I submit myself for punishment...

So, I know that it has been like forever since I have blogged, but come on now, Christmas was here! I am prepared for my beating now……is this a family blog? I think it best to skip that thought for now.  Anyhow, it has been super crazy at work recently, I dare anyone to work retail at Christmas time and see how you lose all of your sanity.  Between morons angry because we did not have the right color toy for their dog, and the company itself imposing all these restrictions while setting bogus sales quotas at the same time limiting payroll, and, and, and...let’s just say I'm done. 

Ho, Ho, Ho, finally time to head to TN for Christmas at the Mitchells!  I will warn you that this Christmas tale is unlike most you may hear; fore our story includes mounds of tortilla chips, containment breaches, and Collin Farrell in the movie Twilight.  Christmas day was awesome; this was the first time in my entire life that I had snow ON Christmas day!  When I was younger, we were in Florida where you are lucky to get down to the 60’s during the day on Christmas.  It was sooo beautiful!!

 

It was big fun at casa de Mitchell, with Zach opening some presents first and having a grand ‘ol time doing so!  We all followed suite and soon the room was a blur of wrapping paper, ribbons, and pure excitement!  We had to go in shifts, between Zach getting totally overwhelmed to us snacking and such, it was truly a marathon.  We were mostly done when we sat down to eat our delicious feed, turkey with all the trimmings!  After the meal we all felt like Jabba the hut so we all adopted our spots on the sofas and tried to relax. 

The next day was equally entertaining, Mom II, Chris, and I stopped at T J Max on the way to the Mitchell Mansion to scavenge their after Christmas sales.  A few treasures were acquired, but nothing of real note.  We spent most of the day recovering from the onslaught of the day prior, most of us reading, or playing with Zach.  We play in the snow for a bit, it really was cold out so we had to limit our exposure, as Zach kept breaching containment with his gloves falling off.  Speaking of gloves, I let Catherine use mine because her hands were getting cold and while tending to the kid got some Z-snot on my gloves…ah, the gift I always wanted. 

 

This picture is soo adorable~!

 

We ate, again, we were always eating, I think we all thought we had tapeworms and we wanted them to be happy on Christmas too so we were constantly stuffing something down our gullets.  Side note, homemade eggnog, freaking confusing.  I think at one point we had the whole counter full of different containers of whipping cream, egg whites, yokes, we were heating some of it up, whipping stuff, blending things, utter chaos.  All I have to say about it though, is it was sooooo worth it absolutely delicious~!

Mom II suggested that we go to the local Spanish restaurant and get a carry out order for chips and salsa.  She said, make sure you get the big bag; we were to get a couple of orders for various people as we all wanted some for the road.  We get to the place and Chris does the talking, Lindsey and I lay low. 

Chris: Can we get 6 big orders of chips and salsa please?

Spanish guy:  (crazy eyed) 6 BIG BAGS?

Chris: Yeah, the big ones.

Spanish guy: (still crazy eyed) ok.

A few minutes later three guys come out with a freaking wheel-barrel’s worth of chips and salsa.  There was obviously a communication snafoo somewhere…oh well, CHIPS FOR EVERYONE!  Can I just say the look of everyone’s face when we walked in with shopping bags of tortillas chips was priceless.  We still have 3 gallon sized bags of chips left at our house!

These are just the ones we took with us!

As the evening was drawing to a close Catherine and Lindsey said they wanted to play the new board game Lindsey got from Santa, Twilight the trivia game.  Well, me being such an expert in Twilight I played too!  Let me tell you, it was awesome, not only did I need hints on almost every one of my questions; I also added a character to the movie that wasn’t even anywhere close to right.  The question was something along the lines of “which character was next to (insert some old vampire guys name that was apparently important) in the painting on the wall.”  Well my hint was that the name started with a “C” and I should be able to get it…yeah, right.  I rack my brain, trying to think, and suddenly it hits me…Collin Farrell!!  Needless to say, I did not receive a scene card for that question.  I honestly had a blast playing the game though, the girls were taking it very seriously and toward the end it was pretty much neck and neck (my neck was frolicking in a field somewhere with hot wolf guy!) however Catherine pulled out an impressive win and the rest is history.

