Mirror, Mirror

There are a few things I do want to blog about but haven't had time to catch a breath!

Today, unfortunately, was one of those days where nothing went quite right. I'll just tell you the beginning of my day, and that should be enough.

So, a couple of days ago, I decided to order myself a couple of things because my clothes have gotten a little too tight. (I posted about this a couple weeks ago).

Long story short, I have been on the no-pop-wagon for 41 days and counting. I thought for SURE this would help. I've been eating salads and lean proteins for lunch, low fat yogurt and low fat granola for breakfast, lots of fruits, and tons of fresh food since the Farmers' Market is in full swing. I've even been working out... that's just starting, but I have been doing it. I've been giving it a true effort.

In any case, I figured that wedging myself into jeans that made me feel like a stuffed sausage was not helping my self-image, so I figured I'd buy a pair to buoy me while I tried to get back down to last year's weight.

I got them in the mail last night.

I tried them on before work, excited because they were exactly what I wanted, for half price. I even thought I bought them big enough.

I didn't.

Like.

Not even close.

I'm fairly sure it's a result of the medication I have been on, in a cruel twist, to control my stomach.

The scale keeps rising. I don't want to have to buy new clothes, nor does my new saver self want/can do it.

I can't help but care about it. I know it doesn't change who I am as a person, but I already have enough health issues. I don't need to have to worry about this too. Can't a girl catch a break?

I am most definitely throwing myself a pity party.

Summer Hours

Everyone's been noticing a dearth of blogging this summer, and I'm no exception. I'm trying to keep up on everyone's lives and leaving comments so you know I'm around, but life has been extremely hectic this summer. Nearly every weekend is booked up for the rest of the summer; it's kind of overwhelming. Some nights there are three or four things happening. I don't want to miss any of it; yet sometimes I feel myself missing some free time, some me time, some putter-around-the-house time. I'm trying to combat it by being organized--lists, calendars, planning ahead (gasp! not that!)

Unfortunately, blogging falls off the list when we finally tumble home. We've both been working a lot and then there are the social funnesses to attend to. But we have no intention of leaving you. Or our laundry. (Which, incidentally, sadly, may be worse off than this blog.) So, with everything swirling around, this blog has been on a bit of summer hours.

This weekend was near-perfect, though. Friday night was the celebration of a very dear friend's impending BABIES. That's right, two'ems, two girls! In the merriment of finding out, she hosted a cookout and we had a good time, eating crispy-skinned brats with sweet relish and pasta salads...all the good things cookouts entail. To cap off the night, we sat around the bonfire, laughing and trading stories.

Saturday proved to be a planning day, errands, organization, cleaning. Then, my bathroom was converted into Salon Kat as I dyed Cindy's hair. It turned out really well. I can at least indulge my inner beauty geek sometimes!

Saturday night led to seeing The Hangover. I'm always leery when people tell me something is SOOOOO funny. . . but this lived up to its expectations. Lots of people laughing in the theater is always fun, too. Then we headed to fireworks for a local city celebration (tuned to, funny enough, God Bless America, Thriller, and Sweet Caroline) and carnie-watching. Finally, drinks at a nearby watering hole. Bomb pop shots and pizza... and two mischevious girls manning the juke box. There was lots of dancing by two of us, and lots more laughing.

Sunday dawned beautiful (at least...the morning was pretty when I finally opened my eyes around 10:30, ahem), so we headed out to the Farmers' Market, one of my favorite, favorite, favorite activities. I just absolutely love wandering around, smelling all the smells, taste-testing local farmers' wares, and coming home with far too much fresh produce and an armload of flowers. Since we were latecomers to the party, flowers were steeply on sale...I got tons of lemon-yellow dragonsnaps, blue salvia, purple gladiolus, and broad-faced sunflowers for like $10. William and Molly waited for me at the kitty-corner coffee shop while I bought veggies to my heart's delight. It was so beautiful outside that we sat and enjoyed the sun at the coffee shop a little longer. Molly loved ice cubes from our frosty Thai coffees, and we met lots of interesting dog-parents and artisans, and watched throngs of people ant-marching to the Cirque du Soleil show that afternoon. (Mom, we must have missed you!)

