Life's Weighty Matters

Yesterday my husband and I were visiting some friends and hubby noticed they owned a new scale.  He lovingly calls me into the bathroom and says, "Tell me if this scale is right..."  I awkwardly tilt my head sideways, much like my dog Meghan does when I heartily mention the word 'FOOD', so I reply by saying, "How can I do that?"

It dawned on me that he wanted me to hop on that device, in front of HIM!  Is he insane?  Luckily we've been married over 8 years and if it was going to be a huge dilema to witness what would pop up on that scale, then I figured in the grand scheme of things, we had very few problems in life.  So, what the heck.  I hopped on.

144.5 lbs*

I was (gladly) shocked and immediately confirmed that the scale must be right.  Over the last few months I've stopped eating meat, but unfortunately I can't report I've been eating only salad.  So, I assumed I would have jumped up drastically in weight from the achievement of weighing 137 lbs a few short months ago.  Originally when I decided enough was enough with my weight I had last checked the scale at just over 161 lbs.  I'm 5'7" and I began to feel thick.  To feel like I was in someone else's body.  To feel not on course with where I wanted to go with life.  So I worked on it.  I exercised...HARD, I ate 1250 calories per day, EVERYTHING I did was in passionate pursuit of being the 130 lbs self I knew lived inside my body.

So, after months of not really focusing on my weight, and eating just a little too many slices of delicious east coast pizza, I figured that jumping on that electronic scale would have caused it to beep an emergency warning signal indicating it was about to self combust.  But it didn't, I had only gained 7.5 lbs and I know I can let that go.  Needless to say, I'm glad I got on that scale, because I had been in denial for the last little while.  I was dreading ever stepping on one, because heaven forbid it actually told me the truth, something I wasn't quite ready to hear. 

Well, now I've heard it.  And I'm ready.

*I can't believe I just posted that on here:o)

Atlantic City

Isn't it amazing that as soon as you put your mind to something it finds a way of crystalizing into your actual "reality"?  Well, not long ago I decided to focus on some of the goals I came up with to achieve within the awesome year of 2010.  One of my goals was to take 4 trips.  I had one down, and three to go.  One of the locations I wanted to go spend time in was Atlantic City, NJ.  Last weekend, I got to cross that one off the list.

Not only did we get to go, we got to go for FREE!  Your mind is an amazing thing!  We got a free room and free dinner and lunch, so off we went.  I dropped my babies, aka dogs, at my uncle's house and we hopped in the car for a two day adventure.  We landed at the Tropicana Hotel and checked in.  The room was gorgeous.  It was big and the bed was H-U-G-E!  Can't beat that.  We freshened up and went to play at the casino.  Oh, we're not gambling fools, but some Texas Hold'em and good ol' Black Jack is always fun.  We retired to our room at about 1:00 AM and rested up for the next day.

In the morning we packed up and loaded our stuff in the trunk of our car.  We actually had a business meeting in Atlantic City that day, and although that may seem like "work" to some people, it was actually the highlight of the trip.  We got to hear from motivated and successful leaders from the company and it totally jacked up our energy level for the rest of our stay.

We headed back to our hotel after the meeting for some late lunch/early dinner at the buffet and stayed to play a little longer.  In the interim we saw the boardwalk and enjoyed the sights of the beach and that neat town.  All I can say is that your intentions are powerful.  As soon as you can start to focus on goals, they will have to come to you because that's how life works.  It's inevitable!  So, instead of focusing on what we don't have, let's focus on what we want and enjoy an awesome life!

Burger King

People seem to think that being a vegeterian means no more fast food.  One day I aspire to be so valiant in my effort of healthy cuisine.  However, in today's day and age, I still frequent fast food places.  What do I order?  You know, fries, baked potatos, side salads, oh yes and of course Coca Cola (Pepsi only when there's no Coke options).  I'm terrible, I know.

Yesterday, my husband and I dabbled our way into a Burger King to order a late night meal on our way home from a long day at the office.  To my astounding surprise I noticed an item on the Burger King Menu that out of sheer curiosity I had to order.  They have a FREAKING VEGGIE BURGER on their menu!  No joke!  So I ordered it and hubby got his Whopper thingy and we went over to the register to pay.

A manager-like-dude stepped up to the worker behind the counter who had just made our food and asked his employee, "Did someone just order a Veggie Burger?"  Disgust oozing out of his tone.  The employee simply nods his head while offering an 'understanding' smile to which the manager then responds by shaking his head in absolute disapproval and saying, "Yuck."  I could hear it in his voice, what his young brain was processing was, "What has this world come to?"