See, I told you Collin Farrell was the right answer!!!!!

~Represent~

The days went by all too quickly and before we knew it, we were saying goodbye and hitting the snowy trail.  The ride back was treacherous, and very slippery when we were crossing the mountains but we make it home ok and all is right….or so we thought.

When we come into the house Scooter is so excited to see us, as usual.  My friend Jamie “was” watching him while we were gone, but something was not quite right.  We walked into the living room and there are a number of poo spots and Scooter does not do this.  I am angry and of course I start thinking, we have an alarm system, so why not call and get the log of arms and disarms.  We get the log and to our surprise we see:

12/24/2010

7:45am – System Armed (this is when I left for work, Jamie understood that she was to check on him that evening)

Nothing the rest of the day.

Nothing Christmas day.

And then nothing until 6:40pm on Sunday the 26^th when she is there for 15 minutes and then leaves.

Then

Nothing until we get home Monday at 6pm.

I can’t even begin to put into words how angry I was, Scooter is like my child and to have him starving for two days while being in pain with not wanting to go to the bathroom in the house is something I never thought a good friend would do.  Chris talked me out of calling and cursing her out, and so I wrote a long detailed email to her asking her why she did such a thing.  I still have yet to receive a response from her.  As far as I am concerned, there is no excuse for that.  How someone can willingly neglect an animal and then lie to me saying she has been there is horrible.  I will update if I ever do get a response back from her.  I am not holding my breath.

Geez, what a downer that part of the happy Christmas tale was.  Overall, I had such a good time; the Marlatt/Mitchell/Vaughn-Dowdal/Bishop Christmas was one for the record books!  I feel as though I have gained at least 5 pounds of fat, but the memories and love I gained far outweighs that.  Thanks everyone for such a great time!

These next two pictures will show that Zach is ready for life, all you need is Star Wars and Starbucks...that's how I role, it will work for him too ;D

Father and son watching Star Wars together, all is right in the world!

Awesome.

Fancy-Schmancey

So this Friday, Chris and I are going to have a "sudo-week early Thanksgiving dinner" with a few people from Chris' work.  One of the guys is Mike, the owner of the company and I have been to eat with them before but it was a much larger group than just 6 people.  I am not really nervous, but I wasn't excited about anything in my closet, aside from my underwear but I think I would get odd looks if I only wore those.  So, on Saturday we were at the movies, we saw Due Date btw, it was really funny, I would definitely recommend!  Anyhow, after the movie we went on a mission to find a dress shirt that I can actually stand being in, without feeling like poo...we went to the usuals, Gap, Banana, etc. but nothing really jumped out at me.  I remembered seeing a mannequin that was dressed nice in the window of express and so I figured why not try someplace new!  I went in and tried on a couple and instantly fell in love!!

The lighting is not very good, I am sure there is more than 15% light behind me or something like that....but the shirt is a very dark blue with light striping, I also got a skinny tie...you know, because I am getting skinnier :) and I love the look!  I have to say that I feel very powerful in this gettup!  The shirt is very well fitted and makes me feel very slim~!  I was telling Chris that since I now have a dress shirt that I don't mind, now we can go to fancy places, like the yacht club, or to Sunday brunch with the president...he has been bugging us about it for quite some time now.

I know that I really shouldn't have splurged on these two items, however, I feel I have earned it!  I have only been getting Starbucks like twice a week, and have been doing quite well with money wrangling.  I deserve a nice treat now and then, and if Mr. Ramsey gives me a dirty look, I will distract him with this...

Underoos!

Most of you that read my blog know that I have a serious addiction...underwear.  Well, I have done a recent count and the new number is 148 pairs.  When I tell people this, they start to freak out and say that they do not have anywhere near that amount, blah blah blah, I CAN justify the fact that I have so many! 

First of all, I have to say that I am not monogamous in my choosing of underclothes, I go all ways.  Boxers, briefs, boxer briefs, ahem...etc. Now, lets get on with it shall we?   

