oops!

I ended up going home early yesterday - I was running a little bit of a fever and felt really sick. Bleh. So I seriously went to bed at 6pm and was too tired to blog :-P Apologies! Because I know you were sitting there refreshing every 4 seconds waiting for my Awards post. Don't deny it.

First up!

Okay, basically the only one that requires me to write anything is the "Creative Writer" Award, and it will have me come up with at least six outrageous lies and a few truths, and you have to figure out which! I'll never tell.

1. I've gotten hit by a car.
2. Somewhere in Japan, in someone's tourist/trip scrapbooks, there are pictures of me.
3. I've eaten alligator meat.
4. I accidentally burned part of a house down.
5. I've been in a physical fight more than once.
6. I had a three week fling with a Scottish dude.
7. I used to work for the circus.
8. I eat tomatoes like apples.
9. I'm in love with someone.
10. I was on TV during last year's Inauguration.

The other two I don't have to do anything but nominate people (and for one of them, say why they're so great!), so I'm gonna combine all three and nominate the following people for them - you can choose to accept all or some of the awards if you want!

1. Kat at Low Fat Kat. Because she's an amazing writer, hilarious, we're basically the same person, and our iPods are best friends.

2. Jessica at  Living in the Gym, Kitchen and Mall She has been through a lot health-wise, and is so self-aware and really takes care of herself. And her food is SO healthy and delicious, and I love her pictures. She was my secret bloggie valentine and got me hooked on Luna Bars and Amazing Grass SuperFood powders :-)

3. Kaitlin at Everyday Grace I love how honest she is. And I really like the name of her blog! She's lost almost 50 pounds and she really is doing it with grace, I think.

4. Megan at Megan Loses We're very similar - 20somethings in DC working on weight loss. I just found her recently but she has a lot of great, relatable posts. We've got to meet in real life! :-)

5. Kat at Kat's Adventures in Dietland Her tweets are hilarious and her posts are so honest and she has lost 50 pounds! So inspiring and funny and great.

I should really do more than 5 because if you look at my blogroll..come on now. I read like 8 million. But I have to get ready for work! I should probably, you know, put in a full day there. It's a crazy idea, I know.


***Before I go, I would like to point out that after blogging yesterday morning, I did the 30 Day Shred video. Level 1, of course. And also of course, I am sore today. Good times***

That's the Weigh Love Goes

Ha, well, Taylor was not as kind to me this morning. I'd go as far as saying she was HARSH.

215.6!

Up 4.6 from last week? Wow. Yikes. It sucks, and I'm disappointed because it's like I have to drop those 4 pounds all over again...and it would have been nice to get to a 50 pound loss...but at the same time, considering my weekend, I feel like some of it might be a last minute reaction from the scale in terms of my water intake (or lack of, in my case) and such. So I'm just gonna try and make this week better!

Ha, you'll notice whenever I gain, I'm like "It's just the scale!" and whenever I lose a bunch, "It's my hard work and dedication reflected accurately in the scale!" Iiiiinteresting.

***

In other news, I'm toying with the idea of switching gyms. As I read all of your blogs, and read about all the things that yours offers, I'm getting a little envious. Mine is great for the price ($30 a month), it's right by my house, and it's all women so I'm not intimidated...but it doesn't offer much. There aren't any good classes (and when there are they often get cancelled), there is one shower and I've never seen anyone use it (shady), and there aren't any other locations (like in the city, so I could go before/after/during work) I can go to. I want a gym I can be excited about, that I can really, I dunno, sink my teeth into, if you will. I could probably come up with a better metaphor/visual for that, but, you get what I mean, right?!

I don't want to pay too much more than I already do, but I would be willing to invest a little more to get back a little more, ya know? Where do you go? If you have any advice about good deals in my area (DC/Northern Virginia) email me or get in touch! I'm easily persuaded :-)

***

A biiiiiiig thank you to 266 and Scuttleboose for giving me awards! I have to skedaddle to get ready for work, but I will surely do the required steps later this evening :-)

Connect Four

(Pretty Sneaky Sis!)

