Sunday Stealing: Random Randomness

1. How did you choose your baby's or pet's names?
   * Two of my girls and my son were named because we liked the name. One of my daughters was named after a baseball player that was a big deal the year she was born.
   * The kitties were named Ms. Cleo after the cat in Pinocchio, I added the “Ms” because she demanded it. Rueben was named after the delicious sandwich.  
2. Have you ever been fishing?
   * Yes, I used to enjoy fishing with my Papa. I haven’t been fishing in years. I don’t know if you know this, but you can get all the fish you want at Safeway.
3. Have you ever had your national flag painted on your face?
   * No
4. What was the last social faux pas you made?
   * Speaking the truth in a case review meeting.
5. What makes you nostalgic?
   * The “what if” moments. Those moments where you wonder if things would be dramatically different if I would have turned left instead of right; said no instead of yes.
6. What's the scariest thing you've ever done?
   * Going under general anesthesia.
7. What fairy tale character would you most associate with?
   * Shrek – grouchy, loveable, helpful when there is a need… but in the end he just wants to be left alone to enjoy his space.
8. How much do you tend to swear in public?
   * More than I should… I do try to censor myself, but when I’m surrounded by ignorance, it can be difficult.
9. If you ruled your own country, who would you get to writer your national anthem?
   * Eric Idle
   
10. Who is the most intelligent person you know?
    * I have a couple friends whom I know I can turn to for sage advice.
11. What's the craziest thing you've ever done for someone?
    * Pretended to be straight.
12. What's the worst piece of advice anyone has ever given you?
    * In regard to the struggle to come to terms with my sexuality… “just stop it, you’re going to lose everything”. Sadly, they were mostly right.
13. If you had to describe yourself as a flavor, what would it be?
    * Frank’s Red Hot Sauce… sweet at the front, with a spicy finish.
14. If you had to describe yourself as a car, what would it be?
    * An Explorer… beefy, strong, yet stylish.
15. If you had to describe yourself as an animal, what would it be?
    * RAWR… I’m a BEAR! Cuddly, cute, strong… but I’ll rip your throat out if you screw with me.
16. Do you think laughing at someone else's misfortune is wrong?
    * Mostly yes… unless they bring it on themselves.
17. If a loved one was to serenade you, what song would you most like them to sing?
    * Only in my Dreams – Debbie Gibson
18. Would you ever let your parents pick out a partner for you?
    * That isn’t possible.
19. Have you ever tried spam? (the meat product).
    * Of course.

Saturday 9: Kick In The Head

1. In the song, Dean sings, "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" to express how delighted he is to discover the girl loves him. When was the last time you were pleasantly surprised?
   * I was pleasantly surprised that the Wendy’s pretzel burger was pretty tasty.
2. Martin was born Dino Paul Crochetti, and his family only spoke Italian at home. Do you speak any language other than English?
   * Sadly, no.
3. Before he became an entertainer, Martin fought under the name "Kid Crochetti." Do you watch boxing? What about wrestling?
   * I’ve went through phases with wrestling and MMA… mainly to check out hot guys. I haven’t watched either for quite a while.
4. This song appeared in the original Ocean's 11 (1960). That film was remade in 2001, with basically the same plot -- a group of suave criminals knock over the casinos on the Vegas Strip. Why do you think so many movies feature crooks and con men as heroes? 
   * In our subconscious there is a desire to be naughty or get revenge and get away with it. Many of us fantasize about exacting revenge, saying the just the right thing and getting away with it. The Ocean’s series is one of my favorites.
5. Crazy Sam's (the author of this meme) college sweetheart took over his family's wholesale liquor business, married a woman named Helene and has two sons. How does she know this? She checked his Facebook page on the sly. Have you ever used the internet to look up an ex?
   * I have to block my ex and her family on Facebook because she’s psycho stalker who gets her jollies looking at what I post. I hear she uses our daughter’s profile to get around the block. I’m seriously considering de-friending my kids because of it. Chances are she’s reading this right now and will print it out to keep in her folder of things that offend her. It’s been FIVE years… Get a fucking hobby! 
6. As she writes this week's meme, Sam is sipping from a Big Bang Theory cup that features  Sheldon's face and the word, "Bazinga!" Tell us about your favorite mug or water bottle.
   * My favorite mug is featured at right, I also have one with a New Yorker cartoon of a man laying on a therapists couch saying “You need to up my meds doc, I can still feel”.
7. Are you a good judge of character?
   * Judging by the people I have invited into my life, I would say I’m a good judge of character 20% of the time.
8. Do you know how to turn a somersault?
   * Yes, I understand the concept of how a somersault works.
9. Which one do you use -- roll-on, stick or spray deodorant?
   * Do they still make roll-on? I use Old Spice stick.

