tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118522662024-03-23T11:25:08.166-07:00Devilwmn's lifeJennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-68818128410990522942010-11-30T06:42:00.000-08:002010-11-30T06:58:26.244-08:00Daisy MillerI finished Daisy Miller. I have made Rory status on the Gilmore Girls reading challenge. I wasn't sure I was going to make it.<br /><br />I didn't really like Daisy Miller. She was a very flat character. I didn't understand her at all. The whole story seemed kind of anti-climatic to me. It's like the tiny bags of chips. It leaves you unsatisfied and wishing for more....<br /><br />Now I'm going to sign up for a <a href="http://sarahreadstoomuch.blogspot.com/2010/11/back-to-classics-challenge-2011.html#comment-form">new challenge</a>. I don't really know why I'm doing it. I think because it has to do with classics and left to my own, I will just read a bunch of paranormal romances. At least this will make me read something more substantial. :)Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-60792217976945486552010-11-22T11:59:00.000-08:002010-11-22T12:16:50.876-08:00Gilmore Girls reading ChallengeI'm so far behind on posting about this! It's sad, really. I'm almost done. The challenge says that movies count, but I really wanted to read all the books. I have one book left to read. Here's my final list:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Classics</span><br />Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen<br />Frankenstein, Mary Shelly<br />The Raven, Edgar Allen Poe<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Children's/Young Adults</span><br />Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Kate Douglas Wiggin<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Modern Classics</span><br />Slaughterhouse 5, Kurt Vonnegut<br />A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams<br />Franny and Zooey, J. D. Salinger<br />Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett<br />1984, George Orwell<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Non-fiction</span><br />I'm with the Band, Pamela Des Barres<br />Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hunter S. Thompson<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Helter Skelter,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Bugliosi & Gentry<br />The Dirt, Lee/Neil/Mars/Sixx<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Other</span><br />The Virgin Suicides, Jeffrey Eugenides<br />Love Story, Erich Segal<br />Valley of the Dolls, Jacqueline Susann<br />Rosemary's Baby, Ira Levin<br />Peyton's Place, Grace Metalious<br /><br />That leaves me with one more to read. I have until Dec. 31 to finish reading Daisy Miller by Henry James. It's listed under the Modern Classics section. To get the Rory status you have to "Read 20 books from at least 4 different categories." I'll get that if I finish this one last book...Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-50308881856662304562010-05-07T09:44:00.000-07:002010-05-07T09:53:22.555-07:00Slaughterhouse FiveI finished another book in my Gilmore Girl's Challenge. I finished Slaughterhouse 5 by Vonnegut. It was an interesting book. It reminded me of a maze. You had to pay a lot of attention to where you are or you'll get lost. I'm glad I've read it. It wasn't the life-changing book that everyone seems to hype it as, but it wasn't bad either. I had a hard time with Mrs. Pilgrim. The narrator describes her as big and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">undesirable</span>. For many scenes, Billy seems distant from her. Later, Billy looks back on her in a loving manner. Does he love her or not? I don't know why, but I feel as if I'm missing something...<br /><br />I hate doing book reviews. I want to tell about the book without ruining it for anyone.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-53676161014125585912010-05-06T05:59:00.000-07:002010-05-06T06:03:13.122-07:00Helter SkelterThis was an interesting book. You are really required to put away your logical thinking when dealing with it. Most people look for the why. There is no why with these horrible crimes. There is just a very sick man who found a way to get people to believe in him and do whatever he asked without question. That kind of mentality has always been interesting to me. It was neat to see how the prosecutor put the case together. It's also very sad to read about the ineptness of the police. They had pieces that they could never put together.<br /><br />This is my fifth book in the Gilmore Girl's reading list. With this book, I have reached Emily status! :)Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-49089209957537307662010-05-06T05:56:00.000-07:002010-05-06T05:59:32.425-07:00The Virgin SuicidesI had a really hard time getting through this book. There was little I had in common with the characters. I didn't have over-protective parents. I think running away would be easier. I kept waiting for the "ah-ha!" moment where I understood the girls. It never came. <br /><br />This makes the 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> book in my Gilmore Girl's list!<br /><br />The good news- I'm below my goal weight. I feel like a huge weight (ha-ha!) has been lifted off my shoulders. I feel like I can now make the right choices when I eat and not need to obsess over it or the number on the scale!Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-77389692060998668792010-04-01T10:49:00.000-07:002010-04-01T10:54:11.350-07:00Love StoryI read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Story-Erich-Segal/dp/0553275283/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270144220&sr=1-2">Love Story by Erich Segal </a>in about an hour. It's a nice quick read. I spend most of the time feeling like I've read it before. I know I hadn't but, I'm sure Nicholas Sparks redid this story! :) It was a good story. I was glad the girl in the story was such a strong woman. She handled everything she was given with dignity. It seemed way too quick to get a book off my list! :) That's three down. Rory status, here I come! :)Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-39721779361278128492010-04-01T10:44:00.000-07:002010-04-01T10:48:24.621-07:00The Dirt!Another book off of my Gilmore Girls reading list. That's two now! :)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Motley-Crue-Confessions-Worlds-Notorious/dp/0060989157/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270143916&sr=1-1">http://www.amazon.com/Motley-Crue-Confessions-Worlds-Notorious/dp/0060989157/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270143916&sr=1-1</a><br /><br />This book started out with a bang! It only got better from there. As you can imagine, it has sex, drugs and rock and roll. Not necessarily in that order (frequently that was the order!)<br /><br />I have always loved Motley Crue. They were one of my favorites! It's really nice to get to know so much more about the band members. If you are a fan, you have to read this book! I have a waiting list to borrow my copy.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-47311808636578275292010-03-15T06:07:00.000-07:002010-03-15T06:15:23.735-07:00Valley of the DollsI read my first book for the Gilmore Girls reading challenge. I started with <u>Valley of the Dolls</u> by Jacqueline Susann. I bought it at Borders because I saw it and knew it was on my list. I should have borrowed it from the library. It did not make my "I will read this again list." I have very little patience for weak female characters. I had high hopes for Anne. She seemed so strong at the beginning. Going out on her own from everything she had known to start a life she wanted. What happened to you, girl? I don't think love should have turned you into an idiot!<br /><br />One down on my list... several more to go. I started Lady Chatterly's Lover and found Inferno and Uncle Tom's cabin on Daily Lit. I feel like I'm already behind in this challenge. I'm not much of a reader anymore. I used to read when I went outside to smoke... :)Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-49328261701933216302009-12-17T16:48:00.000-08:002010-05-06T05:53:30.462-07:00Long time no post...Hey there! I haven't posted in ages. Lots of changes. I ran my first 5K. My time was slow, but I'm sure it will get better. :) It was fun. I was lucky that <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/17535873074365279392">Sarah</a> took her time to drive down from Alexandria to run it with me. I don't know if I would have made it without her! Thanks, Sarah!<br /><br />My weight is down to 182. (A little up from that sometimes.) Which means I've lost 130 pounds. It's not as low as the surgeon wants me to be. He wants me at 170. My year appointment is Jan 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> (less than 3 weeks). I don't think my weight will go down anymore. I think the surgeon is going to be unhappy with me. :( I hate getting yelled at!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/17535873074365279392">Sarah</a> has found a really cool reading challenge for next year. It's called <a href="http://gilmoregirlschallenge.blogspot.com/2009/12/gilmore-girls-reading-challenge.html">Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge</a>. I love the Gilmore Girls. I have every season on DVD. I've watched them all several times. I'm going for the Rory status. I don't read as much as I used to. I used to read while I was smoking. Now I don't smoke, so I don't read as much. Sarah listed the books she's going to try to read to get to Rory status. I'll do the same!<br /><br />Classics:<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Northanger</span> Abbey, Jane Austen<br />Inferno, Dante<br />Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert<br />Lady <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Chatterly's</span> Lover, DH Lawrence<br />Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe<br /><br />Modern Classics:<br /><br />A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess<br />Catch 22, Joseph Heller<br />The Naked and the Dead, Norman Mailer<br />Slaughterhouse 5, Kurt Vonnegut<br />A Streetcar named Desire, Tennessee Williams<br /><br />Non-fiction:<br />Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Albom</span><br /><strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Helter</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Skelter</span>: The True Story of the Manson Murders, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Bugliosi</span> and Gentry<br /></strong>The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Didion</span><br /><strong>The Dirt: Confessions of the Most Notorious <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Rockband</span>, Motley <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Crue</span><br /></strong>Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk, McNeil and McCain<br /><br />Others:<br />The House of Sand and Fog, Andre <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Dubuss</span> III<br /><strong>The Virgin Suicides, Jeffrey <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Eugenides</span></strong><br />Girl, Interrupted, Susanna <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Kaysen</span><br /><strong>Love Story, Erich <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Segal</span><br />Valley of the Dolls, Jacqueline Susann</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Bold= read</strong>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-56743906305285974612009-06-30T04:46:00.000-07:002009-06-30T04:51:59.934-07:00Couch to 5KI finally started the couch to 5K today. I told myself that I was going to start it when I've lost 100 lbs. I have no idea when I'll get there! I had gotten to see a loss of 95 lbs at one point. Now, for the past few weeks, my scale has bounced up and down by 3 lbs. It doesn't want to get below that 95 lb mark! It's very frustrating. I haven't done a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">vlog</span> in a while. I think people will get tired of me saying "Hi guys! It's week such and such and my weight hasn't changed again!" <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">LOL</span> I finally stopped waiting for that 100 lb loss! I started it today! I felt very awkward. I think I bounce too much. I'm in the process of reading some books on running. Maybe I will pick up some pointers. I "run" down the side of one of the busiest roads in the county. Most people have to pass my path on the way to my work! I was worried about people seeing me and laughing at me because I look like a dork when I'm trying to run. It doesn't look pretty to see a fat woman bouncing down the side of the road. But, when I thought about it, I see people running down the side of the road and I never think they look funny. I always think "I should be doing that." So, maybe some heavy person will see my fat ass running down the road and will get inspired. Maybe they will think "If she can do it, I can too." And maybe they will. And maybe they will lose weight. And maybe they will be healthier. And maybe, just maybe, I will have affected <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">some one's</span> life for the best by being a big ole dork! :)Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-16175095392541894802009-03-24T05:20:00.001-07:002009-03-24T05:46:17.569-07:00I'm in love!!!No, I'm not going to gush on about my husband. (Tho, I do kind of like him!) I'm going to gush on about my new shoes!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.famousfootwear.com/product.asp?product_id=1015553&variant_id=68143?CMP=KNC-Adwords&partnerid=Adwords&cpc=Adwords&campaign=FF-Nike&hbx_ou=50&cpckw=Nike%20Alvord&hbx_pk=Nike%20Alvord">http://www.famousfootwear.com/product.asp?product_id=1015553&variant_id=68143?CMP=KNC-Adwords&partnerid=Adwords&cpc=Adwords&campaign=FF-Nike&hbx_ou=50&cpckw=Nike%20Alvord&hbx_pk=Nike%20Alvord</a><br /><br /><br />They are super comfortable! I didn't want to go the gym today because my feet were hurting so bad yesterday. I did an hour on the treadmill and my shoes were slipping around on my feet. I ended up with some spots that were rubbed pretty raw. :( But, I got up this morning (a little bit later due to excessive snooze button punching!), put on my new shoes and went to the gym. I only had time to do the treadmill for 45 minutes. :( But, my feet didn't hurt at all. They actually felt better once I put on the shoes. Sarah had recommended some socks for me to get, but they didn't have them anywhere around here. I did buy some athletic socks with moisture wicking. What a difference new shoes and socks make!!!<br /><br />We were out really late last night. I tried Foot Locker. They had the Nike + shoes that I'm really interested. But, none in my size. The good news about going there first is that I finally learned my shoe size. All my life, I'd had wide feet. I've always bought wide shoes. But, apparently losing weight has changed the size of my feet as well. I went to Famous Footwear. I found the above shoes. I bought them, still wanting the Nike+. I figured that if I found the Nike+, I would still need a different pair of sneakers for things other than the gym. Then we went to JC Penney. They had a pair of Nike+ in my size. They are pink. I will have to learn to get over that. :( I bought them. Now I need the Nike sensor. I tried Best Buy, Target and Wal-mart. NO luck! :( I did buy an armband for my 2nd Gen ipod touch. But, my arm is still too big for it. I don't know if I should buy a different one online. The armband I bought doesn't have a lot of stretch. Maybe a more elastic armband will do the trick, but I would really hate to waste money on something I can't use. :( Stupid fat arms! When are you going to get smaller?!?!