Seasonals 

I do have seasonal pairs of underpants that are really only worn on their particular holiday so most of the year they stay on the bottom drawer, unless I feel like I want to wear them :)  Some of the holiday pairs are:

• Christmas
• Halloween
• Valentines Day
• Fathers Day
• St. Patricks Day
• The Forth of July

Vacation / Back to Work

I have a special pair that I call my vacation underwear that have vacation like scenes on them that I will always wear either the day before or the first day of the start of a vacation...seriously, ask Chris!  Then, I also have my pair of back to work undies which have men with briefcases and ties going to work.  I have to say that I do not like to see that pair because of their meaning.

Gym

Of course you all know that I frequent the gym, most of the time four days a week, and I will always shower and change when I get home.  So, because some of my pairs of underwear are pricey I will get cheaper pairs to wear to the gym.  Recently my favorite brands for the gym have been Old Navy's bc they make my booty look nice in my workout shorts ;)

Saucy pairs

I will not go into detail with this section, however I did want to mention them since I am justifying my 148 pairs and I want to be thorough.  I have a good number of saucy underoos which I will wear if I am feeling blue or for...certain occasions.  Ahem.

Lazy days

Of course there are those days when you do not feel like doing anything and you are planning on laying around the house all day long.  These pairs tend to be plain, boring, and uneventful.   

Work

Now stick with me on this one because I may loose you.  You all know that I work retail, and if you have never worked retail then bless you and I hope you never do because you view people and their idiotic attitudes in a whole new way, however that is another blog altogether.  What I am getting to, is the fact that it is a stressful and annoying place to be, that is where the underwear comes in.  Ok, picture this, you just dealt with some ***** and you are walking it off when you realize that you have to use the restroom (stick with me) you go in, undo your pants and find cute little pigs, or rocket ships on your underwear and that just brings a smile to your face!  Trust me, it really works!!  I have talked a friend of mine into trying this, getting some really cute themed undies and seeing if they improved her mood and it worked!  Dont you think that if you wore the same old style of white briefs for weeks that you would just think of them as underclothes and not as.....medication?!?!  Seriously!!  People take anti-depressants all the time to improve their mood, maybe they should try underwear first, now I am not a doctor or psychiatrist, but I do know that it really does make you feel better.  I may be a fancy pair that cost you more that a 8 pack you pick up at wal mart for $5, but that means better quality, better fit, more confidence, the list goes on!!!  Try it, and tell me if it works for you, if it doesn't, then at least I helped expand your collection. 

Well, that just about explains a good portion of my collection, I am sure that I am missing something, I know that I cannot explain every pair that I have acquired, and I will be the first to say that I do purchase on impulse or because they are super-cute, but does that make me a bad person?  Think of it this way: there are people that collect stamps, salt and pepper shakers( I have proof!), lamps, cars, pretty much everything!  So why is it that I am looked upon as being crazy, when at least my collection can be put to use?! 

As more validation  I am going to post some links to some pairs that I was looking at the other day that I may purchase soon, try to tell me these are not awesome?!

2(x)ist Sport Brief

Aussiebum Day Brief

 Cumfy looking Pistol Pete Trunks

Saucy Good Devil Briefs 

Super cute Diesel patient briefs 

Way comfy Sport tech trunks 

One of my favorite brands, Ginch Gonch! 

Another fav, Aussiebum 

Anyhow, I hope that now when you hear me talk about my underpants collection that you will think of this and not think that I am so weird.  Hopefully I have changed some peoples opinions and maybe even inspired one or two of you to go shopping :)  

Home invasion...

This story begins as I am on my computer in the living room (both of which I do not normally do) I was just minding my own business when all of a sudden I hear the sound of insect wings on glass.  At first I just thought that a fly had gotten into the house and that it was just trapped between the window and the blinds.  So, I kept on computing when I heard it again, and at this point it was starting to bug (no pun intended) me, so I decided to hunt out the insect and make it extinct.  To my surprise I turned around and upon the half moon windows that are above the main windows were wasps...plural...like 5 of them.  Well as any self-respected fag would do, I grabbed my dog and went upstairs and closed the door with a pair of jeans at the bottom to make sure that nothing would get under.  As I sat there watching tv, I got to thinking about how annoyed I was for having to forced into hiding and for whatever reason I figured I would take out my 'man-card' and deal with this threat myself.