Seven Deadly Sins

Wantonly stolen from Mark at Voenix Rising.

Lust: Something that I find attractive.
* Guys that look similar to him –>

Pride: Something that I like about myself.
* I like my passion for causes, things and people I value. Even though it causes me great frustration at times.

Sloth: Something that I dislike about myself.
* My social anxiety and aversion to confrontation.

Envy: Something I wish I was better at.
* I wish I were better at motivational speaking. It would be a nice skill to have in my line of work.

Gluttony: One of my favorite [fast] foods.
* Pizza is my weakness. I fully intend to only eat 2 slices… but it never stops there. .

Wrath: Something that gets me angry.
* People who celebrate ignorance and do their level best to make sure their view is the loudest and most prevalent voice in the discussion.

Greed: Something I can’t get enough of.
* Mo Money… Mo Money… Mo Money…

.

TMI Thursday: I stop the world and fall for you

Sean at Just a Jeep Guy started it, now all the cool kids are doing it (The ones I know about are listed in the sidebar).

• How does Fall rank on your list of favorite seasons?
• it’s #1
• What are your favorite fall fashions?
• My favorite hoodie
• What are your favorite fall foods?
• Homemade chili, fresh picked apples and pumpkin spice latte.
• Have you ever FALLEN and couldn't get up?
• Not yet
• Fall is the start of the new TV season, which show are you most anticipating?
• So far I’ve really enjoyed The Blacklist and The Agents of SHEILD. Of the returning shows, Homeland.
• What fall activities like apple picking, hiking, foliage trips, do you enjoy or plan on doing?
• Usually I take the kids to a college football game, but not this year as every extra dollar is going toward a medical event. We will get out for some apples though. I miss the kids being small and going to the corn maze.
• Halloween is __________.
• …not as fun as it used to be.
• Do you dress up for Halloween?
• Not any more… I’ve had no reason for a few years.
• Do you have daylight savings time where you live?
• Yes, I think it hits around the 1st of November.
• Thanksgiving is __________.
• … a day for family and being thankful for what really matters.
• What's your favorite Thanksgiving food?
• a well roasted turkey.

BONUS

• Do you FALL asleep after sex? Have you FALLEN out of bed while having sex?
• Yes… and YES! In fact, one corner of the box is broken and sags to the floor when you sit on that corner.