After our slow stroll home, we ran some more errands (soon some photos of a new furniture project we're embarking upon), then friends called with good news: they were only a couple of miles away, with their month-old baby in hand--and they wanted to stop and visit. Oh baby! We were excited they were feeling up to going out and about and hanging out with us and, truth be told, I wanted to hold the baby. :) They ended up staying for dinner, and I made BBQ ribs, baby bok choy with ginger and garlic, cornbread with honey butter, and caprese salad. YUM. Then we watched the Twins game on the teevee, and called it a night.

Belly laughing with friends, eating good food, good conversation and happiness with William, sitting in the sun, holding a new baby. It's one of the best weekends I've had in a while. Sometimes, summer is just so good.

Photos and more fun to come.

Goodthings

Hi friends.

I'm sorry I haven't been around much....I honestly haven't even been home much! I just wanted to check in and say hello to my blogfriends and tell you that I miss you. And that I really, really hope that you'll stick with me.

In lieu of a real post, I'll make a list of a few awesome things lately...

1. Spending time with family at my parents' cabin. Beautiful weather, fun conversation, screaming at cold lake water, and eating tasty snacks.

2. Yoga on Tuesday nights and the long talks that always result afterward.

3. Zipping up a skirt that didn't fit a while ago. . .

4. Sticking to my no-pop (soda to most of y'all) decision. I still miss pop, EVERYSINGLEWAKINGMOMENT, but my stomach appreciates it and ... amazingly, I'm even more energetic.

5. Sobe Lifewater, Blackberry Grape flavor.

6. Catching up with a childhood friend today over lunch. It was fun and easy and looking forward to doing it again.

7. Realizing that I have learned something lately.

On the other hand. I still miss Michael.

Don't Stop Til You Get Enough

Today, the world lost perhaps the finest entertainer we have ever known.

I lost my first love.

Michael Jackson.

As a child, Michael was real to me. He visited me at home, we ate peas at the dinner table together, we danced around the living room--my mom even left him in the car once when we went grocery shopping. It elicited a screechy "Mom! You left Michael in the car!!!" She dutifully turned around, opened the back door, and let Michael out, lest anyone in the parking lot think she was locking a little brother in the car on a hot day.

I remember seeing Michael Jackson moonwalk on TV for the first time, his glitter glove aglow. I remember digging my hand into a bag of popcorn, completely enthralled. My boyfriend was on the teevee! And he floated! The man may go down as the greatest dancer in history.

My brother brought home the 13-minute VHS tape of Thriller, thinking I'd be overjoyed. What I remember is sitting in front of our giant floor TV set (which made that signature ga-thunka, ga-thunka sound when you twisted the dial), hands over my eyes (but still peeking a little), screaming, "That's not my Michael! He wouldn't scare me like that!" Of course, subsequent viewings of the mini-movie thrilled me, like most people, to no end.

I am still the first person on the dance floor when those first bass lines begin to groove on Billie Jean. I unapologetically love We Are the World, Bad, Dangerous, Leave Me Alone. I love him without irony. Throughout his scandals, the disappearance of his face, his strange, sad publicity grabs, I still thought he was one of the most talented people alive.

I feel sad for him. Being the most famous person in the world for at least a decade—a decade of excess, no less—must be lonely. Despite his fame, he always had this melancholy air, this arrested development. Someone worked himself to death, adoring millions, but still feeling fundamentally misunderstood.

The man in the mirrored aviator glasses, military jackets, highwater pants (only he could make those cool), and the glittery glove. The man whose hair caught afire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial. He brought us the bizarre, the spectacular, the sublime. The man who completely overdelivered on his moniker, fulfilled his title as the King of Pop.

His genius made him unreal, untouchable. We stayed home when he launched new worldwide singles. (I particularly remember Black or White.) Everyone was always talking about him the next day, but fame took a toll. He was obviously, seriously mentally ailing. Eventually, we saw less and less of the genius, and more and more of a man in need of help. A sad genius recluse, looking more and more like a freakish wax statue, bankrupted financially and socially.

When I saw TMZ was reporting his cardiac arrest, I thought. It's not possible. It's not real. Then I thought, he'll be OK. Then I thought, uh-oh, number 3.