I go downstairs and assess the situation, one was flying, which made me go on guard, the others four were just running into the glass like invalids.  Out to the garage I run only to find out that I do not have wasp killer or even a flyswatter.

I grab my keys and drive to the grocery store to buy liquid doom!  Side story here about how dumb some people are, I am in line checking out with ONLY the wasp killer:

Me : Hello
Cashier : Hey
Me: Do you guys have flyswatters? I couldn't find any.
Cashier: What for?
Me: ...................................*blank stare*.............................
Me: *I point to the only item I am buying, which happens to be for flying insects*
Cashier: Oh, no.
Me: Yeah, thanks.

Anyhow, I get back home and don my armor for the grand battle...a super heavy and thick jacket, winter gloves, jeans, and a magazine from the recycling bin.  So, now picture me dressed to kill...literally...in the kitchen psyching myself up like a football player would just before the big game:
 

"You can do this!" "You are so manly!" "You make more money than those dumb wasps!" "You can bench press more than them!"

I burst into the living room feeling like a king!!!!!!

WTF?!?!

Somehow while I was gone, those 5 puny wasps turned into 18!!!!!!   

As you can imagine, I was quickly deflated and ran right back out with my tail tucked between my legs!  How the hell is this happening?!  I know I can do this though, I CAN kill these invaders!  I call my mom and Chris and tell them I love them, and rush back in, I point Excalibur (Hot Shot for wasps and hornets) at this den of buzzing minions from hell and let loose............

In your mind please picture a 12 year old girl that just got front row tickets to see Justin Beiber in New York city...got it? Now use that high pitch scream when I explain what happened next....

Excalibur shoots (like a super-soaker) and these minions take flight, pissed as hell, flying in all directions, on a mission.......to kill me.  My spidey-sense took over and I (use it here) screamed and went running for my life.  I swear, I ran like they just announced a free underwear sale at the mall!!  I dared not turn around, I just ran outside and expected to see a swarm chasing after me, like in cartoons, but nothing.  Adrenaline pumping, still in my armor, I slowly creep back inside, not letting my guard down.  As I return to the site of the battle I saw a scene out of some zombie movie, all of them were flailing around on the ground and stinging at the air.  I took this as my chance and sprung into action, with my trusty magazine I extinguish their horrid lives, pausing only to make sure there weren't any that were trying to flank me. 

The dust settles and I am left panting, sweating, and full of testosterone.  I look to my left and see that there are three more in the fireplace...all the pieces fall into place.  There is a nest in the chimney!!  I am pumped so I immediately spray the whole front of the fireplace door and then open and spray the stragglers. Yank the flue closed and spray the perimeter of the opening.  Eighteen wasps dead.  A home saved from utter chaos.  

Mission accomplished.

As I stood and looked around, all I could see was a room filled with  the bodies of my foes.  I remove my armor and bask in the glory of victory.  

My man-card gets a new whole punched in it.

  I have a ways to go before I reach Chuck Norris status, baby steps...baby steps.

Glee.

So, if you guys do not already know, I watch the tv show Glee.  I am finally caught up with the weekly airing of the show, because like most shows, I started watching via Netflix.  I like the show a lot (what queer wouldn't like show tunes and fancy dance numbers?) but the show is about to cross a line with me...

It is no secret that Rocky Horror Picture Show may be may all time favorite movie, the CD is always in my car and when I am feeling blue I put it in and sing at the top of my lungs.  Well this week Glee is going to be doing RHPS...normally you would think I would be cool with this with it being my fav and all...no sir.  Glee has become this show that people of all ages gravitate towards.  It is doing extremely well and gaining viewers week by week.  When they do theme weeks, like when they did Britney, it was one of there most watched episodes they have ever shown.  What I am annoyed with is the fact that all of these idiots that watch Glee will see the amazing songs from RHPS and think that it is "cool."  What will happen then, is that one of these idiots will start to sing the songs and jump to the right during the Timewarp instead of the left as they should.  They will miss-quote lyrics. They will get characters names wrong.  They will turn this great piece of cult movie history into a watered-down insult to those who have been a fan of RHPS since they were 10. 

