The Obesity Myth by Paul Campos

I have been waiting for this book to come out for like a year now. It's out. Today. Yeah. I ordered it.

Paul Campos is my hero.

I've been meanin' to blog this and Adam being at BWI reminded me...

When Vic and I were there (in the BWI airport) on our way home from the hellish trip a few weeks ago we stopped at Starbucks to get Vic a fix (I passed...I like to avoid airplane bathrooms...fat girls get stuck in there, ya know). So I was standing off to the side when I noticed the man in front of Vic was blind and alone...with only a stick, no dog or anything. I was watching him...because, well, he couldn't see me staring...and I was interested. I love assistive technology even in it's crudest form. SO he orders, sticks his way to the pick up line with the verbal instruction of the counter help, and a few minutes later picks up his piping hot tall coffee. All the while I'm lost in thought about how he even knew there was even a Starbucks there and how his nose must be pretty kick ass and wondering if he smelt his way there...when all of a sudden he turns to take a step and the coffee sloshes ALL over the front of him. Yes, it had a lid...but he had taken it off to put c/s in and didn't get it back on good. I could tell by his facial expression that it hurt like hell so I ran to the counter and grabbed napkins and said "hold out your hand, I have napkins for you." He did, said thanks, cleaned up, fixed the lid, and sticked his way to his gate.

The thing that I could not get over is that I was the ONLY one that acted. Everyone else just stood and stared. I noticed that other people saw what happened but no one wanted to move out of line or offer help. I got his feeling that people were thinking things like "that is what you get for being blind and out alone." Which suchs because even though that might not be what people were thinking...that sure was the way they acted. It was like they didn't know what to do...or say. It just made me really sad for that man and I thought about him the whole rest of the day. And I thought about how lucky I am to have all of my senses. Lucky indeedy, you never know when you can loose them or the ability to walk, etc.

Misti, have you blogged Clayton's update lately? Have we talked about it at all on here? It's a story worth tellin'. An even sadder one....

::iLL WiLL PreSS:: HOME OF NEUROTICALLY YOURS, 4Y-RECORDS & MORE.

Listen to the "Fat-kins Diet" one. He does drop a few F-bombs and talk about fat bastards...but it made me laugh. And he has a good point..."You don't see any fat squirrels, do ya?!" I like the pissed off squirrel. He has a nice message of self acceptance at the end too...something like "and if anyone tells you you are too fat or too skinny tell them to fuck off and die." Right on, squirrel! You are preachin' to the choir!

Only 5 days until International No Diet Day and I was printin' out the Cherry Sheet Cake that Vic's Mom makes that he loves...and well...I'm not gona love it. I'm actually going to hate it. Here it is:

1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup Butter or margarine
Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy then add
4 eggs
2 cups sifted flour
1 TBSP lemon extract (sometimes I use Almond extract instead)
1 Can Cherry Pie filling
Power Sugar to dust after baked

Add eggs one at a time to butter and sugar and continue to beat until fluffy, add flour and extract and mix. Spread into a greased and floured jelly roll pan and mark dough off into squares. Fill each square with Cherry Pie filling, about a TBSP or more into each.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, until golden brown and bounces back when touched or do the tooth pick test. Sprinkle with powered sugar while warm.

Okkkk...lets see. Um. I hate lemon cake. And I hate almond extract. I also don't know what the hell she means by "mark dough off into squares." What size squares? And why? Is it for looks because I so don't give a damn if it looks pretty.

I think I will make it but w/ vanilla extract as the sub. for the lemon crap and I'm just gona spread the cherry stuff all over the cake. Maybe then I'll like it. MAYBE.

I've been doin a little crotch pot cookin. Ya know, Good Morning Vietnam...he says "crotch pot cookin'." Anyway...

