Seeing Results

I went ahead and tried level 3 of the 30 Day Shred on Friday.  WHOO It is pretty brutal!  I could definitely tell I was working muscles I haven't been working too much thus far.  I am still pretty darn sore, especially in the backs of my legs and my gluts.  I kept watching her demonstrate the moves and I would think to myself, "No way can I do that!"  Then I'd try it and I could!  There was only one move I just can't do successfully--RockStar jumps.  Basically, you jump straight up and kick your feet back behind you.  For some reason, that just KILLS my knees.  So I modify it, still doing a jump, but small keeping my feet under me.

Sunday my mom remarked that you could really tell that I'm trimming down, especially in my upper tummy.  It made me so happy to hear that! Then Monday at work, a coworker of mine that doesn't come into the office very often also remarked that I was "looking great" and he could tell I was losing weight!  SQUEE!! LOL  Monday's weight in has me down 19.2 lbs--SOOOO close to 20 now and really close to my next big weight goal!

Weekends can be a real challenge for me food wise, since we tend to eat out a time or two and I sometimes don't get a chance to track my intake until later.  Saturday I did well, get a burger at lunch, but only eating half of it and having a salad on the side.  My sister was with me and we did get some frozen yogurt later, but I kept my portion pretty small and it was easy to track the calories since you pay by weight.  We ran errands and I picked up a few things for AJ's birthday party (my baby will be 1 in less than TWO WEEKS!?).

When we got home, I was getting the kids out of the car when a pretty, reddish golden retriever walked up to us.  Luckily, she was wearing a collar with tags.  I put her in the backyard so she wouldn't wander away and once we got the kids settled, I got the phone number off the tags and called it. The number was for a service that helps reunite pet owners with their pets.  I gave the lady the ID number and name on the tags--Molly.  She tried to call the owners, but got no answer, so she gave me the owner's name, phone number, and address.  I immediately recognized the street name, she hadn't wandered far!  I called and spoke to her owner, an older lady and offered to walk Molly home.  She was grateful--she hadn't realized Molly was gone! Apparently they had some workers at the house, so things were loud and chaotic and she'd thought the dog was downstairs with her son.  Also, apparently this sort of thing was Molly's "one fault"--I guess she's done this before!  Tyler thought the whole thing was a great adventure, although I think he would have liked Molly to have stayed a while longer to play!

Pretty Molly and silly Tyler-Man

Sunday I made a diet boo boo.  We went to a picnic my dad's work was holding and we stopped to get Tyler a Happy Meal on the way, knowing he wouldn't eat there.  Adam got a cheeseburger and asked if I wanted one.  Thinking I might not eat much at the picnic and that a single cheeseburger wasn't too high in calories, I said yes.  I didn't immediately plug it into MFP and later I forgot all about it!  It wasn't until I was adding up my calories before dinner that Adam reminded me.  OOPS!  Well, luckily this was before dinner, so I was able to adjust a little bit, but I still went into my exercise calories more than I would have liked.  Lessons learned:  EVERYTHING at McDonald's is high in calories and track them when you eat them! 

The picnic was at a park, and it was drizzling all day.  We'd thought they would move it to an indoor location, but the joke was on us!  (Another lesson learned--bring extra clothes just in case!  I had to run across the street to Kmart to get the kids sweats so they wouldn't freeze!)  The owner of the string of dealerships my dad works for throws quite an event, giving away gifts to all the employees and all the children who come. Tyler was thrilled to chose a motorized Thomas the Train set and we chose a ball-launching toy that unfortunately seems to scare AJ.  He likes the balls, batting them around on the floor like a cat, but he doesn't care for the noise and the launching.

I did not work out Monday.  I was kind of bummed about it, and it makes me nervous in a weird way, like worried I won't get back into it.  We had to drop the van off at the dealership and by the time we got home it was after nine and I was supremely cranky.  Ah well, no rule says the 30 Day Shred can't be completed in 31 Days!  9 more days and I will have completed it!  I really think I'm going to make it this time!

OH!  One more thing to add!  AJ took his first steps on Monday!  GO AJ!!

Domo's Destinations, Part One!

Welcome to part one of Domo's Destinations!! In this episode: Pet Store! (Captions by me and Twin! Funnier parts by Twin!)