The first person to demonstrate such a travesty will experience my wrath...

Delinquency.

I know it has been ages since I have posted last, but things have been quite busy.  This past week I went up to the mountains to see the leaves change with my parents.  We rented a cabin in Bryson City NC, and played around a bit and even went to Gatlinburg for some fun!  I came back with 6 magnets for the fridge...there was a magnet store, I finally found a NC one that I like to finish the CA - NC trip set.  Here are some pictures from the trip:

This is a shot of the living room of the cabin from the loft, it was a really cute place!

The stairs leading up to the place and the mountains in the background.

Momma and Pappa

On the way into the Great Smokey Mountains.

Tunnel on the way to Gatlinburg.

I likes me some leaves.

The backyard one morning.

One of my favorite waterfalls.

Yes, I know we look a lot alike...that is where I will get my balding from.

Somewhere in the Smokies.

A butterfly when we stopped to take pictures.

I love the colors, if we were there just one week later we would have seen more but they were still great!

Of course, I found something awesome...a salt and pepper shaker museum!!!  It is the only one in the world and has over 20,000 pairs, it was soooo coool!!!!

Jealous?!

I loved the light bulb shakers.

On the way back from Gatlinburg some Elk came out to graze and we got some great pictures.

They were pretty cool, not salt and pepper shaker museum cool, but a good way to end the day.

Morning...me with coffee, Momma with hot cocoa.

The gang.

The view from the front porch.

Chris says I look like 'the predator' 

The trip was a lot of fun, we went to a lot of great shops and even a craft fair (Sorry Mr. Ramsey, try taking a fag to a craft fair and telling him to not spend money.) where I got some cool things!  Of course, I went waaaayyyyy off my diet, there was a pastry shop that had awesome sweets!  I even picked up a bottle of peach flavored wine which I think I may break into tonight.  ;)

Anyhow, I hope everyone is doing great, blog to you later!

Change.

For a while now I have been thinking of changing the things in my life that I am not happy or proud of.  I am not really sure what exactly acted as the catalyst for change, I just know that I am tired of feeling the way I do.

Chris and I are finally taking control of our money, it is no real secret that we like to spend it.  Well that is going to go the way of the dinosaurs.  Thanks to the book and Catherine and Terry recommended (Total Money Makeover) we are going to start making budgets, and truly becoming "gazelle-intense" like the book describes.  I think when it comes to Chris and I, that the shopping and impulse spending was largely due to me :) so I am taking a dose of reality and confronting my habit.........yes that means that I will not be buying any new underwear for a while!!  It will be tough, I am preparing myself for great withdraws but I know that in the end it will all be worth it.

I think, for me, my biggest regret is not finishing college.  I had been in classes ever since high school, I got my two year and then started focusing on my degree in Environment Science.  I was a bit into that when we decided to move to NC.  Well since I had to live here for a year so I didn't have to pay out of state tuition, that was put on the back burner.  Then, right when I could have started in this state we bought the house and things were A LOT different.  We were now paying double what we were used to paying at the apartment.  I am sure many people have stories like this full of explanations for why they stopped, I know that life throws curve balls at everyone, and I am not trying to say it was not my fault.  I just know that I am tired of feeling like crap for working in retail and am SO ready for a change.  I know that a degree will not guarantee me a better job, better pay, better life.  I just know that if I am moving forward with change, then maybe it will help this feeling of stagnancy.  I applied to UNC and they have a degree that is very similar to what I want to do, Earth Science, so I am hopeful.  It will be a couple weeks before I hear anything, I am just glad that all of my prerequisites are out of the way and I can focus on what I actually want to do.  One of my biggest worries all this time, and I think one that most retail environments try to brainwash you with is that I will most likely not be making as much money.  I make decent money, but a lot of the stuff that I want to do will likely make me less than this.  I am finally to the point now when I can say I don't care, if I can come home from a job that I love going to, that makes me happy, even if I take a pay cut it will be worth it.  Constantly, I am coming home in a horrible mood, bitching about this or that, and I am tired of living this toxic life.  I am sure it affects Chris because he, and Jamie, get the brunt of it.  I just know that if someone asks what I do for a living, it would be so great to say that I work on environmental issues as apposed to saying I sell hamsters and deal with idiot customers all day.