Sunday Stealing: Autumn

Autumn Leaf on a Rock Photo Credit – Rick Scheibner Photography

• First of all, is autumn your favorite season? Why or why not?
  • I love the chill in the air, the smell of the leaves. the availability of crisp apples, football on a Friday night, snuggling under warm blankets on a chilly morning and pumpkin spice lattes (within reason).
• Is it ‘autumn’ or ‘fall’, to you?
  • Autumn
• What kind of weather does your area get during this season?
  • The first sign is chilly mornings with a heavy layer of dew on the car, yet the afternoon temp is still reaching the 90’s. By early October, we see the temps moderating, frost on the windshield, the leaves turning and occasional rain showers that clears the dust from the air and perfumes the air with that musky leaf smell. .
• Were you born in an autumn month?
  • No, July.
• Do you pay attention to any ‘fall fashions’?
  • I had to bust out the hoodie for the first time last Friday night watching my son play football.
• Which leaf color is your favorite?
  • I love the wonderful symphony of all the colors together… but if I have to choose, it’s the bright yellow you see in the picture above.
• Is it still fun to rake the leaves and jump in piles of them?
  • I haven’t done that in years. Mainly because I haven’t had to rake leaves in about 15 years. Living in this part of Eastern Oregon, the wind blows the leaves into a fence two counties over.
• When can you really tell that it’s autumn?
  • I’m wearing my hoodie to scrape the windows on the car and noticing the changing color of the leaves as I sip a pumpkin spice latte.
• Do you enjoy carving pumpkins?
  • I used to when the kids were small. Its one of those things I’ll have to wait until the grandkids arrive to enjoy again. 
• Do you eat the pumpkin seeds? If so, do you put any kind of flavoring on it?
  • Roasting the seeds was part of the experience. We would put Lowry’s Season Salt on them.
• Are you planning to go to a pumpkin patch this year?
  • No
• Which was your favorite Halloween costume to wear?
  • The last time I dressed for a Halloween party, I was The Wizard Tim from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
• Are you planning to go trick-or-treating? Why or why not?
  • No, now I get my holiday joy from decorating and passing out candy to the tiny zombies from around the apartment complex.
• Are there any county fairs or festivals held nearby during this time?
  • There are, but they’re not that enjoyable when one is alone.
• What is your favorite dessert for this time of year?
  • Apple Crisp
• Is your Thanksgiving Day in October or November, if you even celebrate it?
  • In the US it is celebrated in November. I have no plans other than I’m on the “on-call” schedule at work.
• If you do celebrate it, where do you usually have Thanksgiving dinner?
  • The traditional stuff… turkey, stuffing, pie, green bean casserole, etc.
• Do you remember any crafts you used to do that were autumn-themed?
  • My favorite has always been the hand print turkey.
• Are any of your favorite bands doing a fall tour this year?
  • I have no idea… and I don’t care enough to Google it.
• Which new TV show are you looking forward to this season? 
  • How I Met Your Mother is starting it’s final season and we will finally get to ‘meet the mother’. Also, Homeland will roll out their third season of a highly unlikely (hopefully) storyline.
• How does autumn typically make you feel?
  • Comfortable… cozy blankets, hot drinks, toasty comfort food.
• What color do you always associate with autumn?
  • Orange
• Is there a song that always reminds you of this season?
  • Nothing comes to mind.
• Do you have any seasonal traditions?
  • I feel like I’ve already answered this.
• Do you spend a lot of time outside during this time of the year?
  • Not since I moved into an apartment five years ago.
• How can you tell that fall is over?
  • SNOW
• What is a typical autumn outfit that you wear?
  • Whatever… covered by a hoodie.
• Describe a perfect autumn day:
  • These questions feel redundant… was it written by a lawyer?
• Do you hate it when stores start promoting Christmas early?
  • Nothing I can do about it. It is my choice of what I allow to harsh my groove. I found myself beginning to walk down an aisle at the store that had a green/red theme… I turned around and went another direction.
• What is your favorite thing about this season?
  • Yes, I am certain this was written by a lawyer… or someone on the early stages of dementia.

Saturday 9: Seattle

1. Let's get the obvious out of the way: Have you ever been to Seattle?
   ** Yes, I’ve visited several times in addition to earning my undergrad degree from a small religious college there in 1995.
2. Businessweek named Seattle one of the best places to live, citing its clean air, low crime and high employment. What makes your current hometown a great place to live?
   ** Nothing… except that I have a great job here. If I could get a “great job” in Seattle, or Portland… that would be GREAT.
3. In this song, Bobby brags about how green Seattle is. Is it still green where you are? Or are the trees beginning to show their fall colors?
   ** It’s only green here for a couple months in the spring.
4. This song was the theme of a 1968-1970 show called Here Come the Brides. Do you know the words to any other TV theme?
   **  Our whole universe was in a hot dense state,
   Then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started. Wait...
   The Earth began to cool,
   The autotrophs began to drool,
   Neanderthals developed tools,
   We built a wall (we built the pyramids),
   Math, science, history, unraveling the mysteries,
   That all started with the big bang!
5. Bobby Sherman was once America's #1 teen idol, selling millions of records and earning 5 Gold Albums. Girls who wrote to his fan club received a postcard back signed, "Peace, Love & Bobby Sherman." Have you ever belonged to a fan club?
   ** I’m in the OPB sustaining circle, does that count?
6. Alas, the career of a teen idol can be short, and by fall 1970, Bobby was replaced on magazine covers by David Cassidy. Sherman went on to a second career with the LAPD, instructing officers in CPR and first aid. Do you know how to perform CPR? The Heimlich Maneuver?
   ** I’ve let my CPR certification lapse, so you shouldn’t leave your life in my hands. But I can still Heimlich the hell out of you.
7. The "disc" you see at right is actually made of cardboard and was printed on the back of a Post Alpha-Bits cereal box. It was apparently quite common back in the day. This was one of four that Post printed on different cereals back in 1970 so that Bobby-loving little girls would have to go through lots of different cereals to collect the whole set. What's your favorite breakfast cereal?
   ** I go through cycles with cereal. Currently, I’m into Raisin Bran Crunch.
8. Crazy Sam (the author of this meme) can't decide if she wants berries or banana slices with her cereal. Which would be your choice?
   ** It depends upon the cereal. Banana’s and Wheaties are THE BOMB. Berries go well with Rice Krispies or Kashi.
9. Do you ever eat cereal straight out of the box? Drink milk directly from the carton?
   ** I’m single… of course I do.