<br /><br />I did some looking online this morning. It turns out I only need the sensor and not the receiver. The second gen ipod touch has a build in sensor. How sweet is that? Now I just need to figure out what to do about an armband. The sensor does me no good without the ipod. :(<br /><br />Here are my Nike+ Shoes:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.famousfootwear.com/product.asp?product_id=1017093&variant_id=71945">http://www.famousfootwear.com/product.asp?product_id=1017093&variant_id=71945</a>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-926418343649414762009-03-23T11:33:00.000-07:002009-03-23T11:53:19.699-07:00Another post-op post!I am just over 9 weeks post-op. I have learned how to eat. I have to take small bites, eat slowly and chew a lot. I have lost 56 lbs. I have lost two dress sizes. I have lost them and will never find them again. It's a great feeling. I am going to get my hubby to take pictures of me tonight. I don't know if i will post them. I kind of self-conscious about pictures. He's also going to measure me. I did my measurements a couple of days before surgery. I will be able to see some real numbers. I lost 40 lbs in the first three weeks. I started going to the gym. Then, I went three weeks with no loss! It was very frustrating. I finally started losing again and have lost 16 more pounds. I'm feeling great. I go to the gym at 6 am most mornings and do the treadmill for an hour. I'm going to start couch to 5k soon. I want to give running a try. I love walking on the treadmill. Hopefully, I will like running too. I just found out this weekend that there is a marathon in Disney in March. I think if I run a marathon, this would be the one. <br /><br />Eating hasn't really been an issue for me. I make the right choices, eat my protein first and have no problems. The worse part was the liquid diet. Pre-op was horrible. I was hungry all the time. Post-op I was just so tired of sweet stuff. It seemed that everything I ate (or drank) was sweet. The protein shakes, pudding and applesauce. I was so happy to move on the soft foods. I had to be on soft foods for a couple of weeks. It wasn't bad. I have graduated to full foods. I can eat whatever I want. I have heard that some people "dump" after surgery. That certain foods don't agree with them. Eating sugar can make them really sick. I haven't had this problem, but I really don't push it. I don't eat unhealthy things. The worse I've done is one mozzarella stick at a meal. It's fried which makes it bad, but cheese has tons of protein. I'm obsessed with TVP. I use it dry and put it on Greek yogurt. It gives me the granola crunch but with protein instead of carbs. :) I eat a lot of ground turkey and chicken breasts. <br /><br />I'm in my "honeymoon." Right now it doesn't really matter what I eat, I will lose weight. This only happens for 9 months to a year. During this stage when we aren't hungry, we are supposed to be learning to make the best choices. I have embraced this. My mom hasn't. I hope that she gets it before her "honeymoon" is over. She gets mad at me when she asks me about what she's eating. I think she wants me to tell her that she's doing fine, but I'm not going to lie. I've told her to stop asking my opinion if she doesn't really want it. <br /><br />Anyhow! I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm feeling great. I have tons of energy and I already feel smaller. :)Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-56764628689994904472009-02-18T12:04:00.000-08:002009-02-19T08:06:57.858-08:00Long time no blog...Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. I finally finished that hell of a 6 month medically supervised weight loss period. My insurance approved the surgery quickly once everything was done. The doctor's office had some illnesses every time someone got my jinxed file. But, my surgery was finally scheduled for January 15th. I was so elated. My long wait finally came to an end!!!! I had to do some more pre-op testing. I was nervous through all of that. I kept thinking that something could happen that would cause the surgeon to not let me have the surgery. I did the two week liquid liver shrinking diet. That was very difficult. I had this big ole hungry stomach that didn't get any food... But, I made it through that. <br /><br />The day of the surgery came. I had to be at the hospital around 9 in the morning. I have a two hour drive to the hospital. I didn't really sleep the night before, so getting up was no problem. Besides, I am usually at work at 7 am so it would have actually been sleeping in for me. <br /><br />It took three people to get my IV. I sat in a little room with no door waiting for a while for my surgery to start. I was finally wheeled into the OR. Next thing I remember, I was waking up. I had some horrible pain in my stomach. They do the surgery laproscopically but they have to blow the abdomen up with air in order to work. It took a while for me to wake up. I remember seeing my son in the corner of the room and trying to get him to come over and see me. I was reaching out with my hand gesturing him to come to me. Once I woke up I got to eat a few ice chips. I had a catheter in and I hated that part the worse. It made me feel like I had to pee. I kept asking for them to take it out. I wanted a drink of water in the worse way. My mouth and throat were so dry, but I couldn't drink water. I had to be happy with the ice chips. The nurse from the recovery room finally wheeled me to my room late at night. <br /><br />The rooms are huge. It's bigger than my living room at home. Once the catheter came out. I got to go for a walk. I had a morphine pump, but I'm not really big on using pain medication. The bed wasn't really comfortable. Technicians had to come in all the time to check my vitals. I ended up walking a few times during the night out of boredom. <br /><br />The day after, I had to go down to radiology for a swallow test. I turns out that I had some swelling in the opening from my esophagus to stomach so nothing was going down. It took me an extra day in the hospital for the swelling to go down. Obama was speaking in Baltimore the day I was leaving the hospital. It would have been a mad house had I needed to stay any later.