Domo says: "OUTSIDE!  This is not the sofa!  Today is the best day EVAR!"

Doma doesn't think Guinea pigs look like guineas or pigs.  "Are they tasty?  Will they help me destroy cities?  What's the point?"

Domo views guinea pigs from above.  "Do you guys want to be my minions?  I do need minions."

Who is cuter, Domo or puppy?  "I come in peace, furry one.  Please do not chew on me."

Domo goes Aquatic.  "Guys, are scuba suits expensive?  Because I would really like to go swimming, but I don't work the wet look."

Domo can swim!  "Sing the Jaws theme! SING IT!"

Domo considers catching some dinner.  "FISH.  Beer batter yourself, deep fry, then get in my belly!  NOW."

"Grow, little lizard.  Together we will stomp on buildings and wreak havoc."

 "Did you run over him?  Why is he so flat?  Tell me what you did to him!"

Domo fears the albino snake! But not because he's white. That would be racist.  "No, it's because it's a snake.  If it's a python, how is it going to find my neck?  It's going to wrap itself around my armpit and I'm gonna get all 127 Hours'd!"

Domo wants to talk car insurance, but the gecko is not on duty, it seems.  "TELL ME HOW I CAN SAVE 15%  OR MORE!  I will also settle for Flo's number."

Domo noms on a chew toy.  "Diff fing taftef  like baffrobe."

Domo is admonished, because said chew toy has not been purchased yet. "I was just getting sampling!  Is that not allowed here?"

Domo is ashamed.  "I have been chastised.  I am torn between despair and the urge to stomp things."

Domo gets a birds-eye view of birds.  "So what's the deal with you guys?  Your arms are weird.  Wait, they make you levitate?  That's AMAZING."

Domo has a wonderful idea! Domo should totally try flying!  "I can totally do this.  Those things are teeny and feather covered.  I am Domo.  I will FLY!"

It's wooorrkkking!  "I'm Flying, Jack! I'm--"

FAIL.  "Owwww.  Need a little help here."

Now Domo really sees birdies...  "You saw nothing, do you understand me? NOTHING!"

Does this sweater make Domo look square?  "I feel pretty!  Oh, so pretty!  I feel pretty and witty and--- are you taking my picture?  It's just for us, right?  Don't put this on the internets.  I trust you."

Domo considers becoming a prissy purse pet.  "If Paris Hilton lays one finger on me, though, I am OUT."

Caged Domo!  "I don't think I like this.  It's not cushy at all, and I can't seem to find the TV.  What am I, an animal?  Wait... am I?"

Domo mustn't lick his stitches.  "This will really help sell it to Flo.  I'm gonna marry her."

Domo wishes to tell you that his water dish is empty.  "And just how am I supposed to jacuzzi in an empty water bowl, huh?!:

Domo always takes the stairs.  "As someone wise once said, escalators can never break.  They can only become stairs.  Plus, elevators are big death boxes, I saw it on 20/20 or something."

Flyin' atcha!  "Domo must go now!  I will return when you need me most!  Or when my humans are bored.  Whichever comes first!"

Tagged!

1. If you have pets, do you see them as merely animals or are they members of your family?
I have a dog and three cats. My mom, who lives with us has two cats. My sister, who is also staying with us right now, has two dogs. So that means that I have three dogs and five cats. I love my animals, but I have to admit they've become more pets than family members over the last few years, especially since I had Tyler. Especially my cats.

2. If you could have a dream come true, what would it be?
Right now? To have a healthy baby girl.

3. What would you do with a billion dollars?
I have sent way too much time thinking about this. I would hire someone smart who could help me make the best of my money first. I would pay off my debts and the debts of my immediate family. I would then build a house, take a real vacation, and then sit down and figure out how I want to proceed with my life. i'd like to start some sort of non-for-profit organization to help others. I'm not the type to lay about for the rest of my life.

4. What helps to pull you out of a bad mood?
Watching my son be goofy!

5. What are your earliest memories?
I think I remember moving from Sherman Drive to the house I grew up. I remember sitting on boxes and eating White Castles.