 

TMI Thursday: Sock it to me!

Sean at Just a Jeep Guy started it, now all the cool kids are doing it (The ones I know about are listed in the sidebar).

SOCK IT TO ME!

• What's your shoe size?
• 12
• Do your socks and shoes stink?
• No
• Around the house do you wear socks, slippers or go barefoot?
• Most of the year, I am barefoot. During the cold weather moths I wear socks and slippers.
• What length and color are your athletic socks?
• I have both crew and ankle length in both white and black.
• Do you wear normal dress socks or do you have some fun ones?
• They are mostly normal, but I do have some fun ones.
• Do you sleep with socks on or off?
• Off
• During the summer do you go sockless?
• Yes
• Are socks on a man sexy?
• Honey, most everything on a man can be sexy.
• Have you ever used garters with socks?
• No
• Have you ever darned a sock?
• Yes

BONUS

• Sex - socks on or socks off?
• Off

The night before…

Nine years ago I weighed in the mid-400’s…

… that’s me wedging my ample ass into a seat at Safeco Field in Seattle. It would take a car accident 18-months later to wake me up to the need for change. After joining WeightWatchers and spending an inordinate amount of time at the gym. I lost over 130 lbs.

Unfortunately, spending a great deal of time at the gym wasn’t sustainable once I began the journey through divorce and grad school. Neither of those activities are advisable for someone who eats his feelings. Two more years later and I was once again bumping up against 400 lbs.

I’ve sincerely tried to capture lightning in a bottle again, without success. As I’ve talked about previously in this blog, I am pursuing weight-loss surgery. As a part of that process, I am required to lose 20 lbs. in addition to a number of other screening processes. At my last appointment I was down 12 lbs. I have another appointment tomorrow. If I make the 20 lbs., then they can schedule the surgery.

My fingers are crossed.