So, I ate really well today. I scored a temp gig and took a bunch of little snacks along with me. Throughout the morning and afternoon I had an arnold’s thin with almond butter, string cheese, turkey pepperoni, baby carrots, coffee, water, and garlic and herb all-bran crackers. When I got home I had a BIIIIIIG wrap, consisting of “Buffalo Style” chicken sausage, romaine lettuce, light ranch dressing, shredded carrots, and hot sauce wrapped in a tomato basil wrap.

(I know the tomato basil and the zingy-buffalo flavors don’t mix, but it actually tasted good – the wrap wasn’t at all basil-y so it was fine. Just so you don’t think I’m a total weirdo. Even though you think so anyway.)

Oh and I also had some veggie crunchers, maybe a little over a cup? And a Diet Coke.

So all in all, I ate healthfully. I made good choices.

But somehow, it doesn’t feel like it. I feel guilty, and there’s really no reason for it. Has anyone else experienced similar phantom guilt? It’s bonkers.

***

So I did it. I took the plunge. I signed up for 3 months of EHarmony. I’m terrified. My palms were literally sweaty after I did it and I felt my chest tighten. I’m so terrified of rejection – it’s not something I want to face. But I’m trying to do things outside of my comfort zone, in the name of change and evolution and what not. Maybe it will ultimately be good for me, in the long run.

Now the question is: Pursue or be pursued.

ComfortLaura says: Be Pursued! (After she finished screaming “RUN RUN RUN AWAY NOW GO HIDE IN YOUR VIDEO GAMES! LUIGI IS ALL THE MAN YOU’LL EVER NEED!”)

NewYearDynamoLaura says: Be Pursued!

Ha! See what I did there? Did you not read the part about me being terrified of rejection?

So stay tuned for EHarmony shenanigans.

***

My First Giveaway! (They Like Me! They Really Like Me! …no they don’t.)

So Progresso Soup is doing a Souper You Debut, an essay contest – the winner of which gets a really cool makeover trip/experience in NYC. You can read about it here: http://www.progressosoup.com/souperyou

In the next few weeks I’ll be trying some new flavors and telling you good lookin’ folk allll about ‘em. I already LURVE their French Onion flavor and a big fan of their Minestrone so I’m excited to try some new ones. I’ll be throwin’ some Progresso Knowledge your way soon.

Also in the next few weeks I get to giveaway a Progresso Prize Pack! It’s got soup, a mug, and a digital jump rope:

Sweetness. I’m gonna set that up soon – just as soon as I figure out how to do it. It’ll be in the next couple of weeks, I promise.

And because of some FTC guidelines I really don’t understand, I have to tell you that Progresso provided me with the soup, gift pack, information and the giveaway, basically everything. I provided the sass. That’s what I’m bringing to the table.

So in the meantime, you can go to http://www.progressosoup.com/souperyou and submit your essay for a chance to win a sweet trip to NYC. You can also print out some coupons! Why haven't you gone there yet?! .....wait, finish reading my post first (I'm important!) and then go.

My unofficial rule is that if you win that contest as a result of hearing about it from me, you have to bring me as your Plus One. (This Is A Joke. Repeat: I Don’t Mean This*)

***

Thanks ladies! 266 at 266, Becca at (Boston) Marathoner in Training and Kat at Low Fat Kat passed on this award to me! I have to share 7 things about myself and then pass it on to 7 bloggers.

7 things about me:

1. I am scared of mouthwash. I was at the dentist when I was about 5, before I was old enough to get the fluoride treatment thing – and they give you mouthwash instead. I swallowed some and then got violently ill. I’m still gun-shy about mouthwash to this day. I use it, because, I’m a freaking adult, but I hate it. I’m afraid of it.

2. I really want a Craigslist Missed Connection to be written about me. A friend of mine has had THREE about her. I want!