6. How did you meet your significant other?
My friends Gabby and Pat introduced us, we met on a blind date.

7. What kind of books do you read?
Lots of different things. Romance types mostly. I also love the Harry Potter books.

8. How do you see yourself in 10 years?
Hopefully in a larger house! I hope to have at least one more child, hopefully a girl. I hope to be somewhat happy in my job and financially stable.

9. What’s your fear?
Losing the people I love.

10. Would you give up all junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to see outer space?
Nah.

11. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
Think a second on if it was the alarm, Tyler, or my bladder that woke me.

12. If you could change one thing about your significant other, what would it be?
I really don't think I would change anything! Maybe he could stop picking his nails and clearing his throat?

13. If you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?
I put a lot of pressure on names! Something feminine, not too common, with a good nickname. That's about as specific as I can get.

14. What are your pet peeves?
Ignorance and criticism.

15. If you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?
Probably pizza.

16. What is the thing you enjoy about blogging the most?
I love it when people comment! It makes me feel so special when I realize people actually read what I had to say.

17. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
LOL I never REALLY knew. I thought about teacher, artist, writer, singer. I even considered 911 operator once. I watched too much Rescue 911 and the only time anything ever happened to them was a lady with diabetes. I figured it was the safest profession. Yeah I don't know how my mind works.

18. Do you have any recurring dreams?
Not really. I dream really randomly.

19. If you had to choose between vacationing at the beach or in the mountains where would you go?
That's hard...I'm going to say beach but not busy and not too hot.

20. What show/movie did you love as a child that, turns out, is really terrible to watch as an adult?
Bambi. Depressing.

Nature's WTFs

My twin wrote a blog post ages ago about what she described as "nature's cutest WTF", a duckbill platypus. See it here

Then I saw an article on People: Pets and we had the following email exchange:

Saw these on People-Pets. Thought some of them gave the Duckbilled Platypus a run for it's money in the "nature's WTF" catagory.


FENNEC FOX
The tiny Fennec foxes — native to North Africa — may look pretty cute, but they're actually nighttime predators whose oversized ears are so sensitive that they can hear insects walk on sand. Perhaps they can also get a better listen when they phone home?
Me: Really cute and mildly strange looking in an AW sort of way.
Twin: These are just cute, they’re not creepy at all. I like the big ears. It’s like your cat is trying to eavesdrop.
Me: Hee! For real. It’s all like “I’m not listening…really. Continue.”


With eyes as large as their brains, the furry little tarsiers of Southeast Asia are able to climb within a day of being born. That must make things easier when you take them to your leader.
Me: Okay those eyes could be scary.
Twin: The funny thing is that the eyes open REALLY slowly, so it’s like he’s shocked in slo-mo. I think he’s cute, though.
Me: Oh that’s hilarious. But yeah, he is kinda cute.


STAR-NOSED MOLE
Ahh, it's coming to get you! Well, if you're a worm or small insect, that is. The star-nosed mole, often found in Canada and the U.S., literally inhales its food, taking less than a quarter of a second to find its prey, grab it and digest.
Me: FREAK-Y I kinda threw up in my mouth a little bit when I saw this one.
Twin: He looks like bad things happened to your personal bits or something. On the other hand, check out the awesome press-on nail action!
Me: Ew yeah totally. LOL he does have lee press on’s!


ALBINO HEDGEHOG
Is it a bird? A plane? Nope, just an albino hedgehog, so rare that there's only one for every 10,000 in the current hedgehog population. Though his look is intriguing, his upbringing will be solitary: Because he stands out so much in the wild, he'll have to live in a hedgehog home to survive.
Me: Not that weird and sorta cute.
Twin: Hedgehogs are cute. The end.
Me: Agreed


ECHIDNA
Named for a mythological Greek monster that was half-nymph, half-snake, the echidna seems like something that might want to whisk you away in its UFO. But these little guys are typically harmless — the toothless creatures feast predominantly on insects.
Me: Hee. Does he have a boner?
Twin: Looks like! Look how cute they get when they’re bigger, though!


Me: I must say, he’s cuter as an adult. And more nails.


COMMON-SIAMESE SOFT-SHELLED TURTLE
He may look like a spongy space creature, but this common-Siamese soft-shelled turtle can be a fierce fighter when necessary. The breed, found throughout the world, is known for a disproportionately long neck, which helps the animal to keep its body submerged in water, sand or mud while still getting oxygen from the surface.
Me: Ew. I hear a squishy sound for this one.
Twin: It looks like it’s been microwaved. Me no likey.
Me: LMAO he does looked nuked!