Sunday Stealing: More Pt. III

** Find Pt. 2 HERE.

• Most daring Dare you have ever done?
• I don’t succumb to overt “dares”, but I do have a tendency to bow to peer pressure in other ways. If I find out that ‘people’ believe I’m going to fail, or give up… that gives me fuel to prove them wrong.
• When is the last time you did something you knew was wrong?
• All the time… using the phone while driving, speeding, aggressive driving… I know… don’t lecture. .
• What was on your mind most today?
• God, I hope the Seahawks win tonight.
• Have a best friend?
• Yes
• If you were upset, who’ s the first person you would go to?
• Me… I’m terrible at internalizing stress. I have complete conversations in my head of what I would say and how I would say it if given the chance. If it goes on long enough, you will know about it. The pressure valve has to release at some point, right?
• When was the last time someone yelled at you?
• Client’s yell at me all the time. I’m SO unreasonable! I actually EXPECT them to stop using drugs and provide a safe, stable home for their children.
• What have you done today, so far?
• I put my coffee cup in the sink and I got dressed. Oh, and watched football. It’s been a good Sunday. My goal is to hit the gym so I’m showered and ready for the Seahawks game at 5pm.
• What did last weekend consist of?
• Pretty much the same thing.
• What are you listening to?
• The Packers and “the team who must not be named” from Washington DC.
• Who were you last in a car with?
• I was probably transporting a client someplace.
• Have you ever been called cute?
• Yes, but I tend to surround myself with pathological liars.
• Describe how you feel right now in one word:
• Content
• Has anybody ever told you that you talk too fast?
• I’ve been told I talk too much. My brain contains a lot of information, I feel I must share it with the world. Ergo, this blog.
• Did you have fun yesterday?
• Yes
• Do you like to cuddle?
• Very much!
• Do you think someone is thinking about you?
• Unsure… evidence says “no”
• Are you stubborn?
• VERY
• Is there a friend, boyfriend/ girlfriend, or ex that you will never forget?
• I remember all of them… good times… bad times… and the hurts.
• Thinking back, are there people you have no idea why you hung out with?
• Yes… the ones that hurt through action or indifference.
• How’s your heart?
• Puttering along nicely… for a fatman.
• Are you easily amused?
• Yes… currently, it’s the Hump Day Camel.
• Do you speak more than 2 languages?
• No, but I’m functionally illiterate in 100’s of languages.
• Are you doing anything tonight?
• Watching the Seahawks game.
• Is there a person of the same sex who means a lot to you?
• Yes, very much.
• Is your hair naturally straight?
• Honey, nothing about me is naturally straight.
• What happened at 10:00 am?
• The Packers/”team who must not be named” game began.
• What were you doing at ten last night?
• Watching the Oregon State Beavers play Utah in the Pac-12 season opener.
• Have you made someone happy today?
• I fed the cats, does that count?
• Is it hard for you to get over someone?
• Yes, very. I analyze everything wondering what went wrong and all the ‘what ifs’.
• Think it’s disgusting when girls get really wasted?
• It’s a shame to waste a perfectly good girl.
• How long did it take you to get over you last ex?
• I’ll let you know when it happens.
• When you are home alone do you still close the door when you shower?
• No I don’t… but I make sure the front door is locked.

Saturday 9: Dominoes

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

1. Have you ever carefully set up dominos and then watched them fall? Or built a house out of playing cards?
   ** When I was a child I had a bucket of dominoes that I would set up and knock down, there were only about 50 of them so it wasn’t really that spectacular. When I attempt a house of cards, I can do the initial foundational floor, but attempting to add a 2nd floor has not happened.
2. In this week's song, Big Pink lead vocalist Robbie Furze sings, "The hottest love has the coldest end." Have you ever had a relationship that started out so promisingly and passionately but then quickly flamed out?
   ** Every fuckin’ one of them! I’m worried the problem is me.
3. This is from Big Pink's CD, A Brief History of Love. What about your personal history of love? How many times would say you have truly been in love?
   ** I was in a straight marriage for 15 years… 12 years after it lost any semblance of fun. Over the past five years, I’ve been in two relationships that were non-starters. The sex was great… but there needs to be more than that.
4. Nicki Minaj sampled this song for her own, "Girls Fall Like Dominos." Nicki won't be back on American Idol this season. Is your reaction a) delight or b) sadness or c) a yawn.
   ** d) couldn’t possibly give a damn
5. While nationally the news centers on foreign policy and the economy, Sam's hometown is abuzz over the new Asian-fusion restaurant on Main Street and whether it can get a liquor license. What's the big local story where you are?
   ** The next town over is on the last day of their annual rodeo. The Pendleton Round-Up is a week long celebration of the “real west” and debauchery.
6. Mary Jane Kelley is believed to be the fifth and final victim of Jack the Ripper. OK, now it's your turn. Share a random fact that's rattling around in your brain.
   ** There are more plastic flamingos in the US than real ones.
7. Crazy Sam cursed last night when she dropped a can of tomato paste on her foot. (Hey! It really hurt!) When was the last time you swore?
   ** Five questions ago.
8. Sam has a grocery bag filled with hoodies and t-shirts she no longer wants and plans to take them to The Salvation Army store. What do you do with your gently used clothes? Toss them or donate them or hand them down to a friend or relative?
   ** I take them to the Goodwill store. I don’t support The Salvation Army because they are a bigoted, anti-equality organization that won’t help you unless you make some sort of commitment to their brand of religion. I strongly advise people against supporting them and their mission of division. You can get more reasons to avoid the Red Bucket brigade HERE. On the other hand, Goodwill seeks to improve society and the lives of those at the bottom rung.
   The Goodwill Mission Statement -- Every person has the opportunity to achieve his/her fullest potential and participate in and contribute to all aspects of life.
9. Do you blush easily?
   ** It depends on the situation… but yes.