3. I was in band in high school, and we had our own superlatives. I was voted Coolest Sophomore, Coolest Junior, and in my senior year was voted Coolest Senior, Best Eyes and Most Fun to Be Around. It makes me laugh to wonder if such titles mean I’m the biggest geek in context with the rest of the world :-)

4. Until about a year and a half ago, I thought the phrase was “for all intensive purposes”. …it isn’t.

5. When I was 16, I was in love with a DC United player named Bobby Convey. He was exactly my age (same birthday down to the year) and living in the town over from me with the family of a friend of a friend of a friend. One of my best guy friends agreed to go on a date with this girl basically in order to get information on Bobby Convey’s whereabouts one Friday evening – at our high school rival’s soccer game. It was this huge ordeal, and so I went to the game with three of my friends. Sure enough, Bobby Convey showed up. I took one look at him and said “I want to go home”. I was terrified. My friend had to drag him over to us and carry the conversation as I stood there staring. I’ve never been good around guys OR famous people – this was a terrible combo. (I may or may not still carry a torch for him. Bobby, holler at me, forget about that EHarmony stuff I mentioned earlier, I was totally kidding)

6. I loathe tomatoes but I love ketchup and tomato soup.

7. I was the reason two of my dearest friends (the ones with the new condo!) got together. Six years ago we were having a big party, and they had been timidly flirting… So the night ends and we all passed out because…well, we were all shit-canned. So I was snoring, as I do and as one does when schwasted, and my guy friend was in the same room as me. He couldn’t take the snoring, and the next available room was that of his future girlfriend! That was the first night they got together, and the rest is history. They probably would have gotten together anyway, but I like to take credit, because that’s just the kind of Snoring Friend I am. I hope someone tells this story at their wedding, ‘cause it’s classy.

And I will pass it along to:

Jenny at Keep Me Accountable
Allison at Operation 365
Greta at Big Bottom Blogger
Doug at Beer and Cheese to the Beach (okay I know it's kind of a girly award, but honestly you can't get a better blog title. for realsies.)
Foodie Girl at For Me
Shannon/Chai at We Kin Get Thin
Kristina at Life Won't Weight

and I'm BREAKIN' THE RULES and doing another one because I really like her blog:

Kaitlin at Everyday Grace



(*I totally do mean it.)

Before I forget...

I got this award from a couple of fantastic people!

The Rules & Regulations are as follows:


Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass the award on to five most deserving bloggers


Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author and the name of the blog from whom s/he has received the award.


Each Superior Scribbler must display the award on his/her blog, and link to The Scholastic Scribe, which explains the award.


Each blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr Linky List. That way, they'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives this prestigious honor.


Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

Foodie Girl
LowFat Kat
Greta

The lovely ladies above gave me the SS award and I am to pass it on to "five most deserving bloggers".

Well FIRST OF ALL, every single blogger is deserving. So I'm gonna go crazy and just tell you to look to the right of my page and just check 'em all out. They're all good. I know this is a lazy cop-out, I'm sorry!

I got a Little Red Foo(d)ster

Breakfast:

*whole wheat wrap with 1/3 a cup egg subst. and 1 LCL wedge, ketchup, a little bit of garlic salt (this is clearly my new obsession…I should just go ahead and tell you this will be my standard breakfast for the next two weeks)
*2/3 a cup cottage cheese
*can of V8

Lunch:
*grilled cheese: 1 arnold’s sandwich thin (multi grain), 1 string cheese sliced/cut up, 1 LCL wedge, heated/melted in a skillet with Pam. It was DELICIOUS.
*1-2 cups of Progresso French onion soup (I end up pouring out half the broth b/c I like a smaller broth/solid ingredient ratio, and maybe I can filter out some of the sodium that way too)

Dinner:

* a cup of the chicken salad from earlier (chicken, honey mustard, diced gala apple, craisins, and a little bit of plain yogurt)

Pretty bland day. But that’s good. My headache/migraine has basically subsided. Do migraines or headaches usually last like 40 hours? It started around 10pm Friday night, was at its worst 10pm Saturday night, and is now almost gone, close to 8pm on Sunday. Oh well, let’s hope I don’t have to encounter it ever again!

Today I felt hungry most of the day. Maybe I should have had a snack or two in between meals, because I felt like I was restricting myself from food. Even after lunch I didn’t really feel full. Did my stomach capacity stretch from yesterday’s eating? Who knows.