AYE-AYE
My, what really big eyes you have! Though its wiry hair and spooky yellow peepers give the Aye-aye a Martian-like look, the foragers — native to Madagascar — are kind of like woodpeckers, gnawing holes in wood to find food.
Me: I feel like he'd be all hyper-active. Too much sugar.
Twin: This is that thing the zoo’s getting! It’s all strung out and weird looking, like it’s been forced to survive inside of a Starbucks for a year.
Me: They are getting these a the zoo?! And yeah, totally beyond caffeine buzzed


BLOBFISH
It came from outer space! Or actually, cool waters off the coasts of Australia and Tasmania. The blobfish — literally what it sounds like — is a creature rarely seen by humans, that lacks muscle and floats just above the ocean floor.
Me: This guy looks like a loogie.
Twin: But a kind of cute loogie. I feel like he should have been in Finding Nemo, and that’s why he looks all depressed, because his part was cut for Dory.
Me: Gotta disagree here. He looks diseased. I do love that he appears to have a nose.


GOLDEN MONKEY
Though they're cute and furry, little is known about the golden monkeys, making them extra-mysterious. The endangered creatures are typically found in the mountains of Africa, restricted to highland forests filled with bamboo.
Me: Not weird! Cute! And snuggely
Twin: Not weird, just sweet!


PANGOLIN
Often compared to a "walking pine cone," pangolins have hard scales all over their bodies, and can curl up into a ball when feeling threatened. But their craziest characteristic? Tongues that extend into their stomachs!
Me: Okay the tounge part is icky.
Twin: Agreed, but I like this guy. He looks like a porcupine and an armadillo had a baby.
Me: Yeah, he’s got some cute. And more nail action…these animals could use some mani-pedi action.


HORESHOE CRAB
You know that guy who never wants to leave the party? Well, this is that guy in the animal kingdom. The horseshoe crab (with Baker) has been around for half a billion years. If you see one — they're all over the eastern seaboard — thank it for its contributions to science. "We use their blood to screen for contamination in hospitals," Baker explains. "If you've ever had an operation, you owe something to the horseshoe crab."
Me: Cool animal. Low on the cuteness scale, and I wouldn’t want to cuddle him, but he’s got charisma, no?

Twin: If by charisma you mean the ability to make me want to pee my pants, yes.


CORNISH SUCKER
Baker's love affair with this creature began in tidal pools near his home in the UK. "You flip over a rock and you see this weird fish. Yes, it's a fish!" says Baker. He explains its weird look: "Its pectoral fins have fused to form a huge sucker on its belly."
Me: EW. Sort of a speckly turd. I can’t believe this guy admits to having a “love affair” with this thing. And what exactly does it suck?
Twin: It’s an angry slug. I veto this creature.


SILKY ANTEATER
They're fun to look at, but don’t get too close — those razor sharp claws can pull apart concrete in their quest for food! Baker learned the hard way when one grabbed on to his finger. "They have karate moves!" Sounds painful!
Me: On one hand, aw, cause it looks like he’s rubbing his eyes, all sleepy-like. On the other, lethal looking. He’s a cutie though…all fluffy
Twin: “I am so sleepy… HAHAHAHAHA you fell for that! Dumbass.”


MIMIC OCTOPUS
This critter "uses its incredible muscular control to push its bodies into different shapes," explains Baker. "It can be a flat fish, it can be an eel, it can be a jelly fish." Never trust a shape-shifter!
Me: Dude, he’s kinda cool. Not very attractive. He’s like Odo on DS9 (Adam has turned me into almost a trechie)
Twin: It also looks like two naked snails doing it.


HELLBENDER
This slimy salamander — which can be as big as 18 inches! — lives all over the American Appalachians. Baker loves this animal, called a Hellbender, because of its unique gender roles. "The males guard the babies!"
Me: Ick, this guy is majorly slimy. And his tail is flat. Kinda hard to tell head from tail. I don’t get the name though.

Twin: I think that’s its head. I think God stepped on him, and tried to fix it and then was like, nah, it’s cool like that.