How to Master the Art of Sales

You want to learn how to be a successful sales person?  Just go to a fast food restaurant in Newark, NJ where you'll see a top notch example up front and personal.  My husband and I were pulled up in line at a drive through for McDonald's with the driver window rolled down ready to place our order (even though we were about 3 or 4 cars away).  Right then, we made first contact.  A lady looked straight at us and surely she noticed our UTAH license plates and decided to work her magic. 

She points in our direction and says "You two make a great couple!"

We chuckle and think 'okayyyy'

She continues, this time pointing at my husband, "Make sure you put a ring on her finger!"

We just responded, "Yeah."  And thought that was the weirdest exchange ever!  Who says East Coast people aren't nice?  So she is now walking in front of our car and then abruptly stops.  Shakes her finger at us and continues her story.

Saleslady:  "You know, I should tell you," she begins, now right up against my husbands face bent over on the driver side, speaking through our prematurely opened window.  "I work as a nurse, I don't do drugs, I don't smoke or drink and I have four kids..."

Us:  "Oh, yeahhh?"  We then exchange a glance at each other as if to say 'What the heck?'

Saleslady:  "My stove is completely broken, I just got the cops to come over to make sure there isn't a leak or anything..."

Us:  Still baffled. 

We begin to drive forward as our turn to order food quickly approaches, and she walks along side the car still bent over talking...

Saleslady:  "Look I'm just eating ice!"  At this moment she shows us a cup she's holding full of ice cubes and then continues, "I'm just trying to feed my FOUR babies at home, maybe looking to buy them some cereal or something, but I just don't have anything!"

She gives a sad look and then continues to remind us that she doesn't do drugs, smoke, or drink and that she's a nurse in the area.  But, alas, it was almost our turn, and I'm a sucker so I reached in my bag, pulled out a dollar bill and handed it over across from my husband into her eager snatching hand.  But that's not all...

Saleslady:  Facing my husband now, "Sir, do you have any change?  I don't like asking the ladies!"  Was she being polite, demeaning, or just slick?" 

Us:  My husband shakes his head no, and by that time I give her a few more cents I found in my bag. 

Saleslady:  Snatchingly, "Thanks..." and then just walks away rapidly.

My husband looks over at me for being such a fool, but I've justified it as she needed it way more than I did. If her story was true, then I helped.  If it wasn't, then too bad for her living a life where she had to beg.  Either way, I did a good deed, :o).

After getting our food and driving down the town on our way to run errands we pulled over to a spot by a sidewalk to enter an address into our GPS and saw two men walking past.  They were innocently, conversing together, with seemingly no perceived agenda.  I reached over and locked the car doors as they were about to pass by.

My husband: "Are you serious?"  Wondering why I was so paranoid.

Me:  "Did you not just see that lady poke her head through our windshield?  Yes I'm serious!"

Ahhh, just another Friday night in Jersey!

Pigeons

I am that lady.  Yes, the one who opens her window and throws bread out on her window sill to watch the birds come over and graze upon the bounty.  Am I really that big of a bird lover?  Well, let's just say that I just love ALL animals and make no exception.  So, what kind of birds come to my window?  Since I'm on the east coast, about 10 miles away from New York City, I get the infamous PIGEONS!  Yes, the cockroach of the sky.  Dirty ghetto pigeons that don't fly away if you get too close, since they're used to and comfortable with humans.  To me, they aren't any lower class than a robin or a blue jay.  I think they're cute little chubby creatures and they make interesting noises:o).

It's funny how animals stay perceptive to the history of their locations.  I usually see at least three or four of the suckers perched against my window daily and we've had as many as a dozen birds at a time during the feeding frenzy.  It's funny to watch.  Some of them are lazy little things that don't walk over to the pieces of bread  unless you throw a piece right in front of them.  Even my pigeons are SPOILED!

So, recently, as my husband and I were napping during the days of the East Coast Heat Wave we heard the pigeons perform their unusual cooing just outside our window.  This was a sound we have gotten used to (like the sirens and loud car radios) so we really didn't think much about it, until it started getting louder than usual.  We opened our eyes at the exact same time and looked over to our bedroom window and saw two pigeons sitting on our opened window pane facing INSIDE of our house.  YES!  They were coming INTO our home!  My dogs were going crazy!

I about rolled over three times laughing so hard as my husband skipped straight up and shooed them back out and closed the window.  Silly pigeons, the outside of our window is all yours, but the inside of our house is for the dogs!