I am also going to start doing things that I have always had a passion for.  The biggest of those is working with blown glass.  I just found a guy that teaches basic and advanced glass working, with small torches.  This is the perfect way for me to start into this hobby!  His classes aren't the cheapest, but if it something that I love doing it will be so worth it!  And, if I am good at it, maybe I can sell the stuff!

His beginning class:



Introduction to Lampworking/Flameworking (HG100)     
This class focuses on:     
(1) Giving the students basic information regarding safety in the studio     
(2) Discussing the various types of torches and other tools used in the studio     
(3) Explaining the different types of glass commonly in use in the artistic     
glassworker’s studio     
(4) Exposing the students to the various types of glass work a lampworker can choose     
to become proficient in     
(5) Giving the students time for hands-on experience with hot glass, primarily     
learning to make a basic bead with soft glass     
The class is typically offered on a schedule of: two hours in the morning, a lunch break,     
then 3-4 hours after the break. Our intention is to schedule classes on Saturdays,     
primarily, but with the option of using a week-day if there is sufficient interest.     
Classes are limited to four students. Instructional fee is $190.00, and includes all     
materials and equipment necessary for a safe, educational, experience. A non-refundable     
deposit of $50.00 is required with registration. Withdrawal notice given two weeks or     
more before class date will allow you to apply your deposit to the fee for a later class.     

His other classes get more exciting, but I figure this one will let me get my feet wet :)  I have always been as an artistic person, and think this would allow me to express that in a manner that I think is amazing!

Now, with this costing money, school, and normal bills I know that you may be wondering how I will be doing this with the new budget and money makeover.  I think I may take up stripping...I have been going to the gym and have changed my body and think I could make decent money, I mean I am no Greek god, but I think I could at least make enough to cover the new things I want to do.  I will just need to get updated on my vaccinations and drink plenty of orange juice.......

Ok, well I hope you knew that I was just joking, however glamorous that does sound.  I am going to try to get another part time job though.  I am not sure what yet, because it will have to work around my PETCO schedule.  Another retail job would make the most sense, however I already hate people, I think another retail job, especially at a new place where I am at the bottom of the food chain, would make me even worse.  Right now I have certain freedoms and can basically make my own schedule.  I don't think I could work at a restaurant because I don't like touching strangers food, especially after they have already eaten some of it.  I was thinking working at a bank, because I have years of experience with money, but I think there would be too much conflict with my schedule now.  I am more leaning toward something that I would like, something that is away from what I am used to.  I love being outside and working, maybe working for a plant nursery, or on a farm?  I don't know, I am just thinking about this now, so I will keep you guys updated, if you have a suggestion please let me know!

I am also going to try to pick up new hobbies, the glass work has been top on my list forever, but nothing will be voted off now.  Chris has wanted me go do karate classes with him, well Chris, make the call! Catherine has made me interested in scrap booking, I want to learn more about cooking, gardening, soo many things!  I am not going to push them aside anymore, I am tried of living week to week in the same routine.

I have never talked so much about things like this because I have always felt embarrassed or nervous about what people would say about it.  Even if I still feel like that, I am glad that I am finally making a change and am going to start doing the things I want to, and living life to its fullest.  I hung a plaque in the house recently that says, "Don't get so busy making a living, that you forget to make a life."  I am going to live by that philosophy and not let anything get me down.  I am ready to experience new things and not be restrained by what people think.

Watch out world here I come!

Oh Fiddlesticks!

I am tired and so in lieu of posting something clever and witty here are some pictures I find funny...

Have a good weekend everyone!

All good things and all that.

Well our wonderful week at the beach ended on Saturday.  We had one last evening with our traveling companions and then said goodbye on Sunday.  It will only be a few short months until Christmas is here and we will see all of their cheery faces again! 

The beach was amazing!  I wish that we could have stayed forever!  We had absolutely perfect weather and not a single drop of rain!  I have posted a lot of pictures on my facebook page so if you are interested in seeing them go check them out. 

