegetarian diet with fish and it's working really well for him. I need to support him in his endeavor and in the process I too will feel healthier. I've already cut all bread and rice from my diet. I can cut meat now too. Fish is so good for you!

So that's my plan. To cut all red meat and chicken out of my diet and to start exercising on a regular basis again. I'm putting it out there so I can be more accountable.

The next 3 days will be my kick in the butt. After a fill I have to stay on liquids for two days and then soft foods for the third day. That's always tough but it's what I have to do when the lapband and therefore my stomach has been moved. It's also a good launching pad into increased restriction. So we shall see!

Reflections and Updates on Life

I wish I had something really deep and meaningful to share with all of you, but I don't really. At least nothing that hasn't already been said before or recently.

My husband made an interesting observation today. Our son could very well be Asian at heart. He loves fish, egg rolls, and red chicken. I cracked up because it was all true. Our daughter loves Chinese food too, but I just think that's because I ate so much Chinese and Vietnamese food when I was pregnant with them.

Today when I was on the freeway driving between our two offices I saw a big beautiful butterfly up high on the overpass and I thought it was such a funny and uncommon sight. I wondered what the butterfly was doing up so high and over a freeway. It reminded me of the butterfly in You've Got Mail that goes inside the subway.

Tomorrow I'm going to my college Homecoming. It's been years since I've been to one and lately I've been feeling kind of bad for not having better school spirit for my Alma mater, especially when they are doing so well in football. So tomorrow is the day I will revisit my old university stomping grounds. I'm even going to tailgate! I've never done that before. Should be interesting and fun. To do something like that I reached out to my college friends who I know have the most school spirit for instructions. I'll let y'all know how it goes. I may even post pictures of me in my UH t-shirt. But I WON'T be wearing a mum! LOL! Remember those? I used to love mums when I was in high school.

Speaking of Alma maters, I found out yesterday that one of my old high school classmates, and member of the football team, passed away. Apparently he had very serious diabetes and he'd lost an eye and part of his foot. AT THIRTY-NINE!! Amazing! I can't believe people my age are starting to die from diseases. Usually it's a car accident. Makes you think of your life and your health.

And speaking of healthy people, living long and car accidents. Many of you ask me about my dad and wonder how he's doing after that horrible beating that he received almost a year ago. He has recovered really well from his hip replacement surgery and walks almost 100% normal. There is a very slight limp there, but it's almost impossible to detect. He also started driving again. He never stopped driving because someone told him he couldn't drive. It was self-imposed. Many people don't know that so they are always shocked when I tell them that he's driving. Two of my sisters have been brave enough to ride with him and they report that he drives OK. Thank goodness!

Okay. I'm about to make a decision about the house. We are either going to knock it down and rebuild or we're going to seriously remodel. Something has got to happen in 2010. I mean, I want to get something started first thing in January or sooner. (is that a word?) I need to figure out where we'll live if we knock down. I still wish Rey would agree to build a garage apartment or cottage first so we can have somewhere to live. Then later we can either 1. Rent it out, 2. His parents can live behind us or 3. My father can live with us as he gets older. The man will be 86 in March.

Another thing. My weight is standing completely still. It doesn't want to go anywhere. I think it's because I'm going to be forty. It's probably because I drink too much. But I have this terrible fear that if I don't lose more weight soon it will be even more impossible to lose it after forty. I'm tired of saying I'm going to do something about it. I really need to do something soon. Like in the next four months soon! Wow, I've been using the word "soon" a lot today.

I've lost 40-45 lbs since 2007, but I would really like to lose more. Always more! I think the best thing about losing weight is that people are saying I look younger. Thus the dreaded forty doesn't seem so bad if I'm a smaller forty year old.

My son has been doing beautifully in school, I am happy to report. He has his good days and his bad days, but for the most part he is doing really well. He's learning! And that's the most important part. He went on his first ever field trip on Tuesday to the Oil Ranch. I chaperoned. It was a blast and I was tired too.

My daughter is still the big ol'nerd like me but way smarter. She is so self-disciplined. It's beautiful!

Okay, so that's it for me. I have blogged. I need to blog more I know. I need to think of a better topic next time, but it's good to update you all on my life every once in a while. That's why I started this blog five years ago anyway.

Take the Compliment and Run!

Notebook design by Anne Taintor.

Something happened tonight that hadn't happened in a long time. My five year old little boy fell asleep in my arms while watching a movie. I took a moment to enjoy the moment before carrying him to bed. I know that those moments are very short lived and for one, I won't be able to carry him to bed much longer when he gets heavier. I am practicing living in the moment and appreciating what I have before it's gone.

Whenever I talk to friends, and even to my husband, they often say to me, "You have to blog about that."

Of course when the time comes for me to blog I can't remember a any of those topics. I need to make a note in my blackberry each time that happens. So now that I remembered one thing I have to blog about it.

Thursday night at my meeting I complimented a friend like I often do and she did something that I've noticed she always does. So I pointed it out to her. Almost every time I pay her a compliment she says, "Thank you but..." and she goes on to list some imperfection.

"Why do you do that?" I asked her, "Why can't you just accept the compliment and then bask in its greatness?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly. She mentioned that maybe it's because her self esteem is low right now.

We do that. Women that is. We can't just accept the compliment and say, "Thank you!" and then feel fabulous. She agreed and then she suggested that I should blog about it.

This week I am going to practice that. I am going to say, "Thank you!" and I will not follow it up with any type of excuse about my love handles, inner thighs, or double chin. OK, you get the picture. There I go again, admitting "all kinds of things" about myself.

But seriously, take the compliment and run. We all have gifts and talents. We are all unique. We need to celebrate that. We are our own worst critic when we should be our best cheerleader.