<br /><br />The ride home was horrible! Baltimore has extremely bumpy streets. Every single bump made my stomach feel like it was going to shoot out of the top of my head! Fred kept apologizing and I finally had to tell him to stop apologizing. He didn't put the bumps in the road!<br /><br />We had a friend watching the house and Jesse's dog freaked out. She went and stayed outside in the freezing cold. He said every time he shined the flashlight on her she'd run out of the light. My mom and dad finally had to take Jesse over to get her. Since I had to stay an extra day, they went and got all my dogs and took them to their house. Luckily all the dogs behaved,even the big beast of a dog! He could have cleaned off a coffee table with his monster tail!<br /><br />The pipes in the house froze while we were gone so we had no water. We had to turn on some heat and put a heater in our pump house to thaw everything out. Luckily no pipes broke. That would have been a disaster. Our pump house needs to have an old fashioned 60 watt bulb on during the winter. That bulb is enough to keep the pump house warm. We forgot to check the bulb and it had apparently burned out. :(<br /><br />This post is getting much too long... I think I'll post it now and post another later. :)Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-91051146215160403272008-10-08T04:31:00.000-07:002008-10-08T04:40:07.067-07:00Thank you...Thank you for all your support. :) I really appreciate all the positive thought and comments... (even if I didn't seem particularly receptive to them yesterday.) <br /><br />Mom's surgery went well. She was up and walking around last night. She didn't do the liquid diet like she was supposed to and I was really worried the surgery wouldn't go well. I'm glad it did.Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-52007088112207471412008-10-07T05:51:00.000-07:002008-10-07T07:12:14.971-07:00I should wear a warning sign...You see warning signs everywhere... They are for the good of mankind.... They keep people safe. I need one.<br /><br />Mine will say "Caution- Do not approach. Foul mood will likely last for several more months." <br /><br />Today is the day of mom's surgery. Today is the day her life will start over. I wish I had one too.<br /><br />(I'm really sorry that all my posts are grumpy. I'm not a grumpy person. No usually...)Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-19262119490543003182008-09-04T10:41:00.001-07:002008-09-04T10:41:35.098-07:00Another egg...I managed to get another egg. :)<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://dragcave.net/viewdragon/2glR"><img src="http://dragcave.net/image/2glR.gif" style="border-width: 0" alt="Adopt one today!"/></a>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-68937223654513462802008-09-02T10:10:00.000-07:002008-09-02T10:11:40.639-07:00Please visit my egg...I finally got a dragon egg. Please visit him so he can grow big! :)<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://dragcave.net/viewdragon/gzk3"><img style="BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px" alt="Adopt one today!" src="http://dragcave.net/image/gzk3.gif" /></a><br /><br /><br />Clicky, Clicky! :)<br /><br />Thanks! <br /><br />JennJennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-75876038834611828282008-08-22T05:10:00.000-07:002008-08-22T05:13:47.716-07:00I am such a horrible brat...Wednesday night, Mom called. She got all her paperwork and stuff for her surgery at the beginning of October. I know I should be happy for her. I told her congrats. I got off the phone and cried unconsolably for a couple of hours. I want to be happy for her, but this was my thing first!! I was the one who wanted it! But, because I work for the state and she works for the federal government, she gets to go so much earlier than I do. By the time I even get my surgery she will most likey have lost at least 50 lbs. She will be thinner and I won't! I understand I'm being a brat. And I try to look at the bright side and I try to be happy for her, but it hurts! She only went to the information session to see what I was getting into. She didn't even finish her paperwork for the information session until after the session because she said she wasn't going to get the surgery. I convinced her that she wasn't too old to change her life...<br /><br />Ok! I'll shut my bratty mouth now!Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-32578324803084631342008-08-20T06:18:00.000-07:002008-08-20T06:23:47.954-07:00No change from yesterday...Still waiting! LOL<br /><br />Tonight I have my sleep study. Apparently, they want to find out if I have sleep apnea so that they can be aware of it during the surgery. I snore. I think I snore a bunch. I think I snore loudly. Fred says I snore most nights, but not all (like he really could tell... he sleeps like a rock.) I think he's just being nice. I think he has to be nice. LOL<br /><br />Some things I have heard about the surgery....<br /><br />85% of couples end in divorce- a couple of friends of mine have been married 13 years and are now getting a divorce... she had the surgery not too long ago. I wonder if it's a factor.<br /><br />Fat cells hold a lot of estrogen, so:<br /><ol><li>I will be in a constant state of PMS.</li><li>I will have a very high libido (worse than now!)