Middle child, Marisa, got her temps today! AND her grandmother gave her a souped up hot rod…a Cavalier with hydraulics, rims, bass boat paint job, and tinted windows. She is in 7th heaven.

She even took me for a drive around the block in her “new” car after she got her temps. I am trying to clean my pants out.

ETA: It’s not a bad photo of Marisa, I’ve seen a whole lot worse from the BMV, but here’s one I really like of her, for comparison:

Yes, it’s sideways. That’s how she posted it on her Facebook, and I like it…it’s artistic, just like her.

On a nearly daily basis someone from my past comes through my line at the grocery. One of the coolest moments was when someone from elementary school came through my line, and I recognized her, even though we hadn’t seen each other for 37 years. I don’t know whether it was because her looks hadn’t changed so much, or whether I just have a knack for remembering faces, but she wasn’t the first I had recognized from that time in my life.

Today a face I recognized also recognized me. My middle school principal. The last time I saw him he was giving me detention for ducking out of the front door of the school before the last bell rang. Hey, I was just trying to get to the bus to get a good seat. I’d have had it, too, if he hadn’t pulled me back in and sat me down in his office. Detention? I don’t think that the punishment fits the crime! *Sigh* It was a long time ago, but obviously the wound is still fresh. All kidding aside…it was really cool to see him. He smiled widely as we chatted about how much time had passed.

As he was walking away after receiving his choice of paper or plastic, I said, “Thanks, Mr. D! It was nice to see you!” I am 45 years old. I know his first name. I still cannot bring myself to call him anything other than Mr. D.

Have you ever run into anyone you hadn’t seen in a long, long time, just by chance?

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Hell’s Kitchen tonight! I’ve been over American Idol since the season David Cook won. Hell’s Kitchen is my new obsession. Besides watching HGTV on occasion, it’s the only thing I typically watch on TV.

ETA: ALL STAR GAME PREEMPTED HK. I hate baseball now.

Anything on TV you’re hooked on?

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My husband and I had dinner with Seedsower and her mom last night. They passing through on the way home from their road trip. We ate at a small local pub where my sister and niece work (Harrigan’s Tavern, for those familiar with the area). It was trivia night. We played. We won.

The evening with Beth didn’t last nearly long enough before they had to get back on the road, but I am glad we got to spend the time we did together. Love you, Beth!

(Note to Beth: Sorry for flashing your mom last night. It was an accident!)

Monday is like a holy day to me anymore since I don’t really have a weekend to speak of, my work schedule being what it is. My son goes away with his dad today for a two week stint for summer visitation. He really wants to stay to play with all his buddies and close cousins who are in town, but he doesn’t have a choice, he must go. I have spent the day looking for his clothes which he takes off in various spots and doesn’t put in the dirty laundry. It’s like an Easter egg hunt of sorts, except no prize egg. I am almost done, and then I have to have him to his dad’s house.

A manager from work called me this afternoon to ask me if I could work part of a shift. (Someone must have called in sick today, or been fired). I’d have liked to have had the extra hours, but with everything I have to do to see the boy off and get ready for the rest of my week, I thanked him for asking, but declined.

You may have noticed I changed my site background again. This is only temporary and will be back to the pirate theme soon. I do love this time of year, being able to watch fireflies at night. Brings back a lot of good memories from my childhood. I had done this background a long time ago, but never used it. I thought now was an appropriate time to dust it off and put it up. My memory of it was actually jogged by a post I read here at Xanga (don’t know whether she’d want me to link her blog, she’s sort of shy and quiet, but an excellent writer), where she mentioned having a friend visiting her from another country. He is from a place where they don’t see fireflies, and she recounted the story about them walking in the evening the first night he had arrived: “Soon after, there was a magical moment… (he) stopped in his tracks and stared at something in a garden across the street. I asked him what it was. ‘The bush is glowing,’ he said. Then it hit me: (he) had never seen fireflies, or lightning bugs, before. So for the rest of the walk, he watched the fireflies swarming over lawns in amazement, and we laughed at how wonderful they were. Can you imagine seeing fireflies for the very first time?”

I can! I think they are magical even now after having seen them for many, many summers.

What is your favorite thing to do on a warm summer evening?

This is not some paranoid delusion. Someone is really watching you. Me, your grocery store cashier. And I just want to let you know, y’all can be pretty strange, and some of you can be pretty frustrating.

It is interesting to see all the different kinds of personalities that come through my line at the grocery store. Some of these characters are regulars, some I’ve never seen before and probably never will again. And some, if I ever see them again it will be too soon.

One thing I can say is it is never dull at my store. I can find something entertaining pretty much every moment of each day that I am there (at least in between the few that tick me off to no end).

