Besame Mucho New York City!

I think New York City is surreal. There is nothing ordinary about it, nothing bland. The thing I find most extraordinary about the city and its people is the acceptance that their life is normal.

Case in point—the Subway. Everyone on the subway seems to take pride in not noticing or acknowledging anything that happens in their surroundings.

Before I illustrate this point—I do have an exception. They seem to have a great understanding of danger and respond to it quickly. One day while riding the subway up to my daughter’s school, in a semi-full car, two teenage boys entered. Not to be judgmental but they looked like trouble. They talked loudly to each other, swore like sailors and took up about 8 seats. They made me feel uncomfortable. At the next stop everyone got off. It didn’t matter if they were black, white, young, old; everyone exited and I noticed many moved to another car on the same train. Being the dumb tourist and thinking I’m only one stop away from my destination I didn’t even try for the door. I sat at the other end of the car alone with the two loud and scary young men. They felt an urgency I hadn't felt. Nothing happened but I have to admit I booked it off that train as soon as humanly possible.

Now, here is the other side of that same story.

I had just bid a final and fond farewell to my fair daughter on a lonely New York street corner. It was 1pm on an ordinary Thursday afternoon. I was very teary and trying my best not to cry. I sat down in a subway car and counted windows, because that is how I stop myself from crying, I count something. In movie theaters it’s the dim lights up on the ceiling and I guess on subways it’s the windows. The doors began to close and two men sat on either side of me.

The doors bounced back open and a Mariachi Band entered the car. Yes, a Mariachi Band, in full regalia. Did I mention it was 1pm on a THURSDAY. There was a man with a little guitar, a man with a ginormous guitar, a man playing the trumpet and the singer. They immediately started to play “Besame Mucho” loudly. Not one person looked at them. I then saw the man sitting on my left surreptitiously take some pictures—so I didn’t feel completely insane about feeling like this was a little out there.

While the band played on a little boy, who couldn’t have been more than nine, held up his I-touch. The application he was using displayed a perfect little hand-gun. The man next to me gestured to the man on the other side to look at the little boy. (I figured out that these two must be friends—I am quick that way.) The little boy pointed the I-gun at people, pulled the I-trigger and it actually I-fired. The three of us looked at him as we saw him I-shoot every person on the train, beginning with the Mariachi Band that was still playing with gusto.

At this point the one man leaned over me, like I wasn’t even there, and in very accented English said, “Dis is unbelievable.” Thank you foreign tourist for being the voice of sanity! We were probably the only three non-New Yorkers in that car.

We arrived at our next stop and the band took off their hats for tips and slowly exited the car. Not one person gave them money (including myself, because I didn’t have any) or looked at them.

At this point I went from trying not to cry to trying not to laugh hysterically and ended up just grinning like an idiot.

Next Month's Diet Locked and Loaded

It was great to be in New York City. My daughter and I made the tour of art galleries and food. We ate at Italian, Thai, Indian, French restaurants and of course I had to make a jaunt down to Magnolia Bakery. So what if I gained 3 pounds (life for me is a little two steps forward and one step back. I wish I was one of those linear people who just seem to march forward.)

I would like to sincerely thank those of you who gave me ideas on my next diet while I was out of town. I will have to look into the Acai Diet from Ashley, the Cookie Diet from Sam, the ice cream diet from Dan and next month I'm definitely looking into the Nutri-System discount at Costco. Thanks for your help!

Well, I have decided on, Weight Watchers Online program. Each food is given a point value and then you eat a set amount of points a day--with a little cushion of extra weekly points to round out the program. Veggies are really low in points (most are none at all) and fruits are also low. The diet encourages low-fat and fiber rich foods. I signed up today and made it one day with the correct amount of points--Yea! Although for dinner I couldn't resist the french fries my husband brought home and after I ate them I looked up how many points they were-9! That was pretty much the rest of my points for the evening. I added a peach and that was dinner. I think I better look up the points before I eat. (Definitely should have looked before I leaped.)

Herbivore, Carnivore or Omnivore--Oh My!

I need help. I cannot decide what diet to do next. I am taking my daughter back to school in NYC and have therefore decided to stay on Atkins for one more week because it is easy to do while traveling. So you all have one week to help me decide what direction to go.