</li><li>I will be very fertile! (good thing i have the IUD!)</li></ol><p>So, it seems like if I'm not screaming at him, I will be jumping his bones. I hope we (mainly he) will survive!</p>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-73867016078885684632008-08-19T11:23:00.000-07:002008-08-19T11:29:26.749-07:00My life is on hold... :(Honestly, I think Sarah is the only person who really reads my blog. I think that's why i don't blog very much. I just tell Sarah everything over IM, so why would I make her read it all again???? <br /><br />Right now, I feel like my life is on hold. I have started the proceedings to get Gastric Bypass surgery. My insurance will cover the surgery, but I have to go through a 6 month medically supervised weight loss program. :( So, I'm doing that right now and waiting... and waiting and waiting! I feel like my life can't move on until after this surgery. I have had enough of being the size that I am. I want to get a much more active life. I want to be able to do more. I have spent my entire adult life on and off of diets. I never really get anywhere. This surgery really is my last chance.<br /><br />I think part of what makes this waiting so much worse is that my mom's insurance doesn't require the waiting period. She only went to the informational meeting to see what I was getting into. She kept saying, "I'm not going to get the surgery." Well... she is getting the surgery. She is getting the surgery in the beginning of October. I have to wait until about January of 2009. It's so frustrating. I'm the one who wanted it and she's the one who is getting it. She's going to be thin and I'm still going to be my fat self! I am happy for her that she is going to be thin, but I just wanted to be thin too!Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-44698408723243740932008-05-23T06:03:00.000-07:002008-05-23T06:12:11.667-07:00Here's a Meme- Let me see your answers.<br /><br />Here's how it works:<br />1. Put your mp3 on Shuffle All.<br />2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.<br />3. You must write that song name down no matter what.<br /><br />Q. What would best describe your personality?<br />A. Water Runs Dry- Boys to Men<br /><br />Q. If some one says it's okay you say...<br />A. It's All Been Done - Barenaked Ladies<br /><br />Q. What do you like in a guy/girl?<br />A. Here's a Quarter- Travis Tritt<br /><br />Q. How do you feel today?<br />A. These Dreams- Heart<br /><br />Q. What is your life's purpose?<br />A. Under the Bridge- Red Hot Chili Peppers<br /><br />Q. What is your motto?<br />A. Can't Buy Me Love- The Beatles<br /><br />Q. What do your friends think of you?<br />A. Blowing Kisses in the Wind- Paula Abdul<br /><br />Q. What do you think about very often?<br />A. The New Style- Beastie Boys<br /><br />Q. What do you think of the person you love?<br />A. Riot Girl- Good Charlotte<br /><br />Q. What is your life story?<br />A. Drive- The Cars<br /><br />Q. What do you think when you see the person you love?<br />A. It's my Life- No Doubt<br /><br />Q. What will they play at your funeral?<br />A. What the World Needs Now Is Love- Jackie DeShannonJennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-90792671018993872642007-12-07T07:30:00.000-08:002007-12-07T08:35:24.036-08:00Since the last time we left our intrepid hero...It's been over a month since I blogged. A very long, very stressful month. I somehow survived half the move to the <a href="http://www.smcm.edu/goodpaster/greenbuilding.html">new building</a>. I'm not sure how, but I managed. I had three students come in the Sunday after Thanksgiving and we packed up a lot of the stuff in the lab. The movers came over on Monday and moved all the stuff we packed over to the new building. Since that time, I have been there 6-8 times getting stuff that were okayed to pack and apparently weren't really okay to pack. :( It's a long walk from the parking area to the building, especially if you are carrying stuff. It's just so backwards. We are supposed to be moving into that building, not out of it...<br /><br />Jesse turned 12 yesterday. I can't believe he is so old! :( We went to <a href="http://www.cicispizza.com/Default_flash.asp">Cici's Pizza</a> on Tuesday with the family to celebrate. My mom picked up a <a href="http://www.carvel.com/products/holidays.htm">very cute ice cream cake</a> (scroll down to the snowman). Jesse got a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X25GWM/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&s=videogames">Special Edition Nintendo DS Lite</a>. He was very happy with his gift. Yesterday we stayed home all day. I made him cupcakes. He really wanted orange cake with strawberry frosting. I put the strawberry frosting on four of the cupcakes but vanilla on all the others.<br /><br />I have been doing a lot of reading and playing my early Christmas present.<br /><br /><strong>Reading</strong>:<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lover-Revealed-Black-Dagger-Brotherhood/dp/0451412354/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197042110&sr=1-3">Lover Revealed</a> by JD Ward (Book 4 of the Black Dagger Brotherhood)- This book is Butch and Marissa's story. Butch was the only human allowed with the vampire Black Dagger Brotherhood. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lover-Unbound-Black-Dagger-Brotherhood/dp/0451222350/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197042110&sr=1-4">Lover Unbound</a> by JD Ward (Book 5 of the Black Dagger Brotherhood)- This is Vischous' story. It was a good read. I loved the background information on Vischous. I guess she ran out of happy endings. :(<br /><br />I'm really looking forward to the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lover-Enshrined-Black-Dagger-Brotherhood/dp/0451222725/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197042110&sr=1-6">next book</a> in the series.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dailyinquisitor.com//hunter/dance.htm">Dance with the Devil </a>by Sherrilyn Kenyon- This is Zarek's story. It was great. I loved the depth of the character. Zarek was a former slaved (to his father's family) he suffered untold abuse and ended up dark and misunderstood.<br /><a href="http://www.dailyinquisitor.com//hunter/kissofthenight.htm">Kiss of the Night</a> by Sherrilyn Kenyon- Cassandra is the only remaining relative of Apollo. It is told that her death can stop the curse. Wulf is a Dark Hunter who is cursed to never be remembered by anyone he meets that is not of his own blood. Definitely a good mix! :)<br /><a href="http://www.dailyinquisitor.com//were/niplay.htm">Night Play</a> by Sherrilyn Kenyon- considered a Dark Hunter book, but not really. More of a Were Hunter book. Vane is friends with Dark Hunters, tho. And Bride is friends with the family of girls that are featured quite a bit in this series. It is a great book to go against all the body image problems. I really liked it. I couldn't put it down at all!<br /><a href="http://www.dailyinquisitor.com//hunter/stn.htm">Seize the Night</a> by Sherrilyn Kenyon- Kenyon turns the villian into a hero. Very masterful. Valerius and Tabitha. We have been hating Valerius since the beginning. He gets hooked up with his enemies' wife's twin sister. We learn to love him with Tabitha.<br /><br />I have enjoyed the Dark Hunter books. As soon as I can, I will be ordering more. :)<br /><br /><strong>Games:</strong><br />I got a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-Metallic-Nintendogs-Friends-Bundle/dp/B000XJNTME/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1197043550&sr=8-2">Nintendo DS Lite</a> for an early Christmas present. I got to get it now because Christmas is about watching Jesse open presents. :)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-DS-Nintendogs-Dachshund-Friends/dp/B0009UBR3K/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1197045171&sr=1-2">Nintendogs</a>: A very cute game. You get to take your dogs for walks, teach them tricks and enter them into competitions.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Arts-15734-The-Sims/dp/B000QAY000/ref=pd_bbs_3?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1197043947&sr=1-3">The Sims 2 Castaway</a>: Love it! I finished the game, but I haven't finished the collecting. It's really cool. Once you escape the island, a host of new things open up for you. You get to spear fish, dig, explore the temple, cook, forage, plant seed, hunt for bugs, make stuff, and sew clothing. I'm at 98% of stuff collected and am just waiting for some stuff to drop at my SOS sign.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-45496737122-Brain-Age/dp/B000EGELP0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1197045138&sr=8-1">Brain Age</a>: A great game, but not something you can play for a long time. You train a little each day to make your brain work better.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Arts-MySims/dp/B000PE0HCM/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1197043947&sr=1-1">My Sims</a>: Not as good as Castaway. I haven't played it a lot, but I hope to get the strategy guide this weekend and give it a try again.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/D3-Publisher-32004-Puzzle-Quest/dp/B000GH3PYA/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1197043807&sr=1-6">Puzzle Quest, Challenge of the Warlord</a>: A puzzle game with a role playing element. The battles are like Bejeweled, but you and your opponent take turns on the same board. I had to retrain myself how to play the Bejeweled game. I like to set myself up for a good move on the next turn. If I do that, I'm really just setting my opponent up. :(<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Arts-15759-SimCity/dp/B000O5VJRY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1197044194&sr=1-5">Sim City</a>: I have barely scratched the surface of this game. So, I don't have much to tell you.<br /><br />I want <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rune-Factory-Fantasy-Harvest-Moon/dp/B000NVKZ06/ref=cm_lmf_tit_2_rsrsrs1">Rune Factory</a> pretty badly! :(<br /><br />I just found this game... It cracks me up! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/UBI-Soft-8888162230-Sprung/dp/B00069ZINO/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1197045230&sr=1-1">Sprung</a>! How can I not want a game with the tagline "A game where everyone scores" LOL!!!!Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-31454903780424897082007-11-06T05:57:00.000-08:002007-11-06T06:01:15.537-08:00For you knitters... (and for those who love a knitter...)There is a great <a href="http://shutupimcounting.blogspot.com/2007/11/333-contest-few-of-my-favorite-things.html">contest</a> going on over at <a href="http://shutupimcounting.blogspot.com/">Shut up, I'm counting</a>. Cass has made it to her 333 post. Wow! That is great! :)<br /><br />And for those of you who love (or like works too) a knitter... Here is an awesome <a href="http://yarngiftbouquets.com/">gift</a>! I want everyone I know to send me one. :)Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-56371293921077041782007-11-06T04:57:00.000-08:002008-12-09T07:00:20.194-08:00And again... (Warning- Vent in progress!)