The highlights of my day today include the following (if any of these people resemble you, I am sorry, I am only reporting what I have witnessed and experienced):

1. It’s Sunday, the banks are closed. You buy a pack of gum to break your $50 or $100 bill. I know you have no way of knowing that I just opened my register with a limited amount of cash in my drawer. You also don’t know or realize that there were five people ahead of you with the same idea, not to mention three people who wanted cash back from a debit purchase. Can you not get the bank to give you smaller bills when you cash your check on Friday? Please, plan a little better next time and you won’t piss the people off behind you in line when I have to ask for change from the head clerk.

2. You are a mean old man who comes through my line drunk and makes nasty comments to me. I will not be nice and smiley toward you ever again regardless of the fact you gave me a $5 tip at Christmas time. That bought you maybe one half of a time to be nasty to me. This Christmas I’m sending you a bill.

3. Can you really not remember the difference between debit and credit? No, really, if you don’t know your PIN we’re going to have to run it as credit.

4. Lady, I don’t care if you swear they told you that you had more money on your food stamp card than what you actually have on it. I cannot make it go through for the amount of your purchase, the money isn’t there. Pay me another way or move along.

5. I have no way of seeing how much money you have in your bank account. I don’t know why your debit card was declined, and I don’t really care. All I know is if that’s the only way you have to pay for your order those groceries will be restocked.

6. Yes, I’m married. Happily. You don’t remember that from the last 15 times you came through my line and asked?

7. No, I cannot go home with you to help you take your groceries in and put them away.

8. You are paying me with a wad of $2 bills. The only place that supplies those in abundance around here is a totally nude strip club. I know where you’ve been. I have no slot for those bills in my till. Thanks a lot.

Do you have any good grocery store stories to share? Do you normally pay for your groceries with cash, check, credit, or debit?

After the last post I was asked for a sample of what I eat for a week. The best I can come up with is a sample menu of things I typically ate while losing weight, and still eat to this day. My menu is more varied than this, actually. Still all low carb, but I cook a lot, and am very creative in the kitchen. But, this should give you a general idea. I have no idea about the portion sizes as I simply eat until I am satisfied. Sometimes that means I eat a lot, sometimes I just don’t want all that much.

Breakfast

2 – 3 Eggs, usually fried in bacon grease. Sometimes scrambled in butter or bacon grease, served with Heinz Low Sugar Ketchup.

or

Leftovers from dinner last night. If I served steak, maybe I’d have steak and eggs or just the leftover steak.

or

Omelet, loaded with cheese, mushrooms, onions, and anything else low carb veggie-wise thrown in that I have available.

and sometimes, on the side, or mixed into scrambled eggs:

Bacon, Sausage

Quick Breakfasts:

Hard Boiled Egg that I’ve made ahead

8 oz. Heavy cream with a couple teaspoons granulated Splenda, dash of real vanilla extract (no sugar added kind). Makes a filling vanilla breakfast shake. I’ve even added a raw egg to make it a French vanilla shake.

Lunch

Tuna with Mayo and Onions

or

Sardines with Dijon Mustard

or

Chicken Salad (homemade)

or

Egg Salad

or

Deviled Eggs

On the go:

2 McDonald’s Double Hamburgers, no ketchup, buns tossed

Dinner

Grilled Steak, Pork, Chicken, or Lamb

or

Schezwan Pork Stir Fry (I call it “Crack Pork” – ya can’t stop eating it! I’ll have to post the recipe. Oh, no rice with this, sorry – rice is a high carb grain!)

or

Crock Pot Creation that I start early in the day and leave on to cook while I’m at work. Carolina Pulled Pork is one of my faves to make.

+Side vegetable, usually loaded with lots of butter. My favorites are broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and Fauxtatoes (mashed “potatoes” made from cauliflower boiled with garlic. My kids prefer these to real mashed potatoes. I know, strange, but they are really good!) Salads sometimes, full fat dressing 2 grams of carbs per tablespoon or less.

Snacks

Pepperoni Chips (microwave pepperoni until crisp)

Nuts (a handful, no more)

Cheese sticks, such as string cheese (I like to nuke string cheese until soft and dip them in Ranch Dressing)

Meat and cheese roll ups

Pork Rinds

Pickles and cheese

Olives (I love the ones stuffed with garlic!)

Desserts

(Only on occasion, not an everyday thing)

Cheesecake Mousse

Berries and Cream

 

During the weight loss phase I did keep a watch on portion sizes of vegetables and fruit as I kept my carbs at or below 20 grams a day (which you should do for at least the first couple of weeks, and after that add a bit more gradually each week until you see your weight loss stop…everyone has a different limit, mine is just particularly low). I weighed myself at the beginning, but stopped doing that before too long and simply gauged my weight loss by how my clothes were fitting. It doesn’t matter how fast you are losing – - this is a lifestyle change, not a “get skinny quick” diet, though you will be amazed at how quickly you are losing.

I will take any other questions you might have, or you may voice your opinions and concerns. I am sure to have some kind of answer for you.