TMI Thursday: Over the Rainbow

TMI Questions … Fun, slightly embarrassing questions designed to reveal Too Much Information between you and your significant other and among you and your friends and/or family. Sean at Just a Jeep Guy started it, now all the cool kids are doing it (The ones I know about are listed in the sidebar).

OVER THE RAINBOW!

• How much do you love and how many times have you watched The Wizard of Oz?
• I’ve probably seen The Wizard of Oz dozens of times. Now, that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve seen it in a few years.
• Do you think that Dorothy was a scared and lost little girl or was she really a murdering little bitch?
• I think she’s a judgmental, bigoted bitch. She assumes because of someone's appearance or because they come from a foreign land; they are ignorant of reality. Time after time, she is proven wrong.She’s also a know-it-all… she knows everything, but has to have Glenda or her traveling companions or even her yappy dog save her ignorant, red-state ass. Also, she’s the first gangsta… she kills a bitch for her shoes.
• Will you be off to see The Wizard of Oz when it's on the big screen in iMax 3D?
• I live in the middle of nowhere… without a tornado to take me away. The nearest theater for playing such new fangled doo-hickeys is in Spokane… 200 miles away.
• Have you ever been to Kansas?
• Sadly, yes. I remember it being a flat, featureless landscape that doesn’t appear to have changed much since the dustbowl.
• Wicked is______
• My Momma always says, “wicked is, as wicked does, dill sergeant”.
• Where is home?
• 90 ft. from 3d base… duh!
• Who would you like to drop a house on?
• I’ll just let karma take care of her… um… them.
• How would you "pass the day away" before seeing The Wizard "In the Merry Old Land of Oz?"
• napping… watching porn… the usual
• What's your wish when you put on the Ruby Slippers and click your heals three times?
• That I would meet the man of my dreams… and I would be the man of his dreams (that’s important), and we would go to the coast, build a bon fire as we snuggle in a blanket and watch the sunset… repeatedly… for the next 50 years.

BONUS

• The Scarecrow, Tin Man and The Lion - Do, Dump or Marry?
• The Lion – DO, he’d probably be a good post-coitus cuddle, but he’s a crier.
• The Scarecrow – DUMP (I’m the brains of this operation)
• The Tin Man – Ba Da BING!

 

POST YOUR TMI ANSWERS
Post and answer the questions on your blog or tumblr page and then post the link in the comments so that others can read your answers (directions here), visit your website and get to know you too.

The Frustration of a Social Worker

“If you don’t want your tax dollars to help the poor, then STOP saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don’t”  --Pres. Jimmy Carter

This quote speaks to one of my frustrations with the American society. As a Social Worker, obviously I believe that there should be assistance for all who legitimately need it. But we live in a society where our leaders on the federal and state levels continue to pass laws which put demands on the way I do my job, while at the same time slashing the services and ultimately the cash it takes to DO my job. Oh, and then the same people who demand that social services are cut to the marrow, then demonize those who are need of same said services. Recently I got myself blocked by a former friend on Facebook when she posted that she would be covering how to “deal” with homosexuals as a christianist (emphasis mine). I wrote, “why not just ‘love thy neighbor’ or ‘do unto the least of these’ without requiring a background check?” I know, subversive right?

While I live and work in one of the more “progressive” states in the country, I use quotes because Oregon’s progressiveness is mostly based on events of the past, and has no bearing on current public policy. I work with service providers in both the civilized portion of the state and the in-bred redneck portion. While the services providers (in this case, a specific school district) are mandated by law to provide to children with disabilities, they do their level best to get around, avoid, and procrastinate in providing those services. In this case, they are wanting to de-certify said child’s disability because the programs are understaffed and over-worked, thus relieving them of having to provide a higher level of care for this child.