No exercise. I can’t believe I only did something twice this week. I did do more walking/moving around than normal in a general sense, but I don’t really count that. Except for when I took the stairs up three flights to my friend’s apartment instead of taking the elevator. I’m totally counting that! But I’ll definitely have to make an effort this week to get moving again, for real.

Oh, other food tidbits:

*I tried to make cauliflower mashed potatoes tonight for dinner. I don’t know if the cauliflower wasn’t good anymore, but…they tasted like butt. I used cauliflower, a little splash of skim milk, two LCL wedges, a little salt and pepper, and when I heated it I sprayed it with a little bit of the I Can’t Believe stuff on it. BUTT, I TELL YOU. I think it might be the cauliflower. I’m gonna have to get some more and try again. Because a healthy vegetable in mashed potato form?? Sign me up.

*Speaking of potatoes, I’ve been wanting sweet potatoes recently. Those things are delectable. And I finished up the butternut squash – so I need a sweet orange-y healthy food to cook! Or bake. Probably bake. Or roast.

Wow I am obsessed with fall flavors. And colors. And weather. And clothing. Except for all the rain we’ve been having, that gets an F. Which in this case, does not stand for Fall.

***

One of the blogs I read voraciously, the last twenty, gave me a lil award!

Here are the rules

1. Thank the person who nominated me. [Thank you Nic!! For the award and all your comments – they make my day!]
2. Copy the award and place it on my blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated me.
4. Name 6 things people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 bloggers.
6. Post links to the bloggers I nominate.

Before I get to the other rules, I also want to point out that nic’s other blog http://perdiemfashion.blogspot.com/ is GREAT. Nic, I llurrrrrve your sense of style and your outfits. Is it weird to say that I want dress exactly like you? Haha. I’m such a creep.

On to #3 in the rules, here are 6 things – “interesting” might not be applicable.

1. If I am writing, or for some reason need to be creative, I listen to Sam Cooke. He brings out my creativity. Maybe it’s my own perception of myself that changes, or the sweet simplicity of his music, I don’t know. But I love it and it helps things flow. I also have fake hipster glasses that I sometimes wear. Sam Cooke and hipster glasses got me through a lot of my grad school projects. I’ve actually never told anyone that. And in the interest of full disclosure, I’m doing both right now. If you never talk to me again after reading that, I’ll understand.

2. Speaking of glasses, I’m pretty sure I need real ones. I’m definitely nearsighted. The last time I got my license renewed I had to take an eye test and this is what it sounded like as I did it “E…N….S?……..R??.....is that a W? Oh wait, no, that’s an M…M….” Seriously. I think I just got a representative that didn’t care. As soon as I get health insurance, I’m forcing myself to go to an eye doctor. Even though I would rather just stay in denial.

3. I was a Girl Scout for 9 years. Next to band, it was the best thing I ever did. I would love to get a job with GSCNC (Girl Scouts Council of the Nation’s Capital)

4. I get nervous when Christmas rolls around. I kind of don’t trust the holiday anymore. Last year was a good one, but two years ago (2007) my maternal grandmother died and we spent Christmas and almost New Years in the hospital, and it was our first Christmas without my fraternal grandmother (who passed in August of 07). Christmas of 06 my uncle died. Christmas 05 my fraternal grandmother had some words and opinions for me at dinner and made me cry on Christmas Eve. AWESOME CHRISTMAS MEMORIES.

5. In 6th grade, I subscribed to the American Girl doll magazine. Also in 6th grade, we had an Invention Fair as a class project. I came up with a winter undergarment that basically had gloves attached – you know, no snow up the sleeves onto your skin! A few months after the fair, I am looking in my AG magazine, and there is a little featurette about a girl my age who invented THE SAME THING and WAS MAKING MONEY OFF OF IT. I was so mad. I still am.

6. The first time I ever heard Ray Lamontagne sing, I got goosebumps. It was at a Guster concert and he was the warm up act. He started singing and my jaw dropped and I thought….”OH…I’m gonna need to be pay attention now.” I have been in love ever since. I want my first dance at my wedding (with that boyfriend I don’t have yet) to be to You Are The Best Thing. I know you’re supposed to pick out a song that you and your partner share, but I don’t care. I’ll work it into the relationship so it fits. This song choice is a closely guarded secret, I haven’t told this to my friends - much like how Monica on Friends didn’t want to tell Rachel her favorite baby names out of fear that she would use them first. And then Rachel went and took the name Emma – so you tell ME if I’m crazy! (Oh, I am)



Now for the lucky 7!

