4/16/2011 - 4/22/2011

On my game this week...but had to wait to post until I gave my friend her gift (the red painting).

4/16/2011 (See what the Captain is holding? Kindle much?)

4/17/2011 (Plan of attack for my last day of review!)

4/18/2011 (Happy birthday, Cares! Post-exam release...I had such fun doing these! I'm no artist, but I do have a good time!)

4/19/2011 (Attended the visitation for my Ethnic dad. He was a funny and great man and gone far too soon.)

4/20/2011 (It arrived!!!!!)

4/21/2011 (My first digital movie! Yay! Is it July yet? :-/ )

4/22/2011 (Celebrating my birthday 3 months later [to the day, no less!] with the SIL. We had a great time!)

4/9/2011 - 4/15/2011

4/9/2011 (Somehow this got skipped the first time I posted...after my first spa visit [see nails] I indulged on Mission Burrito! Not as good as I remember it being, but still delicious!)

4/10/2011 (Indulged yet again by taking a huge selection of donuts to my sister's to hang out for the morning. My neice and nephew are just too cute!)

4/11/2011 (I am loving this season so far. No one is a knockout leader and everyone is improving. Plus, Kirstie Alley is hilarious!)

4/12/2011 (Delivery!!!!)

4/13/2011 (Arrival of my next new non-data phone to try out...it didn't last, haha. Great phone, just...I can't give up data as easily as I thought I could. Rats!)



4/14/2011 (I was really looking forward to this one and it did not disappoint! A wonderful dinner with PAA ladies and then a great class. Excited for the next adventure!)



4/15/2011 (Payday again...I'm glad I decided to weigh in on a day that normally makes me happy so wherever the needle lands doesn't sting so much.)

4/2/2011 - 4/8/2011

Trying to create a new habit of updating this entry daily...

4/2/2011 (After traversing to Chinatown [watch out for bad drivers] and getting my first ever massage [pretty dang good] and eating at a very delicious restaurant [Lai Lai Dumpling House] I trekked over to the library to pick up a few books on hold. It was quite a pretty day and I love the library!)

4/3/2011 (Had my first ever grilling lesson. Seems far simpler than I imagined it to be! Excellent!)

4/4/2011 (My books arrived! These puppies are dense and very heavy. Surprisingly heavy, in fact. I listened to the audiobooks, as read by the author and which are FREE on podiobooks.com or his website scottsigler.com/gfl. Alien football. Awesome!)

4/5/2011 (I sure do love me some gospel. Thanks for providing, Glee, even though I still mostly dislike you.)

4/6/2011 (Discovered a new book that's fun AND I definitely want to have these same little script pictures as part of my future novel...I think they are fun!)

4/7/2011 (Halfway through reading the CPA book, hooray! Exam in 11 days...eep!)

4/8/2011 (Finally took the time to watch this movie of some of my favorite boys, Broken Lizard. It was a let-down...but after creating such brilliance as Supertroopers and the oh, so hilarious Beerfest, I can see how it could be difficult to maintain that level of genius. I still <3 the boys though!)

3/26/2011 - 4/1/2011

Wow did I ever fall behind in posting! I was pretty good about the photos themselves, though. Some days it is really tough to find something to photograph!

3/26/2011 (Walked over to J/L's instead of driving my car back and forth for the afternoon. Ah, the joys of hosting visitors. It was enjoyable despite the heat!)

3/27/2011 (Happy birthday, G! This card was too funny to pass up and I'm sure this cat is far sweeter than his, which was spawned by the Devil himself. Srsly, the cat is wicked. And not in a cool way.)

3/28/2011 (Look how she groweth! Not me, the baby boo! She is starting to focus on faces and her own movements fascinate her. She is so adorable! What a keeper!)

3/29/2011 (Wonderful to have my Grandmother visit and just as wonderful to get my bed back when she leaves!)

3/30/2011 (From my good friend, Lakesha! Though I must admit, when there was no name on the card I didn't eat them until I'd verified they were from her...after trying the Live WebChat on the website and they weren't able to help me. They are delicious!)

3/31/2011 (Making my own flash cards for study purposes. It's kinda fun!)

4/1/2011 (Anal much? Inadvertently placed them like this, honestly. Completely unconscious...or just really lucky. Ha.)

Pay Day

Pay day has a new number attached to it: my current weight.

Though my scale may not be the most sophisticated and may not always be entirely accurate, the needle was notably lower than it was 2 weeks ago. I take that as a good sign!