<div>I'm posting again. Mainly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">cuz</span> I have something I have to get off my chest... </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>I</strong> am the one in charge of moving the lab into the new building. <strong>I </strong>am the one working every single day of the week. <strong>I </strong>am the one who did NOT get a vacation this year. <strong>I</strong> am the one that was here all summer... If I hear one more time about how stressed this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">stinkin</span>' move is making other people that did not work all summer, only work part time now and can take off work when they want, I'm going to blow the top of my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">effin</span> head off!!!!!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>(That's all for now!- Back to our regularly scheduled happiness.) :)</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5129712021069000146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-KQPDFxHhpbNQD4PGidYkVrO903_SOvtCAQSDGhTEzTumq0jtmRu9cPSWVKNSMi3pIRSI6Chu2VWd3qe39_2gF9byCZXG-43Dfjaxj9OVfyr1uFReEH0logaN_6dvbZdwjJm/s320/P1010005.JPG" border="0" /></div><div>This makes me smile. :) </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11852266.post-50497685043013343592007-11-05T06:50:00.000-08:002007-11-05T07:45:49.020-08:00Posting...Sarah says that I need to post. She says there are all kinds of things I can talk about... I don't know. <br /><br />My weeks have been crazy lately. Last week I went to <a href="http://www.nih.gov/">NIH</a> in <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Bethesda,+MD,+USA&sa=X&oi=map&ct=title">Bethesda, MD </a>to pick up some mice. One of my students is doing some behavioral testing on mice. He's looking at Bi-Polar disorder. It should be really interesting. The trip to NIH was crazy. I hate driving on the <a href="http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Capital_Beltway.html">beltway</a>. Do people really need to drive that crazy???? They have signs saying "Aggressive Driver Imaging in Use- For your safety." What exactly does that mean? Honestly, I don't think it's working.<br /><br />I had to walk a lot. The NIH campus is horrible for parking. And then I had to follow this cute boy for miles. Kind of back and forth... All I can say is that at least I got to follow a cute boy (Don't tell my hubby!) LOL<br /><br />This weekend was nice and relaxing. Tho, I did spend a good part of it upset with my hubby. On Friday night, I really wanted him to play World of Warcraft with me. Instead of playing with me, he took off to play with some people in our guild. It seems silly, but that upset me. He had plans all weekend (plans without me...) I don't think asking him to play a video game with me was asking too much. I am about the least needy female. I tell him to make plans to play with his friends. He goes out every Sunday to play a game with our friends. Nearly every Saturday he goes and play a war game with his friends. Most guys would love their SO to want to play video games with him... (I think what I'm trying to explain with this paragraph is that my husband is whacked in the head... I didn't hit him, honest!)<br /><br />I read two books this weekend:<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lover-Eternal-Black-Dagger-Brotherhood/dp/0451218043/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/102-1777075-5642555?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194276340&sr=8-3">Lover Eternal </a>by JD Ward and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lover-Awakened-Black-Dagger-Brotherhood/dp/0451219368/ref=pd_bbs_sr_6/102-1777075-5642555?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194276340&sr=8-6">Lover Awakened </a>by JD Ward. They were incredible books. I haven't read anything that good in a while. I stayed up until 3 am Friday night reading. I won an auction on eBay for the next two in the series. I paid for them this morning. I really hope they don't take too long to get to me... <br /><br />Sunday, I made a big pot of chili. I love my chili. It's great because I know I don't have to cook the rest of the week. With it now just being the three of us again (SQUEE!), that pot will last us a while. Fred and I don't mind eating the same thing every night, but Jesse will be complaining very soon! We got tomatoes, tomato sauce and chili powder at BJ's. Fred said this will be a chili winter. Honestly, I don't mind at all. I spend all summer wishing it would get cooler so I can have chili. I did tell him that I will have to make my beef stew this winter. Beef stew takes all day because my stew meat has to practically melt in your mouth, or I'm not happy. <br /><br />Okay, so I found some stuff to tell everyone... Nice. <br /><br />I do have one confession to make... I haven't picked up knitting needles in a couple of weeks. I'm so failing the <a href="http://www.islandzephyr.com/blogs/nauticalknitter/2007/08/23/secret-of-the-stole/">Secret of the Stole.</a> :(Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04920735111027141719noreply@blogger.com1