Tonight, I imagine him walking up the stairs to a great forever, each step alight as his foot touches it, a little further away from us mortal beings.

I don't want to think of it as it is: A mere slip of his former self, he died uneventfully. Like most of us.

Edited to add: After I wrote this, I saw this article at NPR. I wish I had written it.

This is a Call to All My Past Resignations

So many things happening all at once!

As my life has seemed to become more inundated with things to do, I've let a few pounds sneak up on me.

It's been a shock...and a blow to the ol' ego. Up until probably a few years ago, I couldn't GAIN weight. Now it seemes here to stay, even though I eat a pretty healthy diet. (Very little fast food, I love fruits and veggies.) I probably eat too much cheese, but I've cut back on that.

On a bad day I'm about 12 to 15 lbs heavier than I was last year at this time. There could be reasonable explanations for this:

• I spent the winter working my butt off on freelance...but that meant a LOT of sitting on the couch and writing after sitting at work all day. (And snacking).
• I was diagnosed with IBS and began taking medication for it...which could account for the weight gain, not only as a side effect of the drug, but also because of reasons I'm sure the internet does not want to read about. So. I'll leave it at that.
  
• My metabolism is slowing down...I am 28.5 years old now. (Although it's been screwed since I turned 19 and acquired hypothyroidism). I was slow the last time I went to the doctor, so my meds were switched up a bit, but losing the weight isn't as easy as it was to gain, even if it wasn't my fault.

Here's the thing. I hate exercise. Seriously. I have been taking a belly dance class every Saturday for the last few months, which is two hours and a good workout. I'm glad I've taken it. I'll resume after the summer rush is over. I'm also taking a yoga class, and I like doing that a lot. It's a hour of stretching and core muscle building.

So I have to find ways to try and work my body every day. Some current ideas:

• Walking Molly at a fast clip
• using our gym in our building (weights, elliptical)
  
• buying Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred... (I need to actually DO that, though).
• cutting waaaaay back on pop (I am about a can-a-day girl, I'm trying to cut that back further. And NO, I will not drink diet pop. Life's too short. I'd rather only have one a week than one a day with that awful diet aftertaste.

But here's my thing. I need YOU, internet.

• What are some of your least-hated workouts?
• Healthy meals? (Vegetarians, I'd love your input here, as our Farmers' Market is kicking into high gear and I love buying fresh produce there!)
• How do you stay on the workout wagon?
  
• What are songs that ALWAYS put you in a good mood, rev up your energy, and keep you going when all you want to do is plop down on the couch with a pound of goat cheese and a spoon (or whatever your vice of choice may be)?I'm not a music snob in the sense that I won't listen to Top 40, but I like other smart dance songs, like the recent Yeah Yeah Yeah's Heads Will Roll?

It's time to take charge, friends. I'm up high enough that I can't fit in a lot of last summer's clothes. Help me.

Erase Replace

OK. I was planning on making a little more dramatic re-entry from haitus than this, but you know me. . . time goes by, then boom! Kat's mad about discontinuing products!

Here's the thing. There is one, and only one, truly great undereye concealer out there. And it's not even expensive! It's Max Factor's Erace.

Look, I have really dark undereye circles, even when I get a lot of sleep. I'm pale, so you can see all my dark veins. It sucks.

I have tested many, many different creams, tubes, and sticks. And Erace is the one for me. And many others. And I know some people are totally hooked on 2000 Calorie Mascara, but I'm a L'Oreal Voluminous girl until the end of time.

I do not know what I will do without my precious Erace. I will look like one tired girlfriend, that's for sure. I have til 2010 to stockpile. Hope there's a lot of preservatives in those babies!!!

--One more week of hectic schedule, then I should be back on the blogging track.

Treading Water

This week is a marathon, y'alls, a marathon. Sorry for my relative absence around here. I do miss mah bloggins. But there's just A Lot going on around here, and I'm having trouble juggling it all.

William is in an art show this weekend, I have lots o' work going on, and lots of little errands. Plus one of my BESTEST FRIENDS IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD CAME HOME FROM THE PEACE CORPS. So it's been busy.


Stay tuned for regular programming.