I wish I could give you more details, trust me you would be as irate as I am.

What it boils down to is there is a very loud segment of the population who gets their rocks off in their fancy clubhouses on Sunday and then set about their pharisaical lives at the expense of their neighbors and the least of these.

Update: Weightloss Surgery

The ‘battle of the bulge’ has long been a challenge for me. I have tried countless plans and pills. The most successful period was chronicled on Rejected Reality Classic when I got my weight down into the mid 200’s. But that period was unsustainable because it mostly came because I was spending a great deal of time at the gym to avoid my failing marriage. Once I started grad school fall term 2008, I saw the weight creeping back on. By the time I graduated in June 2010, most of the weight was back.

I am lucky enough to work for an agency were the insurance covers weight loss surgery. I applied for and the surgery was deemed medically necessary due to the multiple diagnoses of sleep apnea, occasionally flirting with diabetes, occasional high blood pressure AND weighing over 400 lbs. I had my first appointment with the doctor in Portland on July 16 which included blood draws, a psychological test and an EEG. I also learned that I had to lose 20 lbs. before the surgery was scheduled. My official starting weight was 404 lbs. I returned home and set to monitoring my diet and going to the gym regularly.

On August 22, I found out my blood was deficient in Vitamins B12 and D and that I had lost 12 lbs. Oh, and I found that I wasn’t crazy.

My next appointment is on September 17… stay tuned.

Sunday Stealing: More Pt. II**

** I did not participate in Pt. I

• What would you choose to be famous for?
• As Horace Mann said, “Be ashamed to die before you have won a small victory for mankind”. I’m looking for that opportunity.
• If you have a webcam, are you ever paranoid people can see you?
• I haven’t been… until NOW!
• Do you find it difficult to sleep at night? Any reason(s) why?
• I care too deeply for the kids on my caseload. There have been a number of choices I’ve had to make for them in the past couple weeks that weigh heavily on my mind. Some nights melatonin doesn’t help.
• If you had to go on a game show, which would you choose?
• I think I would ROCK on Jeopardy!
• What about if you had to go on a reality show?
• I would not do well on a “reality” show. I would tell those prissy drama queens to knock it off and get voted off in the first show.
• Which would you choose then?
• I’d like to be a human canvas on Ink Master.
• Tell me about your favorite TV show:
• Right now, my favorite drama is The Newsroom on HBO. It’s written by the brilliant Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, A Few Good Men) about a 24-hr cable news channel that takes big news events from recent history and shows how it “should” have been covered. The bin Laden episode was a tear jerker. My favorite comedy right now is… Big Bang Theory. How could any self-respecting geek NOT love that show?
• Why were you last irritated?
• Stupid people irritate me. Stupid people celebrating their stupidity makes my head hurt. Stupid people doing stupid things and stupid people celebrating it makes me fume. So I’m irritated daily. I have to avoid the “news” or even going out to relax.
• What time did you get up this morning?
• 8:30
• The last city you were in: Where was it and do you like it there?
• I was in Portland, OR a couple weeks ago. I LOVE Portland!
• Do you like the countryside?
• I’ve lived in the “countryside” most of my life… I’m done. I want to live in or very near a city to experience a life I have only been able to visit to this point.
• If you see someone yawn, do you often yawn as well?
• I take it as a personal challenge to NOT yawn. BEAST MODE!
• Recommend me a good movie:
• The two best movies I’ve seen recently have been Olympus Has Fallen and Argo. Olympus is just a good action movie that requires a suspension of reality. Argo definitely deserved all the Oscars it earned. Even though it is a true story, Affleck and his crew has you on the edge of your seat. PLUS… Ben is HOT with a beard.
• Do you think you’d make a good model?
• LOL
• Would you ever want to be one?
• Be thankful that I rarely get what I want.
• How often do you change your hairstyle?
• I have hair that refuses to change. I’ve tried different styles, it invariably returns to its default position.
• What does it look like now?
• This –> 
• Do you have a favorite day of the week? Which is it?
• HAHA
• 
• Are you alone?
• Just me and my cats.
• When is the last time you were on the phone after 2 am?
• My phone is off at night. I cannot remember the last time I was on the phone after 11pm.