Seraphim's Wittle World

Happy Un-blogaversary!!

2010-04-26T10:01:00.002-05:00

For the obstinate child in me, once I saw how long it had truly been since I have last blogged, I decided to wait until April 23 - exactly one year from the date of my last blogging - to post SOMETHING, ANYTHING. Well here is a post! A few days late but here nonetheless!

So, what else do I say? As for many of us who have followed each other's blogs the past few years, Facebook has kind of semi-replaced our near-daily bloggings with several small "updates" throughout the day.

Not a whole lot going on that you probably may already know. And if you don't, well just ask! :-) You'll be sure to get an ear full!

Seraphim, the water baby.

2009-04-23T12:42:00.003-05:00

I am just over the moon at how well I've done so far at my swimming sessions. I've only been doing a slow breast stroke back and forth, from one end to the other, but I can really tell only after 4 days of doing this what a difference it is making.

I'm starting to get my strokes down, one problem I have is that my frog kick is all over the place so I'm trying to slow down and concentrate on what I'm doing. Stroke to the sides with my arms while I'm pulling my feet up under my butt, point my hands outward and stretch while kicking my legs - propelling me forward. I did about twenty (many twenty-two, I lost count!) 25-yard laps today, then I did some legwork in the deep end, like bicycling, legs stretching to the side, and more practice with my frog kick holding on to the side.

My arms are as sore as can be, not painful, just a dull ache. I'm really feeling some soreness in my ab area (YEAH!!), but I can't really tell with my legs because they ache so much already!

Oh, but the feeling of being weightless for even just the 30-40 minutes I'm in there is just so awesome and relaxing on my joints. Although, I hate having to get out of the pool because once my feet hit solid ground I just feel so HEAVY! I mean, I know I am pretty heavy to begin with but you can really feel the gravity pulling you down once you don't have the water supporting you!

After I finish with my workout, I just bob. I totally relax and just let the water envelope me while I float. Niiiiiiice!

I haven't started going to the fitness center yet. I went over there Tuesday to check things out, but I just wanted my body to get used to the swimming before I added anything else to the mix.

I do so love swimming. I think it goes back to when my mom was pregnant with me, and she was sitting in my great-aunt's pool during a family get-together. My dad was so funny - he told her, "Carol, you better get out of there! You're going to drown the baby!" And he was serious!

My mom also had me take swimming lessons when I was 3, because she got scared after the little girl who used to live next to us drowned in a pond near their new home. To this day, the smell of pine cleaner makes me long for a pool to swim in (that's what they used at the YMCA where I took swimming lessons).

And then I was on the swim team for a few years when we lived in Bainbridge.

Anyhoo, I am enjoying my swimming so much I might drive in on Saturday for a session. I'll miss tomorrow because I have to get my allergy shot. Ah well. 5 days out of 7 is not bad at all!

A year in review.

2009-04-20T08:40:00.014-05:00

March 24 marked my 1-year anniversary with Weight Watchers.

One year ago, I had high aspirations that by this summer I would be a lot lighter than last summer. I wouldn't be quite so self-conscious as this water-loving soul emerged from the dressing room probably not in a bikini but in a comfortable and perhaps flattering swimsuit. As we began shedding our winter layers, I was looking forward to wearing shorts without my thighs rubbing together, having the energy and less pain to finally do some walking around downtown Savannah and exploring this beautiful and historic city close-up, closer than you can get in a car or trolley tour.

Well, ain't gonna happen THIS summer.

And I'd like to blame it all on the medical problems that cropped up, and I am still dealing with, admidst my efforts to become healthier. Truthfully, it really is only part of my problem.

I am a food addict, I know it. This addiction is what makes it hard for me to eat the correct portions, makes it hard to fight strong cravings for food that I know darn well is not good for me. I don't know how I got to this point, but RIGHT NOW is the point where I am going to do my best to nip it in the bud.

I came to a very stark realization the other day. It was a post that a friend made on Facebook last week that spurred it:

"(NAME) Wonders why our self-preservation instincts don't override our self-destructive tendencies." To which I went on a tirade of how I don't understand why people who drive motorcycles feel the need to drive recklessly (like going 90-MPH on the interstate) knowing there's not much between them and the asphalt but the fabric of their clothing.

Well, that's not exactly what her thought process was, "It just popped into my head. Why some people choose to live unhealthy lifestyles and why some don't. And then I'm somewhere in the middle. I want to live a healthy lifestyle, but I don't always choose that path. Just a thought as I was driving in this morning...lol"

That really got me to thinking. Yeah - every time I shove that Big Reese's cup, 2 scoops of Leopold's rum raisin ice cream, or peach fritter from Baker's Pride in my cakehole I'm being no less reckless than the motorcyclist driving at breakneck speed.

Another issue is this whole thyroid thing. As of my last appointment on March 3 with my endocrinologist, I was still showing signs of being in hyperthyroidism. I was pretty sure that the treatment had worked and I'd "crossed over" to hypothyroidism, because of all the weight I'd gained. That, combined with the weight gain from that medication I'd been on, I'd developed the attitude of, "Why bother trying if I'm going to gain anyway." So, I still continued to follow the Program, but only half-heartedly - and of course with the expected results.

So...here I am now a year later. As of December 20th, 2008 I had lost 51 pounds. Between then and now, I have been losing and gaining the same 39 pounds. And in my mind, I don't think, "Well, I lost 50 pounds already and this is just a small setback. I'll get back to that point again soon."

No, in my mind all I can think, "Dammit, it's been a f--ing year and I've only lost 12 pounds!!"

But since my friend made that statement, my mind has been all shaken up and the puzzle pieces seem to be falling into a more logical state. I think I now know what I need to do:

1) It's only been a little over a month since I last saw the endocrinologist and I won't see him again until June. SO, as far as I know I am still in hyperthyroidism mode and therefore will act as if my metabolism is revved up and use that to my advantage.

2) So what if I am in hyper- or hypothyroidism.....the MAIN GOAL is to get healthier, whether I lose any weight right now or not -RIGHT?? Then, as I get healthier and my thyroid issues start to be resolved, the weight will begin to come off.

3) Find what physical activities work for me, and work 'em! Walking apparently is a no-go for me because of the neuropathy. And, Russell and I have also discovered that with our sometimes-crazy schedules and my physical problems, it would be best for us to just be "on our own" in our efforts to get some sort of physical activity in. Russell likes to listen to OTR (old time radio shows, like Jack Benny, etc.), and he walks faster than I do so most of the time when we're walking he's ahead of me. And I usually end up quitting before him because I'm hurting.

The best physical exercise for me, and something I love, is swimming. And by a wonderful stroke of luck in the past few years the college has built a new rec center complete with a workout room. As long as I am working as staff here, I can have access to the pool and workout room for only $11 a month - how stupid could I be to NOT take advantage of that? Unfortunately, spouses of staff cannot use the facilities so Russell does his walk over at the indoor track and OTR thing - and that works for him. I have just started (2 days so far) walking the short walk over to the pool (indoor, so I could do this almost year-round) and swimming at lunch time and then after work I'll go to the workout center and so some strength training while Russell goes over and walks on the indoor track. Then, we meet at the car and go home! After a while, perhaps as Russell and I get more and more fit we can plan to do some physical activities together - like walking and exploring downtown, hiking in the mountains (I'm going to tackle Stone Mountain again one day!), or even something else I've been wanting to do - kayaking!

4) Get my eating in check. I like the whole motorcycle analogy - so perhaps now that I have that in mind every time I think of eating something bad I'll imagine myself on a speeding motorcycle. Another goal, something I did last night, was to half everything I had for dinner and put it in a divided plate and had that for lunch today!

5) Try not to beat myself up so much. Hey, guess what? I've lost 12 pounds this year!!! LIFE IS WONDERFUL!! (clap, clap, clap, clap!) (No, Russell, I'm NOT turning into Andrea..)

So, there's my plan. And here's to my next year on Weight Watchers. I'm feeling more positive and renewed already.

Chocolate Caramel Apple a la Seraphim

2009-01-29T15:38:00.003-05:00

Step 1 - take tiny bite of one Weight Watchers Chocolate Caramel Mini Bar (acquired as a freebie at LAST week's meeting...)

Step 2 - take BIG bite of apple

Step 3 - chew

Step 4 - chew

Step 5 - chew

Step 6 - swallow

Step 7 - burp (optional)

Repeat.

YUM.

Hear that sucking sound?

2009-01-29T10:18:00.004-05:00

Seems the plug on my retention issue has been pulled and now it's all draining out, thank goodness. I have a 9.8 pound loss this week, a mere week after reducing THAT MEDICATION (Lyrica) in half. Tomorrow, I get to cut it again by half and eventually I will be totally off this med. WOO HOO!

And I don't know what's up, but I am feeling REALLY GOOD right now. Lots of energy, maybe a little too much because I seem to be driving a couple of my co-workers a little batty with my exuberance. Perhaps even a friend or two - I seem to recall sending a rambling email off yesterday.....something about fondue.....I know I must've sounded crazy.

I think it's a combination of coming off that drug that just made me lethargic, and the B12 injections in my system, nearly 10 less pounds on the frame again, my new love of my 34 oz. insulated coffee mug that I can get refilled at the cafeteria for the same price of a 20 oz. coffee, the steroids that I was prescribed for the pneumonia.......I just don't know. I'm sad that this is the last day of the steroids because I truly do feel better when they are in my system. My joints don't hurt, I feel more limber and more enthusiastic about getting some exercise.

I even took a short walk around campus yesterday. You guys up North are going to hate me for what I'm about to say. I'm sorry. But yesterday around noon was GORGEOUS. It was about 66-67 degrees outside, sunny. I walked out the front of the building and one of the campus frats was having a cookout in the plaza. Students were milling about, birds singing, just lovely. I walked across campus to take some paperwork to another office and then walked to the back of campus to check out what the crowd at the pool looked like because I am considering doing a lunchtime swim a few days a week.

I've even been a lot more productive at work, getting the piles of bills paid that arrived with the piles of books for the beginning of Spring semester.

After work, Tal picked me up and we went over to our weigh-in. Then we went to one of our favorite restaurants (or would that be one of the many locations of our favorite restaurant?)because their half-price hot wings deal ends in a few days. :-) Which reminds me, I still have some leftover hot wings in the fridge......

Chuck Norris' daughter......

2009-01-20T22:11:00.002-05:00

Adorable, isn't she?

Boy, I'm going to make you wish I never discovered how to embed YouTube videos now, aren't you? Well, if you don't like it I'm gonna come kick your ass.

I mean, I'm gonna kick your butt. Sorry, Mom.

I hate the taste of LifeBuoy.

Dancin', dancin'.......dancin' machine......

2009-01-19T03:52:00.002-05:00

Lord have mercy- it's when I see videos like this that I'm ashamed to be a white chick:

Bless their little Paula Abdul wanna-be butts!

Nickel-and-dimed to death.....

2009-01-14T21:31:00.004-05:00

Tal had a good night at WW this evening. I didn't even go. I just decided I couldn't face the scale tonight after last weigh-in. December 20th's weigh-in had me FINALLY getting to and going over a 50-pound loss. Jan. 7 - the scales showed me 23 pounds heavier.

I know, I know - it's partly the medication that is causing the weight gain, and partly me feeling like "If I'm gonna gain weight anyway, why should i even try?" I know, it's not the best attitude and I'm trying to fight this attitude.

It's been a busy week - first day of classes on Monday and once again students needs books. We did our usual potluck munchies Mon. and Tues. I think I was pretty good - I used light mayo and double fiber bread for my ham sandwiches and ate veggies with hummus instead of chips. I took some delicious cookies - Raspberry Angel Cookies - which are pretty light. They are made from one box of angel food cake mix, 3/4 cup of sugar-free raspberry jam (I used Polaner's seedless) and 3 TBSP of mini chocolate chips. Drop by round tablespoon onto a greased baking sheet, bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes. Oh, so good! You want them to get lightly brown to preserve that lovely pink color. You get about 3 dozen cookies from this recipe, which - for you WW followers - I calculated to be 1 point per cookie.

Since I'm the accounting assistant, and we're selling lots of books, I've got lots of money to count. I tell you, it's a pretty depressing feeling to be holding $10,000 in cash in your hands and know it's not yours. :-) Fall semester, it can be over $25,000. Wonder how long I could make that stretch down in Mexico?

I left my cell phone at home yesterday morning and I had this fear that my doctor would try to call with my test results from Jan. 2, so I called her office instead and left a message with her nurse. The nurse called me back later with the blood test results. Good news is that I don't have arthritis (I'm guessing she was looking for lupus or something?) but I am anemic and have a Vitamin B12 deficiency. What does this mean? I have to now take iron supplements and will need B12 shots. As I sit here typing, beside me on a TV tray lies a box that contains three vials of cyanocobalamin and 40 3ml syringes with some ominous-looking needles on the ends. Guess I get to test my meddle and see if I can administer my own shots. I figured it would hurt less to do that than to pull out my wallet and pay $15 each time I need an injection to have it done at the doctor's office. I told the nurse that I took out my own stitches (all 2 of them)from my leg a couple of days ago and she said, "Oh yeah, if you did that without passing out then I think you can handle giving yourself a shot."

We shall see.

But before I do the first one, I have to go to the doctor's office and have the first one administered and get instruction on how to do the subsequent injections.

Speaking of stitches.....the biopsy on my leg came back benign. It's just some sort of rash and does not require treatment. I don't know if I like that answer. It's SOMETHING - it may not be cancer, but I have these splotches all over my body and I want to know why. Which is what I will ask when I go there tomorrow.

Well, Mr. Gleck is passed out in the chair that is right in front of my desk and that looks like a good idea to me. I think I will take my "Plum Spooky" with me and try to get through a couple chapters before Mr. Sandman pays a visit. Or Mr. Gleck. Whichever comes first.

Say good night Seraphim.

Good night Seraphim.

:-)

Ranger.....or Morelli?

2009-01-09T13:42:00.020-05:00

My last post kind of brought up a debate that rages within the "Plum Crazy" fans of Janet Evanovich: Who do you think Stephanie should be with? Ranger or Morelli? Who would YOU be with? And, if they ever made these books into a movie or series, who would you cast as the books characters?

IMHO - I think Stephanie should be with Ranger. Morelli is starting to get domesticated and now that he's got that house he's gonna start longing for a wifey-poo and rugrats. That ain't Stephanie. Stephanie can't go a few months without losing her car one way or another - how's she going to keep up with a few kids? Nah, Steph has not a domestic bone in her body. I mean, c'mon - she keeps a gun in her cookie jar for Pete's sake! Martha Stewart would have several heart attacks over that!

As for me.....I'd go for Ranger, too. Dark, dangerous, Latin. Just makes me all tingly!

Excuse me for a moment..........

(While Seraphim's gone, please enjoy the soothing sounds of of Cyndi Lauper's "She-Bop", followed by a classic - "Pictures of Lily" by The Who.)

OK, back to business........if I were to cast a movie/TV series based on the book series, I would choose:

**America Ferarra as Stephanie:

Yeah, I know she's Hispanic but I think she can pull off the Italian/Polish look. I mean, look what she did with Ugly Betty.........I'm just sayin'. I just picture Stephanie with "curves" ya know?

** Mark Ruffalo as Morelli:
Now tell me - doesn't this picture of him just SCREAM Joe Morelli??!?!?!

**Benjamin Bratt as "Ranger":

Imagine him wearing a black "Rangeman" T-shirt........mmmmmmm..........

Pardon me for just a moment, I think I need a bit of water.

(Please enjoy the sultry tones of Carole King as she serenades you with "I Felt The Earth Move"........)

Ah. Better.

** Queen Latifah as Lula:

**Steve Buscemi as Cousin Vinnie:

** Michael Clarke Duncan as Tank:

Oh, I'm tapped for now. Time for bed. Maybe I'll dream up more actor/actresses who could star in this movie/series.

I've love to hear your opinions of my choices or suggestions for your choices!

I'm SO freakin' jealous............

2009-01-08T23:52:00.006-05:00

.........but I'm so freakin' in love with my freakin' awesome husband!!

To start off, GUESS WHO HE MET TONIGHT?!?!?! (answer below)

(Hint: Look at the books behind them........click on the picture if you can't see them..........NO, not the Social Sciences books, on the OTHER side!)

She was in Charleston tonight doing a book-signing for her newest "between the numbers" book and I was all excited about her being so close and the possibility of going up there to buy the newest book and meeting an author that I totally adore! I mean - I've read just about all of her books, not just the Stephanie Plum series of, what, 20 some-odd books.

But, alas, I had a cake class scheduled for tonight and wouldn't you know it I actually had people sign up for it! (Not that I'm complaining but if I DIDN'T have anything else going on I probably wouldn't have had ANYONE sign up for the class.

So, what did my freakin' awesome husband do? Lucky dog who had the day off (well, actually a teleworking day but he worked all night and slept most of the day) drove up to Charleston, stood in line and got an autographed copy of the latest book for me. He was #359 in line. And apparently he was also asked the question (on my behalf) - Ranger or Morelli? Seeing as he has not read any of the books, he had no idea what that meant. Since he didn't know the answer, he was given a sticker that said, "Plum Crazy" instead. Fine w/ me!

Another thing he did, as he was leaving the Barnes & Noble where the signing was being held, was snatch a bouquet of purple and white balloons with "Plum Crazy" on the purple balloons and a picture of the book on the white ones.

I called him as I was leaving the mall after class as I usually do to let him know I'm heading home and he says he had some GPB business to take care of and was heading home. Said he was at the "Circle K" about to get some gas in the car. I just assumed he meant the one in Pt. Wentworth just 8 miles from our house.

I got home, and he still wasn't there. I ate the food that I'd picked up, checked email, watched some TV and he still had not gotten home. I called him again to find out where he was, and he was about 1/2 and hour away. I said, "I thought you said you were at the Circle K." He said he was, and then I realized I just assumed he was at the one in Pt. Wentworth and probably was at one in Savannah closer to his work. He once again said he had to take care of some GPB business and would tell me all about it when he got home. I thought, "Oh no, he's got that exasperated sound in his voice and with him being out there so late it must be a real doozy of a GPB problem."

He gets home not too much longer, flops down on the chair in front of me looking beat. I said, "So tell me your problems." in my best therapist-like voice. He says, "Oh wait, I left something in the car I need to get out because it's supposed to be cold* tonight." Next thing I know, he's walking in with a bunch of balloons and I see the "Plum Crazy" on the purple one. "Plum Crazy"? Where on earth is a place called "Plum Crazy". What's that all about. Then I see the book and it hits me. I swear, I nearly cried.

Apparently the "GPB" in his "GPB business" stood for "Getting Peanut's** Book".

OK, now you can say, "Awwwwww." And even though I probably shouldn't be kissing him yet, I just HAD to. Just a small, quick one to minimize his radioactivity exposure!

Well now that the excitement is over, I'm going to bed because it's been a long day, it's almost 12:30 a.m., and my alarms starts yelling at me at 5:41 a.m. (although most of the time I don't get up until 6:30!).
"
Good night all! Sleep well! (Meant for those who are probably already sleeping, too!)

-Seraphim "Plum Crazy about my man" Gleck

*As cold as it gets in the arctic Savannah area.
**Peanut, being one of many terms of affection between the two of us. We consider ourselves "two peanuts in the same shell" and will often say to one another, "I love you my Peanut." to which the other says, "I love you MY Peanut."

Driving Miss Seraphim

2009-01-07T08:45:00.004-05:00

Welcome to radioactive day #2!

Monday evening, Tal and I were discussing how we were going to drive to work together on the days we went in the car together (days when neither of us have a doc appt. or I have cake class or Tal works from home) if I had to keep him at an arm's length. Neither car would keep me far enough away from him if I were to sit in the front seat as we drove.

So the obvious solution would be for me to sit in the backseat.

I kind of like this arrangement. I sit in the back on the passenger side of the car and Tal can see me in the rear view or if he turns his head to the right, and we can still have conversations. I took the headrest off the front seat and can see the road ahead. I discovered that there is an armrest/cup holder in the back that flips down between the back seats. I totally forgot about that feature! The back seat is just so much more comfortable than the front, especially if I push the front seat forward to give myself plenty of leg room. I tried to push the seat as far forward as I could and then lay the seat down to see if I could create myself a mobile chaise lounge but the seats do not align like that, like the seats in the Honda Element we used to have did (as pictured below):

You know, I really like being chaufferred around. Perhaps I'll make this a permanent thing. I do at times wonder if I may have been royalty in a previous life because at times I have this regal feeling and then try to get all bossy, like people should do my bidding. But the people I try to get bossy with have a tendency to put me back into my place really quickly. *sigh* It's not easy being a middle class princess. :-)

Well, I must be on my way....but not before THIS important announcement.

(See, Tal, THAT is how it's supposed to be done..... LOL!)

Friday....back in the front seat again.

- "Princess Seraphim"

In case you haven't caught on yet......

2009-01-05T23:55:00.003-05:00

.....my husband can be a real smartass.

So you know that I got my dose of radioactive iodine today. I get home around 6 or so, greet Tal at an arm's distance, and get busy cooking supper and working on 2 cakes for tomorrow.

A few minutes ago, probably about 11:20-ish, I go back to our bedroom to take a radioactive tinkle and notice a "Fall Out Shelter" sign hanging above my side of the bed.

If he wasn't already sleeping on the sofa tonight.........

What now?!?!?!

2009-01-04T22:30:00.003-05:00

Tal and I went down to Jacksonville on Saturday to burn up a Williams-Sonoma gift card from the in-laws and spend a little time at Dave and Buster's. While at D&B's, I saw a girl wearing this T-shirt and it totally cracked me up.

It's a shirt I would LOVE to wear to my doctor's office - OMG WTF is up with my health?!?!?!

Last Monday I went to my allergy doctor for a follow-up. While there, I asked him about these spots that I had. A couple of months ago I noticed a small spot on my right thigh just above my knee. I thought it was maybe a bug bite or something, so I didn't think anything of it. Then about a month ago I noticed it had friends, and was getting bigger. Over Christmas, I discovered that it had evolved into a family reunion on my legs, abdomen, stomach, and back.

So, I figured that if anyone would know what it was, it would be my allergy doctor. Well he took one look at the spots, said it was ringworm and that I would need to see my regular doctor.

Friday I went to my regular doctor, who said it wasn't ringworm and she really wasn't sure what it was but wanted to do a biopsy. She did a "punch", which means she used an instrument to punch out a piece of the flesh on the edge of the lesion. Don't worry, she numbed it before she did that so I didn't feel a thing. I didn't watch, though. I think that might have been a bit much. She did show me the piece. I found it a bit fascinating. This was a little piece of my body, about the size of a pencil eraser, floating around in formaldehyde in a little plastic container the size of a film canister.

She also ordered some bloodwork - 4 vials worth of blood was taken. She stated that she's concerned I may have developed an immunological disorder and wanted to do some tests.

So now, here I sit with two stitches in my leg and a mountain of anxiety over what this possible new ailment could be. I'm just hoping that whatever it is, it will tie together all the other stuff that's going on with me, is treatable, and can finally allow me to continue in my effort to improve my health.

Well I guess if I am starting the New Year like this, then it's GOT to get better. Right? :-)

OHHHH, it's getting late and I go back to work tomorrow after a week and a half off. Ugh, it's going to be tough.

Will update when I find out what's going on with the old bod!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's official!!

2008-12-24T23:21:00.006-05:00

I am positively the Grand Prize Winner of the "This Old Gingerbread House" contest on the "This Old House" website.

Check it out - the picture of my gingerbread treehouse pops up immediately.

Cool, huh! I'm just pretty thrilled.

I won a major award! It's no leg lamp, but I'll take it! :-)

Thanks to everyone who voted for me.......especially those of you who voted more than once. ;-)

"You like me. You really like me!" - Sally Field, 1985 Academy Awards

The diagnosis is grave......

2008-12-23T21:39:00.002-05:00

......actually Grave's disease. Yeah, I've got Grave's disease. I told Tal yesterday when I called him after I left the endocrinologist's office, "You know, the name actually sounds worse than the disease really is!"

If you want an in-depth description about this ailment, go to www.mayoclinic.com or www.webmd.com. In a nutshell, my thyroid is overactive (hyperthyroidism). The course of treatment will be radioactive iodine. I will go to the Nuclear Medicine department at the Imaging Center, and a doctor will give me a pill to swallow that contains radioactive iodine. The iodine will be absorbed by the thyroid and the radioactive ions will kill the thyroid cells that are overactive. This will probably make me go the opposite direction - underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) which can be treated with medication to bring the thyroid levels back into balance.

Some of the indications of this treatment, according to a few websites I've read, is that I will have to avoid contact with pregnant women and small children, and stay within arm's length from everybody for no more than two hours - for 4-11 days. I won't even be able to sleep in the same bed with Tal for several days. I will have to have a separate set of tableware that I will have to wash separately, I will have to wash my clothes separate from Tal's, and I will have to flush 2-3 times after I use the bathroom and wash my hands thoroughly. This is all to minimize radioactive exposure to those around me until the iodine and radioactivity are all diminished in my body. I swear, you'd think I was exposing myself to cooties with all these precautions.

Tal asked me if the radiation is so dangerous to those around me, then how is it not dangerous to ME? I couldn't tell him, I don't know. If anyone has an explanation then SHARE, SHARE! :-)

As far as my lucky penny. Well, I guess it may be pretty lucky after all. I mean, I wasn't hurt in the car accident. I may have "diabetic neuropathy", but I don't have diabetes. I may have Grave's disease, but this is a very treatable condition, and it's not thyroid cancer which was one of the possibilities. And another stroke of luck - I got an email today that said I was the grand prize winner of the "This Old Gingerbread House" contest. Now, I won't be 100% convinced of this until tomorrow morning when they post the results to the website so I'm not telling a whole lot of folks, but I wanted to tell you guys! I just couldn't wait! Woo hoo!

So, check out the website on Wednesday- https://youroldhouse.thisoldhouse.com. Don't know when they'll post it, so watch for it!

I hope you all have a nice holiday!

-S.G.

FINALLY!

2008-12-21T11:39:00.002-05:00

Yay! I have finally hit 50! At yesterday's weigh-in, I had a loss of 2 pounds, giving me a total loss of 51 pounds even.

I was so hoping to hit 50 before Christmas, and I have. What a good feeling.

In other news, Friday's visit to the neurologist (after waiting 2 months for this appointment) found me to possibly have some sort of neuropathy, giving me that numbness to my toes. The doctor said that even though I am not diabetic, because I have been borderline diabetic I still could have developed diabetic neuropathy. Oooh, Fun! So, I get to go through more tests. I have to go get poked again to have more blood work done, and then next month I get to go have an Electromyogram (EMG) and a Nerve Conduction Test done. FUN! Nothing like lying on a table for an hour or so and getting electrocuted!

Even more fun - Monday I go to the endocrinologist to get the results from my previous bloodwork and thyroid scans to see what the heck my thyroid is trying to do.

Good news is that I don't think I have any injuries from the car accident the other day. Any aches and pains that I feel - well, they were present before Thursday. So, I'm pretty much convinced the only injuries sustained were to the SUV.

Tal posted that the two of us went to a blood drive yesterday. Tal was able to donate his pint (and they were actually asking if we could donate TWO pints at once!). Unfortunately, I was unable to make a donation this time. My iron levels were not at acceptable levels (mine was 11.6 and they have to have to be at least 12.5) so I was turned away. This was the second time I attempted to give and my iron was down. I guess I need to start getting more iron rich foods in my diet. Another suggestion on the paper that I was given on how to raise your iron levels was to cook your food in cast iron pots. I might try that!

That's it for now. I'll try to update on Monday the results from my endocrinologist appointment.

TTFN!

A brush with an Angel.

2008-12-18T15:47:00.003-05:00

OR......"My lucky penny was defective!!"

I got rear-ended today by a guy named Angel......a week before Christmas. How's that for irony?

I'm OK, right now. I think. My neck and shoulders are feeling a bit stiff so we'll see how I feel in the morning. Rupert is OK, too. I think. He's got a few white paint scuffs and the edge of the tailpipe is slightly bent but who knows what's underneath the bumper? The guy whacked me pretty hard.... or so it felt!

The thing that really gets me, though, is the area in which this incident happened. More often than not, I've said that this stretch of road (Eisenhower Dr., between Abercorn St. and Hodgson Memorial) needs a turn lane. There's two lanes with no "suicide lane" in between. It's a very dangerous area - as Tal can attest. In fact, mere seconds before I got hit there were two cars sitting in the eastbound lane facing west as if they were in a turn lane, trying to get into the lane I was driving in and there was a car coming toward them! And then while I was sitting in the parking lot where we'd pulled over to, waiting for a police officer, there were nearly two more accidents! Will someone need to get killed before they do something?

There was a man in front of me in a red truck, I saw him turn his left signal on and brake. I slowed and had just come to a stop when I hear SCREEECH....SCREECH.....BAM! Yeah, there were two screeches. Angel said that when he braked, the van he was driving wouldn't stop and slid. He was towing a utility trailer and I'll betcha that didn't help. Been there, done that before!
(When I was about 11-12 my family and I were on a vacation and were towing a small camper behind our truck. It was raining (wasn't raining today - BTW) and we were about to go through an intersection when the light changed. Daddy tried to brake, but the trailer pushed us right on through the intersection. Scared the crap out of all of us.).

Before this all happened, I had just left work and was walking across the parking lot to Rupert when I spotted a heads-up penny on the ground and picked it up. If I'd only known......

Seraphim "Where's my neck brace?!?!" Wells

So close....AUGHHH!!!!

2008-12-11T10:23:00.002-05:00

After weeks and weeks of ups and downs, I'm finally in the black again as far as pounds removed. At this week's weigh-in, I was down 1.6 pounds to give me a total weight removal of 49.4 pounds.

49.4......... 6/10 of a pound away from 50. Darn it all. I really am not complaining too much, really. I mean, I'm at my lowest weight since I started WW. I just really was hoping to catch up with Tal and Kate/Susan. I mean, especially since they both started a month or so after I did! :-)

It's been a busy week for me. There has not been a day that my hiney has not been in a waiting room chair at some sort of medical facility or another.

Monday and Tuesday, I was set up to have a thyroid scan. Monday morning I had to go into take a dose of radioactive iodine and then go back in later that afternoon for the first scan. After the dose, I went over to the allergy doc's (which was just across the parking lot from the imaging center) for my allergy shot. (I though, what the check...since I'm here already and needed it since I had not had one since the Wed. before Thanksgiving!).

Tuesday, it was back for the second scan.

Wednesday morning, it was a 6-month follow up with my sleep doc. Good news is I don't have to see her again for a year, things are going pretty well. But she did tell me that if, as I lose weight, I find myself not needing the pressure on the machine that it is set at then I can come in. Otherwise I don't need to see her again until next Dec. Hopefully one day I won't even need to use a CPAP! YAY! Although, I am kind of sad that I won't be seeing her for a whole year. I just really like her as a doctor. She's super-smart and very personable. I can talk to her about everything, because it seems like a lot of things that are going on with me can also affect my sleep. Her husband is also super-nice, too. He was a candidate for our VP of Business and Finance (the division I work under) at the college earlier this year. I was so hoping he would get the job, but alas he didn't. (The previous VP resigned after an audit revealed some questionable purchases on his university purchasing card - tsk tsk. And this is the same guy who wouldn't pay me an extra $10 a month for me to do the department's monthly employee birthday cakes. He preferred to save the $10 and have the cafeteria do the cakes. The employees weren't so happy about that - they LOVED my cakes and couldn't stand the cafeteria's frozen-slab-and-icing-from-a-bucket cakes. Hmph!!!) But I digress.......

And today, Thursday, it's back to the allergy doc to get back on schedule with my allergy shots!

Friday.....what? No appointments? Wow. And all next week, with the exception of Thursday and my "OWIE" as I put on the board when I leave work to get my shot, no doctor appointments.

Monday, the 22nd, is when I see the endocrinologist for the results of the thyroid scans. I'm a bit nervous but optimistic to find out what the deal is with the thyroid. Talking with my sleep doc yesterday she feels like the endocrinologist will probably put me on thyroxin, and she said that will help me lose weight and also might give me more energy. Boy, I sure hope so.

I'm surprised that Tal hasn't mentioned our activity on Sunday evening! Wonder how many points standing around on a beach and freezing your butt off for 4 hours is??? :-)

Anyway, we were asked to be extras in the movie that Tal's co-worker, Eric, Eric's brother Nate, and their pal, Jody, are currently filming for their company, Perpombellar Productions. The movie is titled "Trumpet My Return". The scene we were shooting was at the Back River on the back edge of Tybee Island.

We got there at 5:00 PM and while the crew was setting up we got to witness the most beautiful sunset. After dark we started shooting the scene which involved about a dozen or so of us extras lined up on the shoreline. There were several "candles" floating in the water before us (as if we had just launched them) and we were to shout out the name of someone we loved and missed, and just do this over and over. Tal shouted Tiger's name, "Tiger, I love you son." He thought Tiger would think it cool that his name would be in part of the movie. And I know he truly does miss getting to be with him every day.

For some reason, I just couldn't think of anyone who I missed quite like that. I mean, I miss my mom and dad, and other people, but I keep in close contact with them so I don't quite miss them as badly. But then I had an idea of what to do:

I have a friend through a stepparent's email group that I've been on for a few years now. Her bio-son, Lee, has been missing since October 2007. Seems like he just walked off the face of the earth. His mom has been sick since his disapearance. His friends have been frantic - many of them have graduated and are away at college now, still with Lee in the backs of their minds and wishing he was going off to college with them. They don't know if he committed suicide, or maybe just staged it to look like he did. They found a copy of "Into The Wild" in his car, and feel maybe he did just what Christopher McCandless did. Divers searched the river and no body was found, that's why many feel he may have staged it this way to give him some extra time to get away. His family and friends are just puzzled as to why he left. What's driving them craziest is just wanting answers and not getting any.

And so, my shout was, "Please come home, Lee. We miss you so much." For Beth, Lee, and any other parent with a missing child, or anyone who has a loved one missing out there somewhere. I can't imagine in my deepest fears how having a child missing - not knowing if they are dead or alive, sick, suffering, or in danger - must feel.

I can't wait to see this movie once it's finished. I hope it wins as many awards as their first one, "The Street Cleaner" did!

Well, I think that's it for now. Things have been pretty busy since I last posted over a month ago but I think I've covered most of it!

Toodle-loo for now!

Seraphim "SuperStar!!" Gleck

Fun with highlighters

2008-11-07T22:42:00.001-05:00

We ain't right. We just ain't right.

My boss and three other employees went to an annual conference yesterday and brought back some goodies to those of us who had to stay behind. Of which - a few of these highlighters.

I got the pink one, who we named Penelope - Penny for short. My other co-worker got the green one with orange hair, who we named Percival - Percy for short. There was an instant attraction between Penny and Percy:

Later, Penny was so giddy she did a Stevie Nicks impersonation in front of my desk fan:

(Isn't it just amazing what you can do with a cell phone video camera and nearly unlimited music files? LOL!)

I know what you're thinking......some people just have WAAAAY too much time on their hands! Well, it IS kinda slow at work right now!

Almost there!

2008-11-07T16:14:00.002-05:00

Can anyone tell me how it took me only 2 weeks to gain 11.8 pounds and 4 weeks to lose it???

Last weigh-in I removed 3.4 pounds. Only .4 until I'm back where I was on October 2. That's do-able, I think. If I keep going at this rate, I will do that and possibly make 50 next week!

Tal's really close to 50, too. Wouldn't that be something if both of us reached 50 at the same weigh-in???

The thing is, I really don't know how I'm doing it. Confession time: I haven't really been sticking to the program very well, and haven't been tracking much except a little in my head. Wednesday evenings after WI, we go get pizza buffet and I eat what I want until I'm full. Not uncomfortable, just full. Thursdays, Tal has been working from home so I drive in by myself. I usually get breakfast drive-thru (Egg McMuffin, Ham, Egg, & Cheese Croissanwich, or something from the cafeteria at work) and at lunchtime I go get my allergy shot and either get Chinese, something from Moe's, or something from Mickey D's or Wendy's. Until last Thursday I had to teach cake classes in the evenings so I'd have a small snack after work before class and then grab something (most of the time a grilled chicken from CFA, sub from Subway, or chili and potato from Wendy's) on the way home.

And this week has been ridiculous with the Halloween candy, not to mention the Ultimate Coconut Cake that I made this past weekend because Rosie and I went absolutely ga-ga over it while watching Throwdown With Bobby Flay last weekend on Food Network. (Don't make it! It's BAD! BAD, I tell you! Not to mention expensive. Ingredients for it cost me $45!!)

Rosie wants me to tell you that it's not BAD, as in it tastes bad. It's BAD as in it's loaded with butter, sugar, heavy cream, cream cheese, and coconut - as well as the other cake ingredients. Now she thinks I need to make Bobby Flay's version of it. We also watched another Throwdown that Bobby had with Junior's Restaurant in NY, NY - who is world-renowned for cheesecake. Most famous one being the Devil's Food Cheesecake. And Rosie also thinks I need to work on an apple version of the cheesecake. I'm thinking an apple spice cake, apple filling, cheesecake, apple filling, apple spice cake, and some sort of a glaze maybe? I don't know. Something to think about - maybe glaze with cider in it? Hmmmm. Oh, Lord I've got to stop this!!!!

I need to dry the drool from my keyboard.........

Ghosties, Gabblins, and Things That Go Bump.....

2008-10-31T20:40:00.016-05:00

Happy Halloween!

Today has been rather mild as far as holidays go. I did dress a little for work today: black pants, black shirt, black shoes, and purple and green-striped socks. I wore these items into work under my green fleece jacket, then added the black and orange-stripe witch hat and pentagram medallion necklace when I got into my office and put everything away. I also hung my "The witch is in and she's casting spells" sign in my doorway. And of course everyone thought I was wacky as usual. Then I took a black and white self-portrait:

I was trying to decide if I wanted to do the trick-or-treaters thing tonight, as Tal has gone to spend the weekend with Tiger and I would be on my own to greet the little candy beggars. I needed to open the garage up when I got home from work and put some things in the SUV to take to Rosie's for the yard sale we're doing, and figured that if I would probably have some visitors expecting treats if they saw me. So, I ran to Walgreen's during lunch for some goodies.

Around 6:15 I get home, unload all my stuff (purse, candy, Chinese food) and get things set up. I set up a small table and stool in front of the garage door and got my "fishing chair" and set that up next to it. Got my big purple bowl and filled it with the candy (mini Oreo snack packs and Cookies N' Creme tombstones), the camera, a Diet 7-Up, an afghan, my little metal pumpkin with a votive, the candle lighter, an my little motion-activated monster and took it all outside and set it up.

Oh, and I didn't have to greet the trick-or-treaters on my own - I had a sidekick:

Puddy and I were ready for the kids - bring it on!

So, we waited.........and waited..........and waited.....................

Finally! Here come some trick-or-treaters! YAY! A princess and that ugly ghost thing from "Scream". And *sigh* just as quickly they were gone.............

After an hour and a half and a total of 7 visitors, we decided to pack it in. I was told by one of the mothers that a few of the local churches were having Fall festivals and that's probably where everyone was. I can kind of see that - I mean, the way things are these days that kind of thing is probably safer even though our area seems pretty safe. I mean, there are only 7 registered sex offenders living in our town........

Well, that was pretty much our exciting evening! Hope you enjoyed your Halloween!

I took this picture before I blew out the votive in the pumpkin. It's kind of fuzzy, but I think it's a neat effect.

On that note......I bid you GOOOOOOOOOD EEEEEEEEEEEVENING!

Forget yo-yo's.....we're talking bungees here.

2008-10-30T07:51:00.008-05:00

So, after an 11.8 pound gain in 2 weeks, I lost 4.4 last week and another 3.2 this week. I have another 3.8 to go before I am back where I was nearly a month ago. (10/2)

It's just puzzling, how this is happening and I can't wait until I get to see the endocrinologist so hopefully we can work out the thyroid and hormones - fun! Oh, and I get to add another doctor to my already long list of physicians - neurologist. I went back to my GP with the foot/toe issues. She tickled my toes with a little filament thingy and we discovered that the numbness in my toes is just localized to the bottoms. I could feel her touching the tops of my toes with the filament. She feels like it may be a nerve compression problem, undoubtedly from all these years of carrying around the bulk of my body weight.

Figures - now that I'm losing weight and wanting to get out and walk to help me get into shape I develop this problem. It's not really life-threatening (that I know of) but it's bothersome because when I do try to walk the numbness makes me stumble and is uncomfortable.

So, let's see - that's now 7 doctors I think. Regular doc, allergy doc, sleep doc, lady parts doc, urologist, endocrinologist, neurologist. I have a feeling I will probably be referred to an orthopedist or foot and ankle specialist for the Haglund's deformity. That'll be 8. Oh, and the dentist, which I am currently shopping for another.

I'm starting to feel like a real hypochondriac. What's next??

Enough of MY medical issues. I want to send get-well vibes to my nephew (12), who fractured his ankle yesterday playing basketball at school. Boogie apparently has a pretty high pain threshold - not sure where he gets that from......probably his mother. :-) And that's all I have to say about THAT.

Progress on the Gingerbread Project is slow. At this point, the most work I've done is the planning and strategy and painting the board to carry it on. Saturday, Rosie and I are having a yard sale at her place and then she and I are going to go have dinner at The Crab Shack. I found out that they are dog-friendly, so Puddy is going with us and maybe if we have time I'd like to take a short walk on the beach if it's not too cold. Actunity! Well....nevermind that. Apparently they don't allow dogs on Tybee's beach. Bummer.

Sunday, I plan to bake the pieces and do some fine-tuning of the other plans. This is going to be a great gingerbread house. Still trying not to reveal many details - not that I don't trust you guys but according to my little Sitemeter thingy I do have visitors other than my friends and family - I even had someone from Asheville, NC swing by last week! But I can tell you that of all the pictures of past entries, this is a design I have not yet seen. I think that I will do some video as I start pulling it all together. I really need to step-up the production. I only have a little over 2 weeks!

Divine justice??

2008-10-28T14:20:00.003-05:00

You know me, I really don't take too much glee in the misfortune of others but I truly do love it when karma comes back and bites you in the butt.

I was being a good girl yesterday morning, driving along I-95 in the middle lane doing 70 MPH (only because there was someone going slower in the far right lane otherwise I would have been there) and this woman (I'll call her Zippy the Wonder Twit) in a black SUV cuts me off coming from the far left lane to the middle. I mean really, there was plenty of room and she could have waited 2 more seconds. So I flashed my lights at her and threw up my WTF? hands. And we continued on, me at 70, her at 80 or whatever she was doing.

We get off 95 and onto Hwy.204 - she is of course far ahead of me. Whatever, like I care by then. I get to this intersection and I stop even though the light is green because traffic is backed up to that point and if the light changed I'd be stuck in the intersection. Well, this guy (I'll call him Doofy) sails through the intersection in the right lane (I'm in the left) and quickly changes lanes nearly hitting the front of my car. He gets the flash and WTF?, too. By then several people from the intersecting lanes have turned onto 204 and are in front of me between me and Doofy and traffic starts moving. As we slowly top the hill, I see Zippy and Doofy moving onto the left shoulder. Doofy apparently rear-ended Zippy.

Finally.....Divine Justice has been served. It's like when you're doing the speed limit and somebody flies past you and then you see them pulled over on the side with a police car behind them.

Poor things looked miserable as they stood between the cars assessing the damage. SOMEbody, I'm not naming names, rolled down her window and as she passed them by said (yes, they heard), "HA, that's what you get." Thankfully, traffic was moving fast enough for a quick getaway.

I was so giddy when I got to work. I shouldn't have been, but you know - Zippy and Doofy were driving recklessly with no regard to my or any of the others' safety. Neither of them were hurt, and neither car looked too damaged, so their only real inconvenience was that they would be delayed. I think they got exactly what they deserved.

Unsolved mysteries, Indeed.

2008-10-21T12:30:00.004-05:00

OK, so Tal managed to REMOVE weight while he was on vacation. We'll see if it catches up with him this week as he is expecting (hopefully it won't, because he's been doing so much better at keeping on program than I am!). Meanwhile, I had a phenomenal GAIN. When I say phenomenol, I mean the past two weigh-ins I've nearly fallen off the scale at the numbers: 5.6 on 10/8 and 6.2 on 10/15. That's a total of 11.8 pounds in 2 weeks.......WTF????

I admit - with Tal being away I did let go a little - taking in a few spots that I like that Tal doesn't care to go to, but I didn't think I did all that badly. Well, yeah I did. And then I had a huge cake to do - made of pound cake made from scratch and my favorite chocolate ganache frosting recipe - the weekend after Tal returned. Here's a pic of it:

That's two 9-inch and four 8-inch pound cake layers, crispy rice treats molded to make limbs, and quite a few strategically-placed dowel rods to keep everything in place during transport.

Of course, I had to carve the cake to a tree shape - and I guess I don't have to tell you what happened to the trimmings. Can you say 6.2 pounds????

So, here I am once again jumping back upon the wagon. I'm thinking that this gain was not only due to my lapse but also to the hormone/thyroid/whatever else will crop up issues. I've decided to go back on the patches, at least until I can see the endocrinologist in November to see about the thyroid stuff.

Speaking of November - the Grove Park Inn National Gingerbread Competition is less than a month away! I've been working on my plans and pulling together my supplies, getting ready to start it all this weekend. Oh, I'm just so stressed and so excited about this - especially when I found out who two of the judges are: Nicholas Lodge and Colette Peters!!!

OMG, I nearly turned myself inside-out when I heard that Colette was judging. For those who may not be familiar with her, if you've ever watched any of the cake challenges on the Food Network she has been the winner of several of them. So many of them, in fact, that I think they finally had to make her a judge just to give others a chance! I've been a fan of hers even before the Food Network days, and I have most all of her cake decorating books. Take a look at her work - she's amazing!

Nicholas Lodge is another favorite of mine. He teaches many cake decorating classes in Atlanta and is a wiz at gumpaste flowers. I hope upon hope to take a class or two from him one day. I believe he's judged a few Food Network competitions, too.

Ah...cake.....gingerbread....you see why I say my skill is also my kryptonite?!?!?!?!?!?! :-)

Thyroid Ultrasound Results

2008-10-09T09:27:00.004-05:00

Well, my doctor's nurse called me a little while ago with the results of the ultrasound that I had done on Monday.

The diagnosis, "Diffuse enlargement but no dominant mass. Looks like it may be a goiter." Translated for the non-medical types like myself, means that there is no cancer - just an enlargement. And not a very big enlargement that I know of. If you look at my pictures a few posts back, you can't really tell - I mean, I've seen pictures of people with goiters and they look like they swallowed a whole orange that got stuck.

The good news is that since I'm being referred to an endocrinologist for the thyroid issue, he will be able to take a look at the total hormone issue - who knows, he might even be able to find a total hormonal balance that will help me see better results on the Weight Watchers scale! :-)

A tale of thyroids, dolphins, and earrings

2008-10-06T07:21:00.007-05:00

It's been quite a nice weekend. I don't know quite where to begin so let's start with Friday:

I got a call at work from my doctor(actually, her nurse) with my test results on Friday. Good news is that I don't have diabetes, however she said my thyroid levels were pretty high and wants to have an ultrasound of my thyroid done. Puzzling - I've never had issues with my thyroid before and I've been tested time and time again since I was young due to my weight and female troubles. I've got this appointment today at 3:30. Maybe after this is all resolved (hopefully no big troubles there - fingers crossed) we can get back to the foot issues.

Saturday morning, Tal and I woke up early. Tal left to head for Birmingham around 5:00 a.m. I got dressed and headed to Wal-Mart - where I picked up some bait, tackle, and snacks - drove to Savannah and picked up my friend/co-worker Rosie (who likes to read my blog so let's give a shout-out to her!) and drove out to the Lazaretto Creek Pier for a day of crabbing and fishing. We didn't have much luck - by the end of the day (which for us was aroud 4:00-ish) we had caught one stone crab, several oyster toadfish (if you've ever seen one, it's an ugly little mother....they were sent back to the briny deep), and a croaker which we gave to another fisherman to use as bait. But it was a pleasant day. The sun was out, but the temperature was pleasant. Just as we were about ready to leave, a couple of shrimp boats came back in to dock with a herd of seagulls, penguins and dolphin trailing behind them. One of the boats docked right across the creek from where we were, and I got some good footage on the camcorder of the shrimpers feeding the dolphin. One of the dolphin tours came back in right about then, and so the shrimpers gave them a good show by holding fish up for the dolphin to jump out of the water and catch.

Finally, Rosie and I packed up and headed for home. I dropped Rosie off at her apartment and started to head back to my house when I decided I wanted to take a detour through downtown. As I was passing through, I decided take adantage of an "actunity", parked my car, and took a walk around downtown Savannah. I walked around to City Market and purused some of the shops. I stopped by "Kitchens on the Square", which is a store I've been wanting to visit. I found out while there that this is indeed a "you break, you buy" type store. As I was turning around, my purse caught a porcelain magnet that was on one of the shelves. It fell, and some of it got chipped. Coincidentally, the salesperson had some super glue and we were able to piece back together to almost perfect condition. I think perhaps it was fate that this magnet came to be mine.......it says, "Sexy Women Have Messy Kitchens". If you saw my kitchen these days.......

After I left "Kitchens..." I walked around the corner, passed by the lines outside of Lady and Sons across the street, and stopped by another favorite store, "Metal and Paint". It's a jewelry store that carries a lot of glass beads and silver. We discovered this store a few years ago while a group of us was waiting for a table at Lady and Sons. I've been back there a few times for Christmas gifts but never bought anything for myself before. SO, I decided to stop by and see if there was anything that interested me. I ended up buying three pairs of pretty earrings! By then my feet were starting to hurt so I decided to make my way back to the car. On the way, I stopped at Smoothie King for a delicious, low-fat smoothie. Then to my car, and back on the road home I was. I wanted to look for another place I'd heard about, but came across a BBQ restaurant I had read about, so I stopped there and got some BBQ for supper. Got home, ate supper, then went to the grocery store for some cake supplies and to stock up on ingredients for my gingerbread project. By the time I got home, I was wiped out. This was a good thing, because I slept well which is something I don't usually do when Tal is gone.

Sunday wasn't as eventful. I cleaned up a bit, and made a big pot of vegetable chili (Dan Good Chili from "Hungry Girl - Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World" - 2 points per cup and it's SO GOOD!!) and another pot of my favorite veggie soup, which is nothing more than a can of V-8, a bag of frozen mixed vegetables, and I threw in about 1/2 cup of orzo toward the end and a little garlic salt and black pepper. I haven't figured out the Points value for this yet, but it can't be much per cup. I've put both soups up in the freezer in 2-cup containers for easy portion-control! Yeah!

I love the Hungry Girl book and website (www. hungry-girl.com). The recipes in the book does have nutrition info but not the points value - but they're easy to figure. However, Lisa DID post all the Points values for the book's recipes online. When I have time I will actually go through and write all the PV's in the book. So many other recipes in there I want to try!

So now here we are back to Monday and a busy week ahead. I've got a tree-shaped cake (this one's going to be 3-D, not flat) to do for this coming weekend, cake classes on Tues. and Thurs nights, Weight Watchers on Wed. night (and Tal is coming back on Wed.!), and of course my full-time job (the one that helps pay the bills!) which thankfully is kinda slow right now. And still working on plans for the GB Project.

I still haven't cleaned the garage, which I've said I was going to do for the past two months! Ech. Oh well.

So, will post any results from the ultrasound, Wed. night's weigh-in, and pics of the tree cake as the week wears on!

Happy Monday, and have a great week! Life Is Wonderful! (clap-clap-clap-clap!!!)

-Seraphim "Hey - who emptied the coffee pot???? Oh...it was me....sorry." Gleck

Another goal achieved!

2008-10-02T09:25:00.005-05:00

Last night's weigh in showed me at a 1.6 pounds loss, which now has me at 349.6. I am very excited about this number. It now means I can go into any of my doctors' offices and instead of bypassing the standard medical scale that most of them have and muttering, "Sorry, I don't register on that scale." (max. weight for these scales is 350), I can hop right on!

Thinking back, I believe that the last time I was able to do that was probably around 10 or so years ago. I was going to the gym with my cousin and his girlfriend, and weighing myself every now and again on the gym's (350 pound max.) scale. I remember that I was hovering between 330 and 340 then.

Twenty years ago, January 1998, I weighed 316. I remember this, because that was my starting weight when I began seeing a bariatric specialist who started me on a vegetarian diet at first - where I lost 50 pounds in 10 months - and then decided I wasn't losing fast enough and put me on what they called a VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diet). The VLCD consisted of five 100-calories packets of shake mix every day. Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and chicken. No, not a chicken shake - you could make soup out of it. That was pretty good, a cream of chicken soup consistency. And you could make a pudding out of the shake mixes, too, just by decreasing the amount of water added to it.

By Summer 1989, I was at 235. That is the lowest I have ever been in my adult life. That summer was also when my first major boyfriend broke up with me, sent me into a little tailspin, I fell off the wagon big time. I did make several attempts at weight loss over the next 20 years, but each time only lasted a few days before I was back to my old eating habits.

So......I've passed 350, my first big milestone. 316 and 235 are going to be the next big milestones to look for in the coming year or so!

Was going to post something today, BUT......

2008-10-01T13:37:00.002-05:00

Eureka!!!

2008-09-24T20:55:00.002-05:00

Experiment complete, evidence conclusive. Results: possible overdose of estrogen?

Stepped on the scale this evening and the numbers came back in the negative (which is a positive for me!). 7.2 is what I am down - making the total loss of the last three weigh-ins -9.1 (-6, +4.1, -7.2).

And I know that this must be right because I have not been very good this past week, somewhat on purpose, and still lost a lot. I can't wait to see the doctor to discuss this with her. I've decided from this point on I will just go with one patch instead of two, changed twice a week, and see what happens until I see my doctor!

The proof is in the (sugar-free, fat-free) pudding!

2008-09-24T09:52:00.014-05:00

If I didn't have any reassurances before that there has been a change in my appearance since I've been doing Weight Watchers, I've got it now.

We went over to have new school ID's made today. I just got mine renewed in March (about the same time I started WW) after about 5 years because I knew my old one was outdated and I was going to need to borrow some AV equipment from the library to use at my Grandmother's 90th birthday party.

So, here's the comparison - then and now:

I can tell that my face is a bit thinner, I actually have a neck, and instead of a double chin I've got a chin and a half! Hair looks better, too. I was obviously having a bad hair day back in March....... or hat hair.

Well, it's Wednesday - weigh-in day. I haven't plastered a patch on my body since Friday morning. And, according to the scale at home, I've dropped back to about the weight I was two weeks ago. So, I am thinking I may have proved my theory and will be talking to my lady stuff doc in Nov. about this. I'll report the actual results either this evening or tomorrow morning!

I also went for my Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) on Monday. I'm waiting on pins and needles to find out if I've crossed over the diabetes border or not. I vote NOT. I hope I hear something before the weekend.

See....I told ya!

2008-09-19T13:25:00.006-05:00

Yep, as I predicted in my previous post, Wednesday night's weigh-in had me up 4.6 after my magnificent loss of 6 pounds last week. OK, so combined that's a 1.4 pound loss in 2 weeks so I really can't complain much.

So today starts the Big Experiment. I removed my "Patches" this morning and did not replace them. I am going to go all weekend without them, and we'll see if my theory holds water......or if *I* hold water. LOL.

I did go to my regular doctor yesterday, I felt I needed to because my blood levels for cholesterol, sugar, etc. has not been monitored as closely with this new doctor I had started seeing at the beginning of this year as my previous doctor (who would see me every three months) had been. I've also been having some foot issues lately that have had me concerned.

I have a bony growth on the back of my right heel that has been affecting my walking due to it being quite painful. My previous doctor said that I had plantar fasciitis and gave me some exercises to do to stretch my Achilles tendon. She didn't even LOOK at the "knot" at the back of my heel as I had mentioned to her. I asked my new doctor about it, she took a look at it, and right away said, "Do you know what that is? That is a condition called "Haglund's deformity." Which, in essence, is a bony protruberance at the back of the heel bone. There are some treatment options from simple exercises to surgical removal of the bony growth.

However, there is another concern that has taken precedent over my heel problem. The other foot issue has affected both my feet and could be a symptom of something more serious. I have been having some numbness in my toes, mainly when I am walking or have my feet on the ground when I am sitting. I mentioned this to my doctor yesterday, and she decided to have me tested for diabetes, as the toe numbness could be diabetic neuropathy - or nerve damage. I have been borderline (termed insulin-resistant or glucose-intolerant) for a long time. This is what had caused me to have PCOS which eventually led to the hysterectomy last summer.

SO, on Monday I go to the lab to have a 3-hour Glucose Tolerance Test done. I had this test done several years ago after Tal and I got married, which diagnosed my insulin resistance and PCOS. If you're not familiar with it, first they draw a blood sample, then you have to drink a glucose solution (think overly-sweetened uncarbonated Coke), then they draw blood samples at intervals for three hours. My doctor wanted to test to make sure that I had not "crossed over", or developed full-blown diabetes. Let's pray that has not happened.

If it is not diabetes or diabetic neuropathy, then it could possibly be nerve damage just from hauling my nearly 400-pound butt around. That's a lot of weight on these poor feet of mine! In any case, this has really bothered me. I've been trying to get more walking in, and it really has helped me to lose weight. But it's hard to walk when you can't feel your toes, so I end up stumbling a lot.

I love this new doctor - she's a little bit wacko, but she's MY kind of wacko. I mean, how many doctors give you a hug and kiss (on the cheek) when she's done with your exam. (Please.....don't answer that.....and get your mind out of the gutter.) She's sweet, and smart, and she also has a bit of meat on her bones so she certainly wouldn't be one to get preachy about one's weight. And, good grief, would you believe she's a big fan of Mr. Talmadge Q. Gleck??? I swear, at my very first visit with her, when she found out he was my husband she was so excited that she high-fived me. And then when I told her that he was planning to see her too, I thought she would just turn inside out!

Needless to say, Tal and I truly love having her as our healthcare provider. :-)

So, anyway, that's what been up with me this week. :-)

W....T......F.....?!?!?!?!

2008-09-17T09:13:00.002-05:00

OK, I have the most puzzling thing going on. I think I MAY have figured it out, but then again it will take more experimenting and consulting with my doctor to prove my theory.

I have the most yo-yo'ing weight loss ever, it seems. I'm down one week, up the next, BAM! big weight loss then it's like, "Oh, wait, we accidentally took away too much weight and we're going to give you some back."

Saturday morning, my pre-shower Nekkidweight® was 352.6. Monday morning, it had crawled up to 358-ish and then this morning it was 357.2. I just can't figure it out - it's not like I went totally wild this weekend, I didn't eat any worse than I did the weekend before and I lost 6 pounds after last weekend.

Then I got to thinking, the last time I had a big drop (over 5 pounds) like that was after the weekend with my cousins in August. And then the next week I had a gain. What did the two weekends and subsequent weigh-ins have in common?

Well, see, after I had my reproductive plumbing removed last year, my doctor put me on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). I use the Vivelle Dot patch - 2 transdermal patches changed twice a week, worn on either the lower abdomen or lower back hip region and alternating sides with each change. My patches - I have this song that runs through my head as I pull the old ones off and replace them with new ones "Patches" by Clarence Carter......"Patches, I'm depending on you..." LOL.

But I digress. What the two weekends have in common is that I did not have my patches on. I probably removed them and forgot to replace them, and therefore went the entire weekend without. I'm just wondering if the lack of estrogen during that time is what caused the significant drop in weight? The patches supply estriadol, for whatever that's worth.

That's just a theory, which I am going to pose to my doctor when I see her again. Unfortunately I can't get an appointment until November. So, until then, I will experiment. I am going to try to go weekend or two without and see what happens. It may be that I am getting too much estrogen - I mean, two patches? And they are both of the highest dose available for Vivelle.

I welcome any insights into this theory if you have any.......... :-)

Seraphim "how the hell do you remove transdermal patch adhesive??" Gleck

Here comes Ike - let the party begin.

2008-09-12T12:50:00.010-05:00

I was looking through the slideshow on Yahoo News at some of the pictures of people in Texas preparing for Ike's arrival. Most of the pictures were showing flooding in some areas where Ike is pushing the surf in, getting plywood, generators, etc. in preparation, etc. But there were a couple of pictures that really caught my attention:

This first picture is of a tow truck driving along a sea wall in Galveston - LOVE the sign. The second picture is captioned," Customers prepare for Hurricane Ike in Angleton, Texas on September 11." I love how they prepare. Look at what the middle guy is holding:

I don't know about you guys - but I'm totally with this guy, and his friend behind him holding the bags of Fritos (or Cheetos, I can't really tell). I mean, after all beer is the perfect survival essential, isn't it?. You've got your water for hydration, and the grain, hops, etc. provide nutrition. And the alcohol, well it just kind of makes you chill out so you don't freak so bad when you come home to find your car in your living room. In my perfect world, I imagine the guy at the counter is buying a bottle of Jack Daniels, a 3-liter of Diet Coke, and a box of Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies. Oh...and some boiled peanuts for Tal. Now THAT's a hurricane party. :-)

Seriously, though, let's pray that the folks in Ike's path fare the weather safely. It's been stated that if those living in the low-lying areas do not follow the mandatory evacuation orders, they will face certain death. Let's just hope they are smart enough to heed the warning.

Deja-PUKN

2008-09-12T08:26:00.003-05:00

So I was leaving work yesterday, and parked 2 cars down from mine was the infamous "LIL PUKN" car. All I could do was roll my eyes as I passed it.

Water you up to?

2008-09-11T10:59:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, our WW leader mentioned that to achieve good weight loss you should take your weight number, divide it in half, and that is how many ounces of water you should drink every day.

OK....I now weigh(brace yourself, this is the first time I've actually revealed the true number) 353. Divide that in half - 176.5. How in the heck am I supposed to drink 176.5 ounces of water a day?? That's approx. 22 8-oz cups of water.........5 1/2 quarts......1 1/4 gallon.

The water bottle that I've been drinking from at work holds 36 ounces. I would have to drink 5 of those a day. I just finished the second - so that's 72 oz., plus the 16 I had this morning before I got to work - that's 88 oz. so far. I've been to the bathroom three times already before noon and looking at a 4th trip before I head out for lunch and owie (allergy shot - yay). And I feel bloated. Ugh. Good news is that I'm not hungry, so I guess that's the big benefit. :-)

I'm only 90% the woman I used to be!

2008-09-11T08:01:00.005-05:00

Yay! Last night I finally reached my 10% weight loss goal. It took a little longer than I'd hoped to get there but I GOT THERE!!

Last week, after a 1.2 gain, I was hoping I would at least have lost that plus the 0.9 that would get me to my 10%. As I stepped on the scale, I told the receptionist, "Well, here's hoping that I at least get to my 10% goal." And she looked up at me and said, "Well, you did that plus some!" The scale showed that I'd dropped 6 pounds! That brings me to a total loss of 43.6!

I certainly didn't expect that, but it certainly was nice after a month and a half of yo-yo'ing. I was hoping to have lost 50 by Labor Day, but that didn't happen either. But that's OK....I'm still losing!

I hope that after such a big loss I don't start with the yo-yo'ing again. I'm not quite sure what I did right this past week - I did make sure to drink my water, tried to plan ahead and track ahead (I think that helped a LOT, I have noticed that on weeks that I was lax in my tracking is when I do my worst at weigh-in) and stick to what I tracked. Tal and I also did a good bit of walking last week.

I have been working really hard this week on my portion control. I also have started doing the "eat 1/2 and then see how I feel before I clean the plate" thing. That seems to be really working for me. For example, the elder Mrs. Gleck made spaghetti for supper Saturday evening. I did dish myself up a rather large plate of it, but then I only ate half. I also had a pretty big salad with Newman's Own lowfat Sesame and Ginger dressing. I did eat almost all the salad. But never fear, the remaining spaghetti did not go to waste - we had a very big and happy pup on our hands afterwards (Smokey - Tal's canine "brother").

And on Sunday, Tal and I stopped at Cracker Barrel on the way home from his parents' house this past weekend. I had the grilled chicken tenderloins with mashed potatoes and some white gravy on the side, baby carrots, corn, 2 corn muffins, and 2 biscuits with butter and apple butter. And I washed it down with some unsweet raspberry tea. I decided I would eat half of everything, and I did. Then I boxed up the rest and had it for breakfast (biscuit and apple butter w/ an orange) and lunch (the remaining half of the chicken, potatoes, corn, carrots, and corn muffin).

I did the same thing Monday night, only eating half of my meal and boxing the rest for lunch the next day. Tal is not practicing this method but then again he really doesn't have to because his method seems to be working well for him! :-)

Speaking of Tal and his weight loss - he and I did something rather unconventional last week in order to solve a problem that he had recently developed. Our wedding bands are the same type, and so I had an idea for us to exchange bands since mine was a couple sizes smaller than his and I have the engagement ring to hold the band in place. And so we did. As Tal stated, he has not removed his wedding band since the day we were married. I can't make that claim, as I have had a few surgeries that required me to remove all jewelry - and as a woman I am also known to slather hand cream on and don't want to get the rings all goopy with lotion. Tal has stated that the only time he would allow his ring to be removed, it would be removed by me and replaced by me. And so, upon exchanging our rings, we did so rather ceremoniously. I removed his ring and he removed mine and I placed my band on his hand and he placed his on mine. And so they will stay until both of us start having trouble keeping the rings on.....THEN we will take them to be re-sized. :-)

Next mini-goal: 1.4 pounds for next week. That will take me to 45 pounds removed!

I would do anything for cake.....

2008-09-09T12:07:00.003-05:00

.....but I won't do THIS.

File this under "WTF were they thinking????".

That's just scary. What's next - exploding pinatas???

Butter Spray (because Oleomargarine has WAY too many Points!)

2008-08-21T21:11:00.019-05:00

Whew, what a week it's been. I can finally catch up on some blogging.

So, this week classes started at the good ol' university and we've been busy as all get-out selling books to the students so they can get learned good. Compliments of our employer, we got to wear the coolest T-shirts:
It says,"got receipt? (good. keep it. you'll need it!)" I'm not complaining about wearing the T-shirt - I think they're pretty cool, plus I've never been one to refuse a free T-shirt. It's just the principle of the thing that bugs me. We have the return policy printed on the back of the receipts when a student buys a book - and you have to have a receipt if you need to return the book within 2 weeks of buying it. This way we know that the person returning the book is actually the one who bought it, and not some person in the habit making a profitable business of returning books that don't belong to him/her. It's just the fact that we have to wear T-shirts with this printed across the front to put the return policy right in their faces. Another fine example of the dumbing down of America.

During this busy time, we are usually too busy to leave for lunch so we bring in potluck. Mostly sandwich stuff and other goodies. Since chocolate is the perfect energy food, I brought brownies. I also brought in some light white bread and Potluck Pasta Salad from the Weight Watchers website. It's very good - 3 points for one cup of the salad. The recipe calls for a couple of shapes of whole-wheat pasta, but in honor of "Rush Week" and our school mascot, the Pirates, I made Pirate Pasta Salad:

I came across some Pirates of the Caribbean shaped pasta the week before in Kroger and thought I HAD to get it and make something. Although the picture is a little fuzzy, you might be able to see what some of the shapes are. There is a skull and crossbones (top left), a pirate (top right) - I suspect could be Captain Jack Sparrow but a co-worker said it could be Captain Barbosa. It's hard to tell. Oh, and bottom left is a ship - we'll call it The Black Pearl. :-)

The pasta salad was a good choice to do, and I managed to skip all the sandwich fixings and stuff. However, once I took a bite of brownie it was all over for me. And so Rush Week for me became a feeding frenzy - I was a total P.I.G. - PIG!!! Bagels with cream cheese, brownies, cookies, coconut cake, an assortment of pizza, and the huge red velvet cake I made for the boss's birthday. OK, so I took a short vacation from Weight Watchers. And today I made myself get back on track. I didn't post that I had gained .8 at my last weigh-in (8/11) and I haven't had a WI yet (missed Monday because of working late), so I don't know what the damage has been. Guess we'll find out next Wednesday - I've got a little less than a week to get in gear!

Last Thursday, I decided I wanted something different for lunch. Most days, I usually take my lunch and eat at my desk. But on Thursdays I have to go out and get my allergy shot at lunchtime so I'll usually just grab something on the way back to work. So this day I thought I'd give the Indian restaurant up the street a try. And discovered I'm not that fond of Indian food. I got a mixed vegetable curry with basmati rice. First few bites were pretty good, but after a while I just wasn't crazy about it. Maybe because it just looked funky to me:
Plus, it was really spicy. So I ended up filling up on water trying to put out the fire. So now I know....... :-) I'm glad I went with a vegetarian dish - especially after I saw the braised goat on the buffet bar. LOL.

I spotted this cute car in the parking lot at school the other day. We'd seen it on the road before - a bright orange Cooper Mini. Now, the car itself is memorable enough, but you just can't forget the tag:
Which is kind of how I felt after eating the Indian food. A co-worker suggested that perhaps the driver was bulimic. However, we just know it was a little Southern girl trying to be all cute but failing abysmally.

Well, I think I've just about caught up. I know I'll probably think of something later, and will post it as I can. So on that note I bid you good night!

But it's my birfday!

2008-08-08T13:17:00.000-05:00

Wow!!!

2008-08-06T12:54:00.022-05:00

Well, folks, as you can see by the Pound-O-Meter®, I'm down quite a few. At Monday night's weigh-in, I found that during last week I had somehow managed to remove 5.6 pounds!!

I'm not quite sure how I did it. I guess maybe I was REALLY good during the week, because I didn't do that great over the weekend. Well, I mean, maybe I wasn't as bad as I thought. Friday, I drove up to just north of Atlanta (Woodstock) to my cousin Coleen's house. I left work about 10-ish, stopping at Mickey D's for 2 Egg McMuffins. I had some water with me so I didn't get anything to drink. When I reached Dublin, I HAD to stop for one of my favorites - "trucker coffee"from Pilot. My recipe: Grab a 24-oz styrefoam cup from the dispenser, open six of those little individual servings of Coffee-Mate Hazelnut flavored non-dairy liquid creamer, fill the cup 1/2 way with super-extra-caffeine-charged mocha cappuccino, fill it the rest of the way with super-extra-caffeine-charged coffee. Did I mention that I'd only had about 4 hours of sleep the night before?

I sipped my "trucker's coffee" and munched on some fat-free pretzels through Macon, stopped in McDonough for gas and a Diet Coke. Spent 20 minutes in line at Chick-Fil-A before I got my grilled chicken sandwich, and ate that on the way to my Coleen's. I got there about 4:00-ish, visited with Coleen and her husband, Michael, and played with the kids. We ate dinner - Coleen made some Bertolli shrimp scampi and linguine and some edamame. (Yummy!) And then after dinner the little girls and I decorated the baby cakes I brought for them.

And then they munched on their creations........

And then we went and played with the Barbies and stuffed animals in their room.After that, we were all tuckered out. So the kids went to bed and us big kids watched a bit of TV. I snacked on some of the fat-free pretzels and a bag of Right Bites Sandies. I started feeling the effects of the day's driving and frolicking with the munchkins, so I went to bed. I was put in the basement for the night (yes, they have a guest room down there - they weren't trying to hide me away!). I guess Friday wasn't too-too bad, foodwise. I mean I really didn't have a lot, and the worse thing I had was my "trucker's coffee". Plus, I did make a few trips up and down the stairs at Coleen's.

Saturday morning, I got up and made my way to Duluth for my meeting. They had blueberry and banana nut muffins and coffee at the registration table. I helped myself to a blueberry and some go-juice, then just before we got started I grabbed a banana-nut muffin. For lunch, we had a fajita and taco spread. I had some of the chicken fajita, skipped all the cheese sauces, rice, and refried beans, loaded up on salsa, tomatoes, and lettuce, and had a huge dollop of guacamole. Oh, and a couple of flour tortillas. We had unsweetened tea at the tables. All in all, a pretty healthy day so far. But then here's where it all went awry - for dessert we had key lime cheesecake AND coconut cake - I couldn't decide, so I had some of both. Oh, it was SO good.

For break later on, they served chocolate chip cookies, brownies, the leftover coconut cake, and an assortment of sodas and water. I had a Diet Coke. That's it. I was eyeballing the Right Bites Mini Fudge Stripe cookies I had in my purse, but decided that I wasn't really hungry.

After our meeting was over, and we all left loaded down with all our goodies (we LOVE the annual meetings because we get full-sized samples of some of the new products they came out with during the year!) and the small cakes we decorated, I headed back to Coleen's. I had passed by a Whole Foods store on the way to the meeting, and decided that I was going to stop on the way back since we don't have one of these in Savannah. But on the way back I was just ready to get there, plus I had the cake and stuff in the car. Didn't want it to melt, because it was SO HOT!!!

Once back to Coleen's, we had some pizza and I showed off the samples we'd gotten and presented Coleen with the cake I had made. Her birthday is in a couple of weeks, so I made her a small birthday cake. (sorry, don't have a picture handy - will add it later at home) After the kids were in bed, we started watching "True Lies" but I once again petered out early.

The next morning we got up and went to church. I ate a CocoaVia crunchy almond bar and more Right Bites Mini Fudge Stripe cookies after I got dressed. I rode with my cousin, Steve (Coleen's brother) and we parked way out in the parking lot and rode a trolley in. Yeah, the church is so big that they have a trolley system in place to cart the congregation to the church's door! My aunt (Coleen and Steve's mom) calls it "The Civic Center"! After the church service, Steve and I walked with Coleen and family to their mini-van. They had parked MUCH closer. Steve and I decided to hoof it back to his truck rather than catch a trolley. I almost regretted that - even Steve, who is a trainer at a local gym and in great shape, was huffing along with me as we hiked. Boy, I am glad that I wore sneakers! (yeah, I wore sneakers to church. Hey - there was a guy there in shorts and flips flops, and I saw a lady in a Harley Davidson T-shirt in the lobby!) We got in the truck, and Steve cranked up the A/C. Did I mention that it was HOT???

We met the family at Longhorn and had a good dinner. I had a tiny bit of the chili cheese fries they ordered as an appetizer and a slice of the multi-grain bread they serve. My meal was the Lafayette Chicken & Shrimp -Twin grilled chicken breasts topped with sautéed shrimp, onions, mushrooms, sweet red pepper strips, melted Pepper Jack cheese and a spicy Cajun cream sauce. And I had a side of steamed vegetables. It was delicious!

After dinner, Steve and I went over to his gym because he needed to pick something up, then we drove around and Steve showed me some of the million-dollar homes in the area. Whew, why would someone want a house so big?? I know - because they CAN!

Back at the house, the kids were getting ready for a nap, but waited up to say goodbye to me (awww). Before long, I was on the road again. I decided to go back the way I went the day before and hit Whole Foods, then get on I-85 into Atlanta. At Whole Foods, I got some cut watermelon, a small variety of yogurts that our stores don't carry, some water, and Odwalla juice. I left there, headed for Alpharetta and I-85. As I got into Alpharetta I decided I might need to top off the gas, and found a Wal-Mart with gas for $3.68. I also noticed a Carvel's Ice Cream shop across the street and was dying for a scoop (have I already mentioned that it was HOT???). After I gassed up, I got a scoop of Chocolate Explosion, and hit the Interstate. All was fine and good until I got closer to downtown HOTlanta and found that they were re-paving the three left lanes of I85-75. Let's just say that I spent the next hour and a half taking pictures of the Turner Broadcasting building and TBS, the Olympic Torch, the Ga Tech sign, the Varsity sign, and various and sundry street signs, including some that explained why were were stuck in this parking lot. By the time we were going more than 20MPH, I had polished off the juice and watermelon - oh and the green tea I had bought - and a package of the Right Bites Sandies.

Reaching Forsyth on I-75, I came across a DQ sign and decided that the Carvel's just didn't satisfy the ice cream yearnings. Plus, I was hungry for something non-sweet to go along. So DQ served me up a chili-cheese dog and a medium X-treme chocolate blizzard. Oh....MY.....GAWD. As I was licking the last of the chocolatey goodness off my lips, traffic came to another standstill as we made our way around a terrible accident between Forsyth and Macon, and then on to I-16 and home. I didn't make any more stops, and just drank my water the rest of the way. I put on the audio book I was listening to, and zoned out on what has GOT to be the most boring stretch of Interstate in the country! Although, it is nice that you can set your cruise control and get lost in the story you're listening to.

So, we went back to our house after work on Monday, and you KNOW Tal and I had to empty the ol' bladder and then hop on the scale to see what the home scale said in comparison to the WW scale. I can't remember what mine said, so I was completely bowled over when I saw the numbers on the WW scale - 5.6 pounds lost!

So, this brings me within 2.7 pounds away from my 10% goal! Fingers crossed that I make it on 8/11! Maybe I need to spend another weekend in Atlanta, LOL!

BTW, this morning my nekkid-before-my-shower weight showed me at 39.6 pounds lost - that .1 less than my 10% goal! Woo hoo! Now, if I can just improve on this over the weekend so that the WW scale will show this number!

- Seraphim "Melting Away" Gleck

What Kind of Cake Are You?

2008-08-06T08:04:00.007-05:00

There are so many of these personality quizzes out there, but you KNOW I had to do THIS one......if I were a cake, what kind of cake would I be?

You Are a Chocolate Cake

Fun, comforting, and friendly.

You are a true classic, and while you're not super cutting edge, you're high quality.

People love your company - and have even been known to get addicted to you.

What Kind of Cake Are You?

No gripes, either.

2008-07-29T09:26:00.006-05:00

While Tal logged a loss this week, I wasn't quite so lucky. 1.2 pounds found me again. But I know it's my own durn fault. Too much "it's my birthday and therefore I'm entitled". OK, so I did enjoy my birthday - the free 1/2 rack of ribs and sides (potato salad and baked beans) from Sticky Fingers for lunch - of course since they were so generous with the free ribs and such (a $13.99 value) I felt almost obligated to purchase something - like, dessert. And the apple almond crumble with vanilla ice cream was delectable. HEY....it was fruit (apple) and whole grains (oats), so it couldn't have been TOO bad, right???

Then Friday night we went to Bennigan's. I was pretty good there. I had their Guinness-glazed grilled chicken and shrimp with mashed potatoes and green beans with unsweet tea. I had not eaten a lot that day for breakfast or lunch, either. But the bad part was when I got home and started decorating that cake. It was too easy to grab a bit of the chocolate cake bits that I'd cut off and dip them in a bit of the chocolate ganache frosting - especially when it was approaching 3-4 o'clock and I need a bit of a sugar rush to continue on. But I justified that with - "Hey, I walked a WHOLE HOUR Friday!!"

And Saturday - Logan's yeast rolls, steak, baked potato, and grilled veggie skewer. Still not so bad, I didn't think, so I got one of the little dessert things - nutter butter delight served in a teeny little pail that looks like the pails the peanuts come in. It wasn't that big, so it couldn't have been too bad, right? Oh, and the peanuts - I didn't have but maybe 4-5.

Couldn't have been the pint of Jack Daniels and Diet Coke I put away this weekend, could it? I mean, I drank it with Diet Coke for goodness sake! (Have I mentioned that I love Jack Daniels and Diet Coke?)

Then we had Chinese food Saturday night - steamed shrimp and veggies, little (1/2 cup?) container of white rice. And.....crab rangoon. With sweet and sour sauce.

OK....birthday is over. I let myself go a little nuts this weekend, but it's time to get it together again. I really do need to start planning ahead more. That's been my trouble. Just not planning ahead, planning things out, and I've been especially bad about tracking my points. I really do need to get it together.

So, we now know why I gained 1.2 instead of losing this week. And we know what to do this week to remove that 1.2 for next week. And I'm SO close to my 10% goal. I didn't reach my "39 by 39". My second goal was "Laboring for 50" - 50 pounds removed by Labor Day. That's in 5 weeks. 18.8 pounds in 5 weeks - 3 3/4 pounds per week. Not an impossible goal, but maybe a little unreachable at the rate I've been going. I may have to re-configure all my future goals!

But, you know, even though I did gain this week I'm really not letting it get me down. I mean, right now I weigh 31.2 pounds less than I did 3 months ago. I've lost an average of 7.8 pounds per month in the 4 months I've been on WW. That shows me that I HAVE done it, and I CAN continue to do it. As Annette put it so well, "Don't let a lapse become a collapse." And I won't. It's a minor setback, but setbacks only serve to steel my resolve. I WILL succeed at this. I'm too stubborn not to. No more excuses.

Watch out doughnuts.........

2008-07-26T23:45:00.009-05:00

......there's a new pastry in town!

I think that the police department in Richmond Hill, GA and surrounding areas may give up their Krispy Kremes when they get a load of my latest creation:

This was a groom's cake for a RHPD officer getting married today. I work at the college with his mother, and just so happened to walk into her office at school when she and another co-worker were discussing trying to find someone who could do a replica of his police cruiser. Here is a picture of what his car looks like:

I think I got it pretty close, eh? :-) There are some details on the actual car that I left off the cake, simply because by 4 a.m. Saturday morning I was just wanting to get this cake DONE and go to bed. I started on the decorating about 7-8-ish Friday evening. By 8:45 a.m. Saturday, I finally had the cake boxed and fell into bed, covered in chocolate icing, shortening, and icing coloring. Two hours later, I had to wake up to get ready to go deliver the cake to the church reception hall.

But I tell you....the lack of sleep, that's just part of my suffering for my art. It's amazing how quickly the fatigue melts away when you deliver that cake and how thrilled your customers are with it. I only wish I could have been there for the moment when the bride and groom saw the cake! Although, I was there when my co-worker called the bride in the cell phone and said, "The groom's cake is here and it looks GREAT!!" and could hear the bride squeal over the phone. I was promised lots of pictures of the big moment. Can't wait to see them!

After Tal and I delivered the cake, we went out to Logan's for a belated birthday dinner and then did a little shopping before I finally needed to go home and get some sleep (with a short stop at the little package shop at the county line). I promise you all that, when I finally get sober.....I mean, awake.........(have I ever mentioned that I LOVE Jack Daniels and Diet Coke?)......I'll catch up on my posting comments to you other folks "Memory MeMe's" since many of you posted such lovely memories to mine! (Just in case you were wondering why I had not done so yet. It's not that I don't love you, I just been otherwise preoccupied, ya know!) :-)

Man, I do love Jack Daniels and Diet Coke.

Hasta luego!

Seraphim "I Heart Cake......and Jack Daniels and Diet Coke........yeah, Talmadge, too." Gleck

A memory MeMe stolen from Susan, who stole from Manda.....

2008-07-25T13:46:00.003-05:00

This is something a little different. Almost reminds me of the SLAM books we used to have in junior high.....only I hope you leave nice memories about me. :-)

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn’t matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It’s actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I’ll assume you’re playing the game and I’ll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don’t want to play on your blog, or if you don’t have a blog, I’ll leave my memory of you in my comments.

The irony was not lost on me.

2008-07-24T09:17:00.003-05:00

In this day and age of $4/gallon gasoline, I am making an effort to slow down. I've developed a new motto - "Lower MPH = Higher MPG! Yeah, Baby!" I feel a little sanctimonious as I'm putting down the Interstate at the posted speed limit - 65 - as others whiz past me. "Nanny, nanny, boo, boo. I'm the one saving gas and $$$, not YOU!!" I even heard a report on the news yesterday that fatal traffic accident rates have been down, too, possibly due to the fact that people are either not out driving as much or slowing down. If there's at least ONE benefit to the higher gas prices, it's THAT!!!

So, anyway, this morning I was heading to work on the Interstate at my now-usual 65 MPH clip when I happen upon a Corona truck going just slightly slower than I was. I thought, "Good for you, just cruising on at a casual (and gas/life-saving pace)." There was a "How Am I Driving?" telephone number on the back of the truck and I thought for a moment of calling the number to commend the driver. That was the same moment I realized I had left my cell phone sitting on the counter at home - @*&$%#!!!!!

Since the Corona truck was going slower than the 65 MPH I had set my cruise control at and didn't want to mess with, I changed lanes to go around. I just so happened to glance in the rearview mirror after I changed lanes and noticed a brightly decorated van approaching at a breakneck speed in the left lane (I was in the middle lane). As it passed, I saw the letters and graphics on the side of the van......RED BULL. Apparently the driver had been sampling his product and got his wings.

So, for a very brief moment there I was, nestled between the RED BULL and the Corona vehicles with my styrofoam cup of coffee. I couldn't help but chuckle.

Fishing with Father

2008-07-17T10:41:00.005-05:00

My mom, dad, and grandmother came for a visit this past weekend. Mom, Sis, and the nephews were here the weekend before over the holiday, but Daddy couldn't come because he had to work.

It's been at least 2 years since Daddy and I had been out fishing and crabbing, so I had planned for the two of us to do so on Saturday. And so we did. It was a lovely morning, overcast and not too hot. We left the house around 7, I think, stopped by the Gate station for some coffee for us and ice for the coolers. We caught Tal coming in for a Diet Mountain Dew before departing for the wilds of Tuckfroy and I got to say a proper goodbye to him! (He was just stirring as Daddy and I were getting ready and leaving.)

I had decided to try a new fishing spot this time. My old favorite had been the Moon River pier on the way out to Skidaway Island. It's a nice, peaceful place - if you can tune out the cars whizzing by behind you on the bridge crossing the river (the piers run alongside the bridge as you can see in the picture below). I didn't have much luck the last time I was out there with my friend/co-worker Rosie, as you can see:

Yeah, that's a striped bass I believe. Too small to keep, but it got stuck in my crab net and died so I decided to keep it and use it for bait to hopefully catch a bigger fish. No such luck.

Anyway, since I had such rotten luck there I thought maybe we'd try a different location. I decided on the Lazaretto Creek fishing pier because it was right across from where they launch shrimp boats and dolphin tours, so I figured if the fish and crab weren't biting at least we'd have some entertainment. Little did I know WE would be providing some entertainment as well!

Here's the pier:
It's a bit of a hike from the parking area to the end of the pier, but the view is awesome. There are several big advantages this place has over the Moon River:

1) As you can see, the bridge is far enough away that the traffic passing over isn't as loud.

2) It has porta-potties!!! (they did install a porta-potty at the Moon River once upon a time. One fishing trip it was there and new and beautiful. Yes, I did use it. The next trip, I found nothing but a big puddle of melted green plastic where it once stood. Some butthead came along and burned it down. And stole the Moon River sign.) The Lazaretto potties are back near the parking area, so you DO have to hike a bit and hope you make it after 4 hours and a liter strawberry-flavored fizzy water. I almost didn't. And then when you get inside, it's like a big stinky sauna. By the time I got the pants to the ankles I was sweating so bad that I nearly slid off the potty seat (didn't help that the porta-potty was leaning forward slightly). TMI, I know, but I was sitting there giggling the whole time trying to do my business without sliding out the front door!

3) Dolphins are shrimp boat groupies. Pelicans, seagulls, and sea turtles are, too. I only saw one dolphin when we were out on the Moon River. And a few seagulls. At Lazaretto, we saw pods of dolphins following the boats passing by. A lady on a passing party barge was standing on the edge of the boat feeding them some bait fish, they were jumping up out of the water to get them. It was like being at Sea World! And the pelicans and seagulls....let's just say we could have filmed a sequel to "The Birds".

4) It's closer to the ocean, and I was hoping the bigger crabs would be, too.

So Daddy and I get there about 8:15-ish, after making a stop at a convenience store to go potty (not knowing whether or not there would be facilities, ya know). We drag all our equipment down to the end of the pier and get all set up, and get the nets and lines in the water, and wait for the first bite. Daddy spent the majority of the time trying to untangle fishing reels and replacing my hook/sinker setups a couple of times when they got hung up and lost to the briny deep.

It was fun even though we didn't catch much. I got 2 blue crabs and a stone crab, caught a small sting ray and a couple of those ugly dang dogfish. Daddy got a couple of croakers, an eel, and more of those ugly dogfish.

When I caught the sting ray, the guys around me were telling me to hold the line away from me so the tail wouldn't get me. I got it up on the pier, and one of guys grabbed a knife and cut its tail off then looks at me and says, "You want to keep it." I take a look at the now-tailless ray bleeding all over the pier at my feet and said, "I don't think so." So he kicks it and it's tail off the pier. I felt sorry for the little fella, swimming around out there with no tail - if it didn't bleed to death.

When he caught that eel, I was squealing like a tweeny girl at a Jonas Brothers concert! "Kill it, kill it! Hit it in the head with something.......but don't lose it, I want to use it as crab bait!" And he's going, "Hit it with what? I don't have anything to hit it with!" So he starts flinging it around like a whip, beating it on the deck while I'm running around squealing again and ducking. Finally, one of the guys out there fishing (after he picked himself up off the dock after falling out laughing at us...) came over with a towel and held the eel while Daddy took the hook out of its mouth. Then the guy took off with my eel saying something about it tasting like chicken. I was miffed because he took my crab bait, but Daddy said just let him have it if he wants to eat it. (GROSS!)

We finally had to pack it in, as it was getting late and Mama and Grandmother were waiting for us to get back so we could go out for supper. Good times, but now I'm peeling like a snake and have a monster fever blister from all that fun in the sun. Note to self: never buy that Target brand Sport Sunscreen again!

Frozen in time?

2008-07-15T10:42:00.005-05:00

I know you've probably been wondering why the numbers on my Pound-O-Meter have not budged. I just decided that I would not change it until I'm actually BACK to that number again. Yeah, I went nutso again and gained 3.8 pounds after losing a total of 12.8 pounds the 2 previous 2 weigh-ins. Although, after the July 4th weekend, I was sure that I had gained but I actually managed to lose .2 pounds when I was SURE I had gained. And then last night's weigh showed I had lost 2.2. One more pound to go until I'm "Back In Black" - or am actually truthful on my Pound-O-Meter. :-)

I've been enjoying the fruits (and vegetables) of my labor lately. I've got green peppers and tomatoes out the wazoo, and just this weekend picked the large eggplants that were ready and waiting. Sunday, I made eggplant parmigiana using the recipe on the WW website - to the sauce I added peppers, tomatoes, and ground turkey breast for a bit of substance and protein. OMG, it was YUMMY!! And I still have a lot of it left over in the freezer for lunches! Oh, and I've got a good couple of meals' worth of okra put up in the fridge.

For my cakes classes, when I start out a new Course 1 series, I usually bring in cake layers and show the students how to prepare the cake, level the layers, ice the cake, and a few decorating techniques. For last Tuesday night's class, I used an easy recipe that our WW leader had told us about - just one box of cake mix and a 12 oz. can of any flavor diet soda. I used yellow cake and one can of Fresca, and then I added 2 snack-packs of applesauce and some nutmeg and cinnamon. It smelled SOOOOO good. It made me think of the cinnamon pecans they sell as you walk into the Christmas Made In The South that we have here annually in early November.

I had to use the class buttercream recipe for the cake I used in class, and I did take a couple of small slices with me afterwards because it just smelled so good! But I left the rest of the cake for the store's staff to eat.

I'm going to make another cake like that for my birthday next week, but instead of using class buttercream icing I am going to mix together some fat-free cream cheese and Cool-Whip Free to make a cream cheese-like frosting for this cake. Yum! Will have to work on the Points Value to see what that turns out to be. Heck, I'm sure it would be a LOT better to have a big slice of that cake rather than just a sliver of a regular birthday cake, right?

I'm also going to try that brownie recipe I sent some of you. If I didn't send it to you - all you do is get a package of brownie mix and a can of black beans, drain and rinse the black beans and put them back into the can then refill the can with water until the beans are covered. You then pour the beans and water into a blender and puree them. Mix the bean puree and brownie mix together (do not add oil or eggs) , pour in a 9x9 brownie pan and bake according to the brownie mix package directions. Makes 20 servings (that seems like pretty small brownies - hmph) at 2 points apiece. Beans and chocolate seems like an odd (and gross) combination, but the people commenting on this particular message board raved about them! I guess I'll have to judge for myself! :-)

OK.....back to the grind. I'm still rooting for 39 by 39! I think I'll be pretty close, but I don't think I'll lose 9.1 pounds in the next 9 days. But, who knows? I mean, I DID lose 9.8 in one week last month and that was after yet another significant gain. :-)

Go 39 by 39!!! (Eccch....am I really going to be 39???)

Next.....we'll be "Laboring for 50". Going for 50 pounds removed by Labor Day!

Awe-some!

2008-06-24T09:15:00.003-05:00

So this week brings me another good loss - 3 pounds! I don't know what's going on. Last week's loss after 3 weeks of yo-yo'ing was a shock but I'm glad it got me back on track. I was really good with tracking points and keeping within them last week, until Saturday.

Saturday morning, I got up to head over to Albany. I was picking up my younger nephew to spend a couple of weeks with us and go to day camp at the Arts, Music, and Theater department on campus. I didn't have any time to make breakfast, but figured I'd pick up something on the way. As I left the house, I was looking for my cell phone in my purse and couldn't find it. Went back to the house and looked around, even used Tal's phone to call mine. Nope, wasn't anywhere in the house. SO, I had to drive all the way into Savannah to the college to see if I left it in my office. I was thinking that the bookstore would be open at 10 (we usually aren't open on Sat. but the were having New Freshman Orientation and would be open for that) and it was 11 by the time I got there. I was thinking wrong - the store didn't open until 1:00. SO, I would have to wait until hopefully 12:30 when someone would arrive to get the store ready for opening, and decided I'd just go ahead and get some lunch.

SO, I figured I had not had any breakfast and still had my weekly flex points, and I wanted to try some of that new KFC chipotle chicken. And so I did. A leg and thigh with mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, a biscuit, and sweet tea. The horrible thing about all this was not the fact that I had fried chicken, but the fact that KFC is right next to The Devil's Living Room. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about - it comes complete with a "HOT NOW" sign. My car, completely on its own with no help from me, crossed over the drive and straight to the Krispy Kreme Drive-Thru. Then a voice that didn't belong to me ordered three chocolate-covered, cream-filled beauties. Then the car drove up to the window and forced my hands to pull out a 5-spot to give to the evil woman in the window. It then drove away from KK with me clutching the change and a wax-coated bag with green polka dots printed on it.

When I regained conciousness, the car was parked in a shady spot in the college parking lot, I was covered in fried chicken crumbs and the waxy, polka-dotted bag was empty. Yet, I didn't feel bad at all. Yeah, I didn't exactly make the best food choices there but I had no regrets - just knowing that while I did just have a lapse in willpower I have the power to get myself back on track again.

I love that watermelon is low in points, but I hate that's so darned expensive! I bought two little seedless "personal" watermelons for $5 today. They'll be gone in no time. It's so good. My nephew ate 1/4 of one just now, slurped it up good.

Well, that's it for now. I just wanted to post this that I've been working on for a couple of days now! Been pretty busy at work lately. End of fiscal year stuff - fun! And it's HOT - outside, in my office. I sure would love it if they could get the air/heat in my office regulated. It's always freezing in winter and boiling in summer in my office. I'll be glad when they get our new building built and we move in. Don't know when that will be - they haven't even broken ground yet.

Good night!

ZZZZZZZ.........

2008-06-16T22:24:00.003-05:00

I've got a lot of blogging to catch up on, but I'm too tired tonight. Will do more tomorrow, BUT.......

Last time I posted my weight loss, I had gained 4.4 - well, the next week I lost a couple pounds, then the next weigh-in I gained again. More yo-yo'ing than a Duncan. I was lapsing again, but didn't think I'd done THAT badly. Well, it must have been my body refusing to give up the water because I LOST 9.8 POUNDS THIS WEEK!! Well, I nearly fell off the scale again when I saw the receptionist write down my weight, especially since I'd weighed at home and was expecting their scale to be a BIT different. All I really wanted was to break 25 pounds, and I DID! WOO HOO!

28.6 pounds down.......10.4 pounds to reach my first big goal - 39 by 39!!! Yeah!!

OK, I've hit zombie mode. See you tomorrow!

- Seraphim "I'm too sexy for my blog...." Gleck

In the words of Diana Ross.........

2008-06-11T12:59:00.004-05:00

.......It's My Turn (or would that be, It's MeMe Turn??)

The rules: Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

What was I doing ten years ago?
I was beginning my wonderful life with Talmadge. June 1998 found me living in Columbus, GA, sharing an apartment with my cousin and his girlfriend. I was working at Columbus State University in the Testing Center. Tal and I were together every other weekend either at my place or his and several humid, mosquito-laden Wednesday evenings watching the sun set over "Ittemdeeow Bluff" at the state park in Eufaula, AL then a romantic dinner over chicken fingers and hamburger steak at Golden Corral.

What are five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today:
1. Finish this me-me
2. Turn off the computer
3. Turn off the TV
4. Kiss Tal goodnight
5. Go to bed

5 Snacks I enjoy:
(pre-Weight Watchers)
1. Cake
2. Cookies
3. Jelly Bellys
4. Gummy bears
5. Cake

To paraphrase Bolivar: I have always said that everyone needs something to believe in... so I believe that I will have another piece of cake!!

(post Weight-Watchers)
1. WW Peanut Butter Bliss mini-bars
2. WW BBQ pretzel thins
3. WW Cookie Dough Sundae
4. yogurt w/ banana and granola
5. popcorn

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
*Build a nice house, not too big but just the right size, with a huge gourmet kitchen and a big studio/music room for Tal, and a pool w/ jacuzzi.

*Build my parents and sister a nice house of their dreams.

*Buy a big freakin' boat

*Find out exactly how much it would take for a certain person (no, not Tal!) to disappear off the face of the earth. (No...not any of YOU either, but for those who have read my previous posts you probably know exactly WHO I am talking about.)

*Hire every person in the top of their field to come to MY kitchen to teach me every cake decorating, candymaking, and baking technique known to man.

*Open a bakery/cake shop that would put anyone else's to shame.

*OK....I'll also build my closest friends a dream home of their own, too. I'll even let them ride on my boat. Might even make them a cake or two........ :-)

Places I have lived:
Leesburg, GA (July 1969 - to ??? 1972)
Albany, GA (1972 - 1978)
Bainbridge, GA (1978 - 1984)
Albany, GA (1984 - 1996)
Phenix City, AL (1996-1997) - the only time I have EVER lived outside of Georgia, but ONLY 1 mile outside! My apartment was at an exit approximately 1 mile past the state line. I kept my Ga car tag AND drivers' license and worked in GA, so technically I was still a GA resident. :-) I just slept in Alabama.
Columbus, GA (1997 - 2000)
Savannah, GA (2000-2004)
Rincon, GA (2004 - present)

Jobs I have had:
babysitter
camp counselor
telemarketer
medical transcriptionist
waitress in a BBQ restaurant
daycare worker
video store clerk
grocery store cashier
short order clerk/head bottle and dish washer
secretary to vocational rehab counselors
mail order operator
phone sex operator (just kidding - making sure you were paying attention.....)
staff assistant at a college testing office
registrar at a Girl Scout Council (yep - the flagship council of Savannah)
financial aid assistant
accounting assistant at a college bookstore

Well, since pretty much everyone I know who has a blog has been tagged I'll just say if you are reading my blog and don't think you've been tagged then by all means (me-means?) do this me-me!

Hear that sloshing sound?

2008-05-20T13:11:00.003-05:00

That apparently is what we call "water retention". But 4 pounds of water???

Yeah, the scales were cruel to me this week - up 4.2 pounds. I didn't think I did TOO badly last week. I didn't go over my daily points until the weekend, and even then I still had some of my flex points left. The only thing I can think it may have been was that I hit the diet sodas pretty hard toward the end of the week - Kroger has a version of an extreme Diet Mountain Dew. The name escapes me right now - Big K Diet Drop Dead Extreme? Something like that. Plus I had a lot more coffee than usual. I dunno.

Well, hopefully I will be able to drain the water and have an improvement in the scales next meeting.

A dilemma I have now is the next meeting. Since we usually meet on Mondays, and the next Monday is Memorial Day, we won't be having a meeting. They were going to have one on that Tuesday instead but the church where we meet is having a blood drive that day. SO, do we skip a week and go the next or try to make one of the meetings in Savannah? Can't do it on Tuesdays or Thursdays because of teaching cake classes in the evenings. (meetings start at the same time my classes do....). There's a meeting at 6 on Wed., we could go to that one but that's just going to get us home later than usual. Tal may just have to go to one on his own if he wants to. My schedule is just too screwed up to work one in next week.

Anyhoo....that would at least give me two weeks to get back on track! :-)

Well, got to get back to work! I've got to walk to another building to do an errand, so maybe I'll take a long-cut on the way back and work in some activity points!

Mid-morning in the garden of good and Seraphim

2008-05-18T11:53:00.042-05:00

While Tal snoozed away in the bedroom, Puddy and I had a lovely and peaceful breakfast picnic this morning.

It was soooooo yummy - an omelet, lite multigrain English muffins, sliced apples, and herbal tea. The omelet is Southwestern Egg Beaters to which I added a couple of diced, fresh mushrooms (from the store), fat-free sharp cheddar cheese, and some fresh basil, oregano, and chives from my garden. The basil plant (left) is looking a little thin now, because I had the same breakfast yesterday too, without oregano (right). Good thing they are growing so quickly!

As you can see, Puddy was eagerly awaiting a bite or two. How can you ignore such a cute little beggar?

During breakfast, we had a little visitor. I called him Sebastian. Not quite sure why - it just seemed to fit. He sat by quietly watching while we ate.

We didn't have a picnic yesterday, even thought it was just as beautiful in the morning as today was. The reason was because we had not gotten the new patio bistro set until later that day. Isn't it cute? I saw it at Lowe's and just fell in love with it. Wouldn't you know it, as we were looking for the box the set was in, we came across a stockperson loading up the last two on a cart for two ladies! He said we could buy the display, but we asked them to check the stock of another Lowe's nearby and they just so happened to have 5 in stock. We were hesitant about getting the display because 1) there was no assurance that it was put together properly, 2) who knows who has sat and does God knows what to it while sitting on it, and, 3) we weren't sure it would all fit into Rupert (the SUV) fully assembled. As it turns out, with the other stuff we had in there, the box with the unassembled set barely fit!

We were heading over to that area of the other store anyway, so we went over and picked it up after lunch. We were pleasantly suprised that not only did they still have plenty in stock, but it was on sale! We got it at almost half the price that was on the tag at the other Lowe's! Woo HOO!! :-) Of course, since we didn't buy the display which was already assembled, I had to put the entire thing together. It wasn't TOO difficult, instructions were pretty clear and there weren't a whole lot of parts to piece together.

So, after Puddy and I finished eating the wonderful breakfast (what is it about dining al fresco that makes everything taste SO much better?!?!) we checked out how things were growing in this year's garden. Last year's plot didn't pan out so well, so we decided to just limit our growing to pots on the patio this year.

So this year we have - as you have already seen - basil, oregano, and chives, as well as mint (bottom) and snow peas:

We also have tomatoes and peppers:

Green onions (still growing and have a little more to go....) and buttercrunch lettuce (yeah, I've already hit the lettuce, too!):

We have 2 strawberry plants, too. I've gotten a few berries so far, but right now it's not producing. Actually, there are about 3-4 blossoms, but they are all hiding under the leaves right now. Maybe as the summer progresses we'll start seeing some more production:

Here is one of the strawberries (out of about 3) that I got earlier. It was really sweet and very good. Much better than the bland, watery, almost tasteless strawberries that they offer us at the local grocery stores.

In another corner, we have eggplant (both black and white in the same pot), yellow squash (both straight and crookneck varieties together in one pot), and zucchini. The squash and zucchini have developed powdery fungus spots and the leaves started turning yellow and brown. After doing a bit of internet research I found that the best remedy for this is a milk bath. Yeah, at 1 part milk to 6-7 parts water solution sprayed on the leaves is a natural anti-fungal. Believe it or not! I made up and sprayed this mixture on the leaves last night and I swear they are looking 110% better this morning! Here's hoping. Anyhoo, here's how they all look now:

There are no eggplants growing just yet, because it's a newer plant. I have a few yellow squash developing, and a couple of minute zucchini, too:

And last but not least, presenting - Okra Winfrey!! OK, sorry, lame joke I know. The okra plant is also a new plant and has not started producing any offspring yet but I am hoping it will. I think I might need to put it in a bigger pot, as I currently have it in a smaller pot I was just wanting to fill with something.

With all this picture-snapping going on, Puddy was getting a little jealous of all the attention that was NOT getting paid to her. So, we had to get a few shots of her-highness.

Well, I guess it's time to end this post for now. The sun is taking over the patio and it won't be quite as cool and pleasant without the shadows.

Besides, I've got dishes to wash.......

.......and Puddy's allergies are acting up.........

......so I bid you a fond adieu. I hope the remainder of your weekend is a pleasant one and the week treats you well! Hey, next weekend is Memorial Weekend! We're looking forward to it because Tiger is coming for a week-long visit and we've got lots of fun things planned. We'll try to get lots of pictures!

Ta-ta for now! Will report on this week's weigh-in either tomorrow night or Tuesday morning.

Love to all,
Sera

Evens for the odd couple.

2008-05-12T21:32:00.003-05:00

Well, I did quite well at weigh-in tonight. Better than I thought but and I am very pleased! 4 more pounds down for a total of 24 lost! Which leaves me with only 15 more pounds to make it to my first goal - 39 by 39! So I now have until July 24 to lose the next 15 pounds. Can I do it? I hope so - if I keep up this momentum I will. Lessee....that's about 9 weeks. If I can lose about 1.6-1.7 pounds per week I will reach that goal easily.

I said I wasn't sure about a loss this week. I was hoping for at least a couple of pounds. I went over to Albany this weekend for Mother's Day. We went to Ryan's for lunch on Saturday and had all kinds of goodies at the mother/daughter tea we went to at my grandmother's church that evening. Although, I have to give myself credit - I did just nibble at a few things and did not go back for seconds. That was a pretty good accomplishment for ME! :-)

Unfortunately, my grandmother was unable to make it even though she planned to be there. The 90 year-old woman decided that she wanted to climb up into her attic to retrieve a hat to wear to the tea, and on the way down she missed the last step and fell, cutting up both her arms and twisting her back. Good news is that she did not have any broken bones, but she did need to have 21 stitches. My aunts had to take her to the ER to get her patched up (luckily, they were there at the time!) and Mom, Sis, and I went on to the tea. We stopped by Grandmother's house afterwards to check on her (they had just gotten back from the hospital) and she was in pretty good spirits, so we all put our hats on and ate some of the tea sandwiches she had made to take to the party, and drank tea (or wine, or rootbeer - I had water :-)).

Well, time to hit the hay.....it's been a long day! Oh, and in case you did not see Talmadge's blog - he lost 6 pounds - for a total collective loss this week of 10 pounds even!

I've lost a toddler.......

2008-05-07T08:22:00.005-05:00

....well, not literally!

So, the great news is that I lost 8.6 pounds this week! Yeah, I nearly fell off the scales Monday night at weigh-in. I was hoping to have at least lost the 2.4 I gained the week before plus a bit more to at least have a total loss of 15 pounds. But I well-exceeded that and made it to 20 pounds even! So, I not only got ONE 5-pound sticker to add to my bookmark, but TWO! Woo-hoo!

20 pounds down, but still so much more to go. I try not to let myself think that is just a drop in the bucket compared to how much more I still have left to lose - 20 pounds is nothing to sneeze at, I know! One of my co-workers had a good comparison for me, though, to put it into perspective. She said I lost about the equivalent of a one year-old child. That made me feel pretty good, because I have carried my nephews around when they were babies and they get heavy after a while! :-) Goal is to lose an entire preschool class! LOL!

I really stuck to my Points last week, some days I still had one or 2 points left and there were a couple of days that I went over and dipped into the 35 extra points. (Saturday and Sunday I went over by 4 and 5.5, respectively - WEEKENDS are killer!).

The weekdays are OK, because I'm not around the house most of the day. My usual thing is to bring breakfast and lunch to work - breakfast is usually either a banana, yogurt, and granola or an Egg McMuffin with fruit and walnut salad; an apple or other small snack mid-morning; a frozen Healthy Choice or WW meal with carrots or other raw veggies and maybe a yogurt or pudding; and a mid-afternoon snack (like 98% FF popcorn). Tuesday and Thursdays are crazy these days because of teaching cake classes in the evening. Sometimes I will save some of my lunch or mid-afternoon snack to eat before class and pick something up after class (last night, I had TWO Chick-Fil-A grilled chicken deluxe sandwiches - only 5 points each!) or I will walk around the corner from the store and get a footlong Subway (Subway Club on Honey Wheat loaded with veggies - no cheese - sweet onion vinaigrette - fabulous! - and 13 points!) and eat 1/2 before class and then the other 1/2 when I get home. I feel like I am eating all the time! I've discovered another love - the WW barbecue-flavored pretzel thins! Mmm-MM!

Mmmmm....it's lunchtime now. Time for WW lasagna florentine! Off to get rid of some more toddlers! (I have this visual image now - like those Promise Activ commercials where the word CHOLESTEROL falls off of people - I imagine little kids falling off of me! LOL!)

Onward and downward! :-)

"Pop" goes the vein.....

2008-05-03T18:40:00.004-05:00

As many of you may have read in Talmadge's recent blog entry, we went in to give blood today. A local business was sponsoring a fundraiser/blood drive to benefit the victims of February's Sugar Refinery Explosion. They had a little carnival set up, complete with all the little inflatables that my fat butt isn't allowed into for fear of deflating the inflatable. And in the midst of it all was the Red Cross Mobile Blood Donation Rent-Me RV.

Unlike Tal, I had a pretty good breakfast - sliced banana with lite raspberry yogurt and 1/2 cup of Kashi Mountain Medly granola (for a free sample, go to Kashi.com - and once you receive your sample, email Consumer Relations and let them know how much you liked it, and they'll send you some coupons!) - because I have experienced just what the guy who had the fainting/seizure spell at the blood drive did.

This was back in 1988, and I had only had a banana for breakfast. I gave blood, then was sitting on a cot eating my cookies and drinking my juice when all of a sudden the edges of my vision started getting dark and fuzzy. I looked toward one of my classmates and she says, "Amy, are you OK?" Only she sounded like she was tallllllllllkiiiiiiiiiiing in sloooooooooowwwww mooooooooootion. I thought I was going to be sick, so I jumped up and ran to the bathroom, locking the door behind me because I didn't want everybody see me do that! I was sitting on the toilet leaning against the sink. Of course, I didn't get sick because I didn't have anything in my stomach. The nurse and my classmate are outside banging on the door, "Unlock the door, Amy!" I was feeling better, so I opened the door and walked out. Boy, the nurse reamed me good for doing that! "What if something bad had happened to you? We wouldn't have been able to get the door open to help!" And she took me back to the room and had me finish my juice and cookies and rest a while.

So, anyway, to avoid the same thing happening to Tal, we drove up to Bluffton's Golden Corral for some lunch (a big-ass salad for me!! - more on that later). We also made a short stop at the Salvation Army up there because I wanted to look for maybe some gloves, wacky hat, costume jewelry, or other things for our annual mother/daughter banquet at my grandmother's church. This year's theme is "Tea Party". Well, I found not only a pair of long gloves, but also a Pyrex pie plate, a nice and heavy tea kettle, and a pair of Kenkoh Japanese Massaging Sandals.....ooohh, heaven for the feet!! All for a grand total of $9.00 (such a spend-thrift I am!). The lady at the counter is all like, "$5.00 is a good deal for those gloves, because they're antiques." Yeah....whatever.........

Between I-95 and Rincon, we did some videotaping of Hwy. 21 along that route. There's so much developing going on the the scenery is changing every day. Talmadge videotaped the same area a few months ago. We'll probably do it a few more times, just to be able to compare the growth and development of the area. One day, we'll be telling our grandchildren, "I remember when Hwy. 21 was nothing but woods the whole way into Effingham County!"

And so back to the Red Cross Mobile Blood Donation Rent-Me RV. It was pretty neat to walk in after lunch and see Congressman Barrow sitting there. He's a nice guy. Tal was in the "interview room" and didn't hear the Congressman say to me and a couple of others who were waiting, "Well, here's a unique opportunity for you. Congress is always sucking the blood out of the people - here's your chance to witness the blood getting sucked out of a Congressman!" LOL!

Then it was my turn in the "interview room", or I like to call it "The Room of 100 Pointless Questions". No, I haven't had sex with anyone who has visited Africa between 1977 and 2007. No, I have not visited a foreign country in the past six months (and NO, going to Alabama does not count - and apparently the lady interviewing me didn't think that was very funny). No, I am not currently pregnant, nor have I been pregnant in the past three months (no uterus - remember?). No, I do not know the way to San Jose. And, yes, I do really want to hurt you.

So, once I'm finished with my inquisition, I go back out and get sent to one of the beds. I WANT one of these things!! It's like a contoured recliner, really comfy. I'm sure Tal was wondering if they were about to perform surgery on me as he watched from his recliner. First, they blood pressure cuff wasn't long enough to fit around my bulging bicep, so they had to tape the darn thing on. Then they were having trouble finding a big enough vein to tap. Then finally, when the nurse poked me, blood spurted out on my arm (which answered my earlier curiosity about the "Caution: Blood Spray Zone" signs they had posted here and there). I got a little woozy when that happened, but then recovered. Man, that was a BIG FREAKIN' NEEDLE!! Tal had already filled his bag, got his juice and cookies, and was standing in front of me (with ice water from the juice dripping on the floor), "Are you doing OK?" he asks. "Yeah, I'm good." was my replay. So he goes to eat his juice and cookies while I fill my bag.

And so, with bag filled I am sent on my way with apple juice, Lorna Doons, and Fig Newtons in hand. Now, to decide which movie I want to watch first - Juno, Nanny Diaries, Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story, or The Sasquatch Gang. Decisions, decisions! Well, at least I know what I am going to have to eat later.

Oh.....yeah, I promised I would talk about my salad at Golden Corral! So I loaded up my plate with mixed greens (love the spring mix!), shredded carrots, broccoli, green pepper, black olives, cherry tomatoes, a sprinkling of shredded cheese, and a sprinkling of real bacon bits (probably about 2T. each of cheese and bacon), and a spritz of red wine vinegar over the whole lot. In a soup bowl, I mixed a cup of cottage cheese and 2T. of the regular ranch dressing, and would get a tiny bit of that on my fork then spear some of the salad. I think that was probably the best salad I've had there! After that, I got a bit of the Bourbon St. Chicken, 3 meatballs, a little BBQ meat with sauce (the sauce is good with the chicken, too) about the equivalent of 3 small red potatoes (I wanted a baked potato but they just had baked sweet potato which I didn't want - I love red potatoes anyway) and some steamed sliced squash. My splurge was a slice of chocolate chess pie with some sugar-free whipped topping! Not too bad!

With all that, I don't have a whole lot of Points left for the day. I've figured out that tonight I can have 1 cup of Egg Beaters, which I am going to make omelet-style with some fat-free cheese and some chives (from my patio garden - woo hoo!), a multi-grain light English Muffin, and some Spring Mix salad with tomato, and red wine vinaigrette spritzed on. YUM!!

Dunno what Tal is going to have............ ;-)

Sneaky, sneaky me!

2008-05-02T10:13:00.004-05:00

This is an addendum to my previous "tripped" post. Confession time, if you will. :-)

Monday night, after my WW meeting, I stopped by the convenience store looking for something to eat. I was still feeling bad and I guess just needed some comforting. I ended up buying a pint of 2% milk - which I guess is much better than a soda! - and one of those Little Debbie fried cherry pie thingys (hey - it's got fruit in it!). Took it to the counter and paid for it. As I was leaving, I caught my reflection in the glass door - and realized that I was still wearing my Weight Watchers' name tag! That was a really profound moment for me. I mean, I still ended up eating the pie and drinking the milk before I got home, but that moment weighed heavily on my mind (and stomach). I couldn't help but wonder what the cashier thought. Here I am buying junk, and wearing a WW name tag! That REALLY made me feel bad - but in a different way. In a way that made me even more determined that I was going to do better and turn this "lapse" around.

Usually after the meeting, we will remove our name tags, fold them, and put them in a box. The leader then does a drawing for whomever to get one of the mini-bars she has. Well, she had 6 to give away that night, and there were 6 of us in attendance so she just gave them to us. And that is why I was still wearing the name tag and forgot I had it on!

Well, I have been doing MUCH better this week! I've only dipped into my 35 points a tiny bit (0.5 used, 34.5 remaining). The online Points Tracker is great. I pretty much plan my day first thing in the morning when I get to work because I already have my breakfast, lunch, and snacks with me and then pre-plan supper and maybe an evening snack. Today, I've even planned in a piece of cake for one of our work study student's graduation party we're having this afternoon. And supper at Carey Hilliard's tonight! Woo Hoo!

I have a feeling that next Monday night is going to be MUCH better! Not only because I know I will have done better - but my dear husband has decided to let the government pay for his WW fees (the restitution checks!!) and will be joining me at the meeting Monday! Yay!

If only I can get through the weekend.................. :-)

OOPS........I tripped........

2008-04-29T11:00:00.005-05:00

Or, as I told my Weight Watchers leader last night, "I not only fell off the wagon - it dragged me behind it a couple of miles."

First, let's play catch-up. When I last left off in this weight loss/lifestyle change journey, I was a week into it and was down 7.8 pounds. Here's how the past month has gone:

Week 2: -1.0 (-8.8 total)
Week 3: -3.8 (-12.6)
Week 4: -1.2 (-13.8) This was after Grandmother's 90th birthday party weekend.
Week 5: +2.4 (-11.4)

Poor self-control and giving in to temptation is where I hit my downfall this week. Heck, it's the reason why I am where I am today. Ever since 1988-1989 when I had lost 85 pounds and then started gaining it back every day has been my "Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we diet." Only, tomorrow never came and I gained back those 85 pounds and much more!

I felt bad last night before our meeting. I knew I wouldn't have a loss, but I was still going to go and face the music. And I'm glad I did. They are right, the meetings DO help. SO, back on the wagon I go! I'm going to do this, so help me, or die trying! :-)

RIP, Sweet Luke

2008-04-07T