Things I've been doing on my way to a healthier me:
Fruit smoothie every morning comprised of:
Whey protein (to keep me full)
Flax oil (Omega-3, hooray!)
Frozen berry mix
OJ
Cranberry juice
Yogurt
Papaya (kinda gross, personally, but great for the digestion!)
Pineapple, cantalope, kiwi and a banana

Apple cider vinaigrette comprised of:
Part apple cider vinegar
Part Flax Oil
Dash turmeric, cayenne pepper, and chili powder
Fresh cut garlic pieces
Parmesan cheese (from the green shaker thing)

Which I put on my: Salad (I buy the spring mix and spinach leaves containers at HEB) that I have at lunch every day coupled with some form of protein (meatloaf, chicken, turkey, etc)

Dinner I try and stay healthy, but that can be difficult. That's when I focus on moderation. Seems to be working thus far!

Thanks for all the info and assistance, Cares-a-lot! You're my health hero!

3/19/2011 - 3/25/2011

Updated this bad boy daily this week! Enjoy!

3/19/2011 (Last live class. Now it's all up to me!)

3/20/2011 (Finished my friend's book and I cannot wait for the sequel! I hope she gets this published, and soon!)

3/21/2011 (Fresh fruit is awesome and all, but it is beyond time consuming. Also, tried Papaya for the first time. Definitely winged it instead of googling it. It is the mustiest smelling fruit I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing. BUT, it is excellent for the digestion. Just disguise it in a fruit smoothie.)

3/22/2011 (Thank you, Groupon, for being my crutch during the first few months of the new year. I'm glad I quit you for a little while, though. My bank account is very glad, too. Prior to quitting though, I purchased a Canvas on Demand Groupon. It arrived tonight and I am so excited to hang it at work!)

3/23/2011 (Horrible traffic early in the morning due to a pedestrian involved accident...on the freeway. Don't people know there aren't any crosswalks? What galled me was the audacity of the drivers all around me making up laws as they went. Several people considered the shoulder to be a lane for a few miles. Hwy 59 was a 7-lane highway this morning and I was not a happy camper.)

3/24/2011 (Almost have the whole family represented! Will work on that...)

3/25/2011 (How apt! Technically this wasn't my original fortune, but I always say that you should choose your cookie, not be given it. I chose this one...regardless that it was the last available cookie to be had. It was meant for me!)

Steve, he's the man

Steve Martin, a current day renaissance man (defined by wide interests and success in them), is fascinating. He's humorous, having taken part in several of my favorite comedies (Three Amigos, anyone? What a trio.) both years ago and currently. It's Complicated  was a noted success and it just came out in the past few years.

Couple this talent of acting with his indescribable musical gift and finesse with the written word, and this guy puts nearly everyone to shame.  He's enjoyed commercial success on pretty much all of his endeavors, recently scripting his book Shopgirl: a novella into a fairly successful and received movie and earning a Grammy award for his first full-length Bluegrass album, The Crow. Check out this performance on Ellen from a few years back.

I love this album!

I have yet to read the aforementioned novel, but did read The Pleasure of my Company. I have to say, it was bizarre, but oddly fascinating. I was intrigued by the character and wanted to know how his story ended. While Martin's voice as an author is not my favorite, his grasp of storytelling is clever and delivered fairly well. I mentioned that I had read this book to a friend and she immediately handed me his autobiography, Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life. The man has had quite a life. From his early beginnings on the stage developing characters and playing banjo as part of his act (yeah, had no idea!) to starring in movies, writing plays and novels...this guy just won't quit! Well, he actually did quit...read his autobiography. The man is odd, no doubt. He has no doubt, either. :-)

I posted a photo last week of the album I mentioned earlier, rediscovering its brilliance, and was insprired with the idea to search him on Amazon.com to see if he had any other projects in the works. Lo and behold, I struck gold! The creative and talented musician has done it again, releasing his second Bluegrass album just one week ago, Rare Bird Alert!

Yes, it went directly into my cart. Now, to find something else to tip me over the $25 limit...yes, I know shipping is only $3.99, but it's the principle of it all!

Here are some other fun facts about The Man:
1) He's a born Texan, you betcha! Born in Waco, Texas!
2) He recently released another novel. The guy is a true artistic machine!
3) He truly began his comedic career as a writer.

Read his autobiography, it's amazing how many great projects this man has taken part in! I just can't get enough of him! Enjoy!