There are some very interesting selections on faddiet.com. Check them out if you’re really in a pickle for an idea.

There are lots and lots of options. My only criteria is that they don’t require a doctor’s supervision (oh yea and they don’t require lots and lots of dinero!). I got some great ideas from my sister-in-law C. She gave me a recipe book for Skinny Bitches, I am tempted to do this diet just so I could blog those words over and over! It’s a low fat vegetarian type, lactose free type, meat-free type diet (exactly opposite of what I’ve been doing). It looks hard, but doable and I’ve always wanted to be bitchier.

My sister-in-law also sent me a link to the Dash diet. This diet is rich in veggies and low fat milk products. It has some fat in it and looks balanced—I’m not sure it is perfect for weight loss, but it looks great for relieving hypertension (which I don’t have).

Here are some others I am thinking of. Nutri System (a little pricey though), South Beach, Dr. Ornish’s “Eat More, Weigh Less” (Hurray for that! I’m all for eating more (this is very low-fat and almost vegetarian), Weight Watchers Online Program, French Women Don’t Get Fat (This one requires you just to eat less of what you already eat—I don’t know—that sounds like it might involve willpower! Eeeek!), Body for Life (This is plan is rich in low-fat proteins, complex carbs and fruit and veggies—it also includes weight lifting/aerobic exercise etc). I also have a one page diet given to my dad by his trainer. It looks like a modified Body For Life program—with lots and lots of fruits and veggies.

So as you can see I need help. HELP ME!

Now Presenting--Atkins Results

I would like to state, For the Record, that I know this is a weird thing to do. I am a woman of a certain age, posting diet activity and weight loss on the internet. Even I think this is more than a little embarrassing and narcissistic. So I am trying to look at this as an effort to meet my goals, as an experiment and just doggone fun and I will not see it as pathetic--darn it! So here goes!

Final Statistics on Atkins Diet

Dates Followed: July 16th-August 21th (Plus next week)

Weight Loss by Week:

Week 1 = 7 lbs (WOW)
Week 2 = 2 lbs
Week 3 = 1 lb (Trip to Canada and lost weight!)
Week 4 = 1 lb (I’m seeing a trend here)
Week 5 = 1 lb (Yep, trend continues)

Total = 12 Pounds

Technically I will be on this one more week. So I will have to see if the 1 pound trend holds.

Remember to Put Your Oxgen Mask on First

Things are still going well. I've made it 4 weeks on the Atkins Plan. Is it just 4 Weeks, it seems much longer. It hasn't been too hard. I haven't weighed myself for the grand total, but by the third week I'd lost 10 pounds! Tomorrow I am doing my final weigh-in for the diet.

The main thing I've been trying to deal with is stress. Stress leads to a panicky feeling (like my insides are screaming--that's all--nothing to worry about), and I don't know how to handle it without food. Like yesterday, I come home and my lovely children all tell me their needs within about 10 minutes. I hear in rapid succession--"I want to go to friends, Do I have to clean my room before I go anywhere, I need to buy my coat today, I need to get my prescriptions filled, I'm going up to school early so I need everything done by Friday, the windshield on my car is cracked, I need $200 extra for books, My glasses are broken and I can't see." Silly and unimportant stuff like that. Within five minutes I was craving a chocolate shake with brownie bits from Nielsens Frozen Custard so much I couldn't see either.

I looked my children lovingly in the eye and said, "I am going to take a nap now." How is that for progress? I substituted sleep and denial for food. After a half an hour or so of denial I was able to go back downstairs and begin scheduling for their needs too. I looked at it as putting on my oxygen mask first so I was alive and available to put on the oxygen masks of my children.

Engineered Nutrition

I wrote this hours before I went out of town almost 2 weeks ago and forgot to post. So I added a little and here it is.

Two weeks. I've made it two weeks. 9 lbs down and minus 7 inches. It works. Of course I've given up food. Yes, it's true. I cannot stand the thought of meat before dinner--alas even bacon. So now I eat engineered food. It's been protein bars for breakfast and most lunches.

You have to know these bars SAVED me, but even in this state I could only eat the ones that had something crunchy in them. Otherwise they were way too pasty for me. I could only eat the Atkins brand bars because other protein bars had too many carbohydrates in them--convenient eh! (the 'eh is in honor of Canada--because I've been in Western Canada all week).