Tomorrow is the first day back at the gym.............I have to say that I am very nervous to go in.  Melvin said that I should have eaten what I wanted and that my body has been trained to a point that it will not let me overindulge in bad food................................riiiiiiiiight.  I thought that I would be able to have more restraint, but alas, I took that restraint, dipped it in butter and ate it.  The awesome thing is that since I was weighed before I left, I will be able to see exactly how much I gained on this trip....great.  Aside from feeling like donkey poop on a stick from eating such foods, I have to say, it was sooooooo worth it! 

So tomorrow at 8:00am I will walk into the gym with my head held high and my gut sucked in and tell Melvin to piss-off if he gives me a hard time because all of the months of squash and plain chicken dinners was my payment for getting me a seat at the cool kids table where they eat butter and delicious things!

Carpe-Carbs!

Results!!

Today was the last day at the gym before the big beach trip and so Melvin did my evaluation of body fat etc.  I started working out with Melvin on March 17th, I normally go to the gym 4 days a week and work with him 2 days out of those.  It has been such a difficult and at times, seemingly impossible road.  I have to say that I am so happy that I decided to do this weight loss program because I feel so good about myself now!  I have more energy and am just in a more positive mood now.  I know that I have more working out to do and I have not yet reached the "6-pack" status (I call what I have my "4-pack") but I know that I will continue at it once I get back.  I do know that I have made drastic improvements since then!! 

So here are the results:

                         March 17th            September 3rd
Waist Size:            35 inches                 30.5 inches
Fat mass:              30 lbs.                      15 lbs.
Lean body mass:  84.4%                       91.0% (Higher is better)
Body fat:               15.6%                       9.0%!!!!!
Body weight!!!!    195 lbs.                    167 lbs.!!!!!!!!!!!

Overall I have lost about 9 inches off of my body and around 28 lbs. of fat!!!!

I am so thankful for Melvin's guidance, and am so looking forward to the beach tomorrow!!  I am going to cheat this week and eat what I want to, I am not going to go too crazy but I feel I earned it :)  Thanks for everyones help and encouragement along this journey, it has really meant a lot to me!!!

IT'S TIME FOR THE BEACH!!!!

Movie Review - The Expendables

I told Chris that there was absolutely no way I would go see this movie with him, however the promise of breaking diet and eating movie theater popcorn broke my fragile spirit; the movie in question was The Expendables.  Now, you all know me, and know that I am DEFIANTLY one to call out the elephant in the room.  This movie was, quite possibly, the worst pile of garbage I have ever seen in my life...and yes, I have seen Twilight, and Indiana Jones 4. 

I should have known something was terribly wrong when the opening credits were rolling and the film was written and directed by Sylvester Stallone...oh, and he is the main actor.  Magical.  Touching on the actors, it was supposed to be awesome because all of these famous action actors were all together on the same movie and that has never happened before.  Well most of them are ancient now, Sylvester and his over collagened lips were probably the worst of the bunch.  In some parts they actually had to speed up the reel so it looks like he was actually running and doing damage to a foe.  He is also so hard to understand when he talks so most of the movie I was trying to translate his grunts and slurs.

The actors that would have made sense to put as more important characters like Bruce Willis, whom has a ton more actual skill when it comes to acting, had such a small part in comparison.  Jet Li was still good, but he has been in peak condition his whole life and probably only eats rice.  Jason Statham was the other main character and he is very easy on the eyes...which is one of the reasons why I didn't just get up and walk out...that and my weird quirk of having to see something all the way to the end. 

Angel from Dexter was supposed to play an evil dictator from this island...keep your day job detective.

There was plenty of blood, explosions, horrible punchlines, fake looking graphics, and lots of knives and axes gong into bad guys that looked really dumb.

I suppose I shouldn't go into too much detail as I may ruin this wonderful film..........................................................................*cough*.......................................................................

If you couldn't tell by now...I didn't like the movie.  This is however, just my opinion...I invite you to go see this atrocity and then tell me just how much I am right. 

I think if i was asked if I wanted to see this movie again I would have to say that I would rather hang out with these people...

Enough said.