Chicken & Noodles...hated it

Brisket....hated it

Oriental beef w/ broccoli....hated it

Soooo, I have one more recipe for a roast that I'm going to attempt next week and if I hate it...I'm giving the damn thing back to my mother. Though, Kim had a good point..."but it's so easy to make queso!" so maybe I won't give it back. But damn. Besides not liking it...I'm NEVER awake 10-12 hours before I eat....I get up at 10-12 am...and we eat when I get up and again around 7ish. So, yeah, not working. This morning I got up at 7:30 to put all the crap in there and get it started...of course I went back to bed...but still. I was pissed because I didn't even like it. Ok, enough of my bitching. If anyone has any recipes that they know are tasty for the crotch pot...please email me or blog them or somethin. Did I mention that Vic has liked them all...he's so weird...

My parents are here. They are leaving tmw. I am so sleepy and it's only 9:30. That's what gettin' up early will do to you. It rained here for like 24 hours straight. I mean like really rained...no sprinkles, but monster drops and tornados and stuff. My poodles have tracked in most of the mud from the backyard so my carpet is a new color of redish sand brown. Preeety. I also laid down in bed last night and it was gritty. My mom was watching the poos. Seems she let Frank lay up there. Nothing like a good exfoliation while sleeping. Gross. If this is any indication of how good mom's gona watch any future kids...um, they may not leave my side until they start kindergarten!!

1. What is your Full Name: Amanda Michele Matthews Napoleon

2. What color pants are you wearing now: n/a

3. What are you listening to right now: American Idol Barry Manilow edition...rather boring

4. What are the last 2 digits of your mobile phone number(s): 61

5. What was the last thing you ate: handful of cherry tomatoes

6. If you were a crayon what color would be appropriate for you: plum purple

7. How is the weather right now: overcast and humid

8. Last person you talked to on the phone: my Mom

9. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex: smile

10. Do you like the person who sent this to you: wasn't sent it, took it from Andra and she rocks

11. How are you today: a smige stressed...the parents are coming tomorrow and I'm trying to get the house ready

12. Favorite Drink: sonic lemonade (i think it's minute maid, but the sonic ice makes it rule!)

13. Favorite Alcoholic drink: cranberry juice & orange vodka

14. Favorite Sport: Anything that I don't have to watch, listen to, or participate in.

15. Hair Color: light brown w/ blonde highlights

16. Eye Color: gray

17. Siblings: Lance & William

19. Favorite Month: November

20. Last Movie you Watched: Raising Arizona

21. Favorite Day of the Year: Easter

22. Are you too shy to ask someone out? doesn't apply anymore

23. Summer or Winter: used to be summer until I moved to the humidity...now winter, I suppose

24. Hugs or Kisses: hugs, unless it means the chocolate variety...then kisses!

25. Chocolate or Vanilla: Vanilla

26. Do you want your friends to write back: yes, please!

27. Who is most likely to respond: Misti!

28. Who is least likely to respond: I'll be wild and vote for Adam!

29. Living Arrangements: Vic (husband), Nancy (black std poodle), Frank (brown midget std poodle), Carson (fat orange cat), & Chester (gray explorer kitty)

30. What books are you reading? Some non-fiction book about prophecy written by the Left Behind dudes

31. What's on your mouse pad: no mouse pad for me, thanks

32. What did you do last night? Corinth Civic League meeting, dinner w/ Vic & Sheri, unloaded & loaded the dishwasher, read, went to sleep at 3 am

33. Favorite Smell: my nose doesn't ever work so well, but fresh roses and BBQ pits make me happy

34. What do you look for in a friend: honesty, stability, loyalty, and sense of humor

35. What inspires you: I agree w/ Andra...Jesus is pretty much the big one...there are lots of others in the bible too...like Ruth and Mary

36. Popcorn: POP stands for Plain Ol' Popcorn...no butter no salt!

37. Favorite Flower: stargazer lilies

38. Favorite Cookie: oatmeal chocolate chip or my Aunt Jan's sugar w/ icing stuff

39. Favorite animal: Pandas, poodles (just the standard ones!), and my puddytats (I could have used another "P" word for them, but I got control)