It's strange to actually have no cravings. I have no desire for food. For me that's like saying I have no desire for air. I don't even get hungry. The Atkins diet in the first phase is supposed to have an appetite suppressing effect, I just didn't expect it to be so powerful. I know when I wake up that I need food, but I don't really feel like eating. Weird. Freaky. Even supernatural.

Coming Soon. . .

"The Atkin's Experiment Comes to an End," and "Hello Online Weight Watchers!"

I'd like to thank the Academy

I've been given an award. It's not for my good looks, my intelligence, my mothering or my way with animals. No, it's for my blog! I'm taking a bow right now--if you could only see it. Does it matter that it's from my sister-in-law, whose blog truly is brilliant and I think she may be throwing me a bone?

It's an award that's kind of like a chain letter and it has rules.

1. You thank the person that gave you such an honor. I thank you Brodi
for giving me such an award. You rock as usual! You also have to include the link.

2. Put in the picture of the Award. I will treasure this picture forever!!!

3. Pass on the award to seven other people whose blogs you find brilliant in content or design. Notify the bloggers you choose for the award and hopefully they’ll join in.

a. I love Heather's blog--she doesn't post a lot, but when she does it's usually thought provoking, beautifully written and often heartbreaking.

b. I can't live without Brodi's blog (see above link), I know it's cheating to send it back to her, but I find her unbelievably funny. She also says things that you cannot believe a human can think of let alone write! I love that. I have to be careful when I read it at work because I laugh out loud.

c. I love the blog Seriously Shellie. She makes me laugh. She has an elastic brain. She also makes me cry. I think she's doing something really important with her blog, as she writes a haunting memoir of her battle with cancer when she was young.

d. My favorite Dad blog is The Quad. Sam writes about his day-to- day thoughts about family and wherever his random brain takes him. I also have to be careful not to laugh to loud at work with this one too!

e. A Bountiful Kitchen is a beautiful blog about food and has great recipes. I know the blogger and she can cook! Anything Si likes I will eat, because I know it will taste great! They should canonize her taste buds.

f. I also think the The Pioneer Woman Cooks website is incredible. It is not low-fat, but guaranteed to satisfy any cowboy.

g. I follow other blogs, but they are mostly family blogs and I'm not sure they would love being listed here. But here's a cheer for the great family blog!! Yea!! Yea!!

4. The last thing we're supposed to do is list 10 honest things about yourself. As if the act of blogging itself wasn't meant to be revelatory.

Here Goes:

1. I hate large crowds. I don't understand them, I don't like to be in them and it makes me not like humans so much. So I avoid them (does that make me neurotic).

2. I'm always making a plan. It drives my husband CRAZY. If my future is uncertain I make a plan for every contingency. I often write them down and start seeing how I can make them work. Most of them are fiction, but they are definitely still great plans.

3. I hate grocery stores. This hatred spills over into any kind of retail. I don't like shopping.

4. I have a love of John Mayer that borders on the bizarre and unhealthy. I love that he gets all these fine women, because he's really just a guitar geek. It shows that geeks do actually rule the world.

5. I love Red Rock Brewing Company in downtown Salt Lake City and not for their beer, which I'm sure is fabulous but I don't drink. I love their food especially their salads!

6. I dream of being able to live in a different place each summer for the rest of my life.

7. I have transcendental experiences in beautiful gardens. Wherever I vacation I visit gardens and they transport me to this lovely place that holds a certain reverence. I almost always remember countries or cities I've visited by their gardens.

8. I also remember places I've visited by their grocery stores. Even though I hate grocery shopping at home, I love grocery shopping elsewhere. I think a grocery store tells more about a place than almost anything else.

9. I love the process of finding friends. They are almost never the people I think they are going to be when I move to a new place. There are so many treasures out there.

10. I enjoy going to movies alone, especially if the movie is a guilty pleasure (like romantic comedies that aren't great--but I'm secretly dying to see). I think that has to do with expectations. I don't have to worry about anyone else enjoying the film. I also love the idea of doing something naughty and yes probably a little pathetic, like seeing a film in the middle of the day all alone.

Well, that is definitely enough about me! Now it's time to see what other bloggers think.