Miss 266 http://266-twosixtysix.blogspot.com/
Someday Skinny Minnie http://anothertasteofthin.blogspot.com/
Scarlet Simple http://scarletsimple.blogspot.com/
Deb at Shedding My FatSuit http://sheddingmyfatsuitforever.blogspot.com/
Karen at Not Just Celery http://notjustcelery.blogspot.com/
Christa at Our New Weigh of Life http://cweltz.blogspot.com/  
Tiffany at From 12 to 6 http://twelvetosix.blogspot.com/  

Awards

Okay, now that it's the weekend and I have a little time, I'll uphold the lovely requirements bestowed to me via a few awards - thank you, ladies!

Christa over at Our New Weigh of Life gave me this lil lady:

Thank you, Christa! You guys, her blog is great. Complete with meals, pictures, and a sweet positive attitude all the time. And I get (steal) meal ideas from her all the time :-) And her dog is adorable!!

266 gave me this one the other day:

I like this one. It's a sassy little badge, isn't it?! And I can only assume that all of us female bloggers will look like her when we reach our goals ;-)

266 is alllll sorts of on top of her game and always so supportive of everyone. I just looked at her stats this morning and she has consistently amazing weight/inches losses and does such a great job of keeping it real and writing (well) about all the struggles and triumphs of weight loss.

Both of these blogs dictate that I need to nominate other bloggers - I'm going to cheat a little and tell you to look over there to the right side of the page and browse through 'em all! I like blogs that are funny, real, positive, well written, and every single blog and blogger over there is exactly that.

I did that quiz thing (also, I can't keep some of them to one word answers. I'm just too wordy/self-indulgent.) Read if you're bored or already are in some sort of pain and want to dull it with another form of torture by reading it you dare

1. Where is your cell phone? Nightstand

2. Your hair? In need of a haircut
3. Your mother? Innocent
4. Your father? Hilarious
5. Your favorite food? Indecisive! But genre would be Italian
6. Your dream last night? Didn't have one
7. Your favorite drink? Coffee. Water.
8. Your dream/goal? Love. Job I'm proud of. Travel. Basically an established and mildly successful adult life.
9. What room are you in? Guest Room.
10. Your hobby? Laughing
11. Your fear? Loneliness
12. Where do you want to be in six years? I want to be happy about myself, wherever that is!
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. Something that you aren’t? Male
15. Muffins? Lemon Poppyseed
16. Wish list item? If we're going materialistic, a new iPod :-P
17. Where did you grow up? Bay Area then DC suburbs
18. Last thing you did? Weighed myself out of curiousity. (If I can keep that number, it's gonna be a good one!)
19. What are you wearing? Pajamas
20. Your TV? is my boyfriend. Which does not mean I have a boyfriend that is entertaining, it means by boyfriend's name is Toshiba and he's an actual inanimate television device.
21. Your pets? The best beagle ever.
22. Friends? are like family to me.
23. Your life? In progress but still very blessed
24. Your mood? Medium
25. Missing someone? Always
26. Vehicle? Toyota. (My parents and grandmother got me a car for my college graduation, because I had been driving a 1988 Toyota Corolla. The car they got me was a 2005 Toyota Corolla. 18 year upgrade, HOLLER! I love both of those cars)
27. Something you’re not wearing? Socks
28. Your favorite store? Target
29. Your favorite color? Green
30. When was the last time you laughed? Yesterday
31. Last time you cried? Forget
32. Your best friend? Multiple
33. One place that I go to over and over? London
34. One person who emails me regularly? JobSearch
35. Favorite place to eat? It's not normal or realistic, but there is this one sandwich place that I've been to a couple of times in this tiny town in Germany (I studied abroad there in high school) and they make one thing and one thing only. And that is the best sandwich I have ever eaten in my LIFE. I went there 10 years ago and I still dream about this sandwich. Drool.

AAAAAAAND now I'm hungry, thinking about that sandwich. Time for breakfast :-P

(PS: I just saw that Natasha gave me the Honest Scrap award on her blog - thank you girl!! Her blog is great too. But I'm sure everyone knows that already!! She is so sweet and honest and genuine and I always love reading her posts.)

I would like to thank the Academy and...No, don't play me off!!

I went swimming today! 30 minutes! And this time I didn’t really take long(er) breaks in between laps. They were maybe 10-15 seconds or so, at their longest. So it was a good swim. And I had the realization that another good thing about swimming for me is the practice of wearing my swimsuit, and just putting myself out there. Doing my best to stay out of my head, where I can’t help but think about what the lifeguards or other pool staff or other swimmers are thinking about how I look in my bright red suit. Gigantic tomato? Mars? But I think each time I go it gets a little easier and I can say to myself “You know what? I’m doing this for my health. And I may not look great now, but I’m here and I have just as much right to swim as anyone else. I have just as much of a right to do ANYTHING as anyone else.” I’m not wearing it on a t-shirt yet, but I’m getting there. And of course, in reality no one cares and these are things I think and project onto others. Or if they are thinking these things, then they’re jackasses and that’s not my problem!

***

So I check my email today and I have a comment from the wonderful Katie J that she gave me an Honest Scrap award! Well THANK YOU! I am so excited.

As I have seen, the rules for this shindig are:

1. “The Honest Scrap” award must be shared!

2. The recipient has to tell 10 true things about themselves

3. The recipient has to pass along this prestigious award to 10 more bloggers.
4. Those 10 bloggers all have to be notified they have been given this award.
5. Those 10 bloggers should link back to the blog that awarded them.

So...first, the 10 things about me:

1. I live in the Washington, DC Metro area. So in addition to being a Hokies fan, I also live and die by the Redskins! (if you follow the NFL, um, you’ll see that it’s mostly dying with them…)

2. I am a Gemini in every sense of the word. The good and the bad. (According to Astrology online: http://www.astrology-online.com/gemini.htm)

3. I played the clarinet for 9 years…and was in the marching band…and actually loved high school.

4. I love airports. I love to people watch and see loved ones reunited. It’s like the beginning scene(s) of Love Actually. Plus being in an airport makes me feel like a jet-setter.

5. Even though I consider myself fairly lazy, I’m the happiest when I’m working towards something (weight loss, grad school, etc.)

6. I am almost always listening to music.

7. Traveling is my favorite. I’ve been to London (want to live there someday), Paris, Edinburgh, a few places in Germany, Cancun, and various US cities. I still want to go to: Greece, Italy, Ireland, Germany again, Australia, Canada, and in the US: Hawaii, Maine, Chicago, Boston, Austin, Seattle, and Denver.

8. I LOVE office supplies. I could spend hours in Staples.

9. I was born in San Francisco – we lived there until I was 7 and then moved across the country. I still feel very close to the Bay Area.

10. I am nothing without my best group of friends (there are about 15 of us, one big family). We have all been friends since high school, and some since junior high and elementary school. We all know each others families, we’re in each others’ weddings, plan baby showers, and are still the goofy teenagers at heart most of the time. We have our own online forum, and we even have our own phone tree and depending on schedules have our own Thanksgiving Dinner or Christmas Dinner/Party.

Now onto my 10 Recipients!

105 in 365 http://105in365.blogspot.com/
Chubby Stubby Kay http://chubbystubbykay.blogspot.com/
Token Fat Friend http://tokenfatfriend.blogspot.com/
Lindsay: Under Construction http://justlinds.blogspot.com/
Doublechinned http://doublechinned.blogspot.com/
Fat Girl Dives In http://fatgirldivesin.blogspot.com/
Ex Hot Girl http://exhotgirl.blogspot.com/
Belly B Gone http://burnbellyburn.blogspot.com/
From Fat to Fit http://fattofitanna.blogspot.com/
Fat Fitness Food http://www.fatfitnessfood.com/

Now off to tell them. And make dinner. And then blog about it. Honest Scrap-ily :-D