40. Motto / Words of Wisdom: No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. ~Eleanor Roosevelt
OR
To have and not to give is often worse than to steal.
~Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach
OR
go here!
Favorite Quotes: "Amanda the Great "

41. If you could be an animal what would you be: either a whale or an eagle...or one of poodles...they have the life!

TCS: Tech Central Station - The Diet Problem: "Sandy Szwarc"

Sandy Szwarc is my hero. If I had read this article when I was like 12 I would still be fat...because, well, I was then...but not this fat. And bastards like Weight Watchers Camp aka pig farm (yes, I chose to live there for a month at 14) would not have had my $$. It just continually blows my mind that we know that diets don't work and the media still doesn't pick up on it....I mean, really it doesn't...it is a billion dollar industry...but still. That is so dishonest.

International No Diet Day (INDD)--Love Your Body! is coming up. I think I will have a party. Even if me and Vic are the only attendants. I always think about it, INDD that is...but this year I think I will do something fun like try a new recipe and make us a tasty homemade dessert...Vic's mom gave me her recipe for cherry sheet cake that Vic loves...I think I will make it.

WellnessGear Digital Step Pedometer: The Walker's Warehouse

My mom just let me order this, in purple no less. She got one and keeps telling me how many steps she took and I want to tell her how many I took too.

She's a dork though...the first day she had it she called all upset because everyone is supposed to walk 10,000 steps a day and she had walked 2 times that day, gone to the grocery store, home depot, and vacuumed the whole house...and hers said she had walked 423 steps. She was so sad. So that night she was reading the instructions and noticed that it said that it had to be on your waist band to work...she had hers on the NECK OF HER SHIRT!! Duh. So the next day she did much less and it said she walked 10,000 something.

Of course, I just have to add this because well...you never know if I have a new "reader"....neither of us (me or Mom) would do something to attempt to loose weight...health is a much better motivator and movement should be fun!!

Speaking of cats...while we were gone pet sitter Sheri accidentally lost my Pesty Cat (Chester). She called us freaking out last Sunday because he was no where to be found. She was trying to get the poodles back into their palace and left the back door open for a few. Seems the temptation was too great. She looked, Teri and Heather came over to help her look, she called animal control, left the garage door cracked so he would come in if he came home and slept in the living room so she could hear him if he was crying in the backyard.

I cried, dreamed he and Rowdy were in heaven together, and just generally felt sick about the whole thing. He's such a baby...though he does have his claws...he's never been outside before in his 13 months of life!!

So when we came home, I went to the pound and called all the little towns around here's animal control. Noone had any info. So for the next few days I stared into the backyard with no signs of Pesty.

THEN! Thursday night, Sheri and I were on the phone when I noticed that Nancy had her front paws in the window seal and was wagging her nub. That's what she does about 3-5 times a day this time of year when we have cottontail bunnies in the yard (we affectionately call them Nancy's bunnies). So I figured she was just crying wolf, when I looked outside to see a small gray Pesty walking back towards the woods. So I ran outside (naked) and couldn't see him. I came back in and got the Pounce treat can and ran back outside (naked) and shook the can. He instantly started meowing really fast and after he figured out the dogs were not outside with me, he came running. He is so skinny, and as soon as I got him in the house he went bounding towards the food bowl where he stayed most of the night. But other than that, he's in perfect health. He must be much tougher than I thought, because 4.5 days out in the forest behind our house couldn't have been easy. Especially since one night the low was 37!! He has not left my side since he came home and runs the other way everytime I open any of the outside doors. Carson is so happy to have his brother back too, he keeps giving him baths. So sweet!

And I had said a week or so before we left that we needed to have him declawed when we came back. I am SO glad we hadn't or we probably would still be Pesty-less. But I still think we might, this was a freak deal. I could never have outside cats, I would worry way too much about the. And, yes, he is fixed. All of our fur babies are genderless.

Almost forgot...

Big Willie Style passed the P.A.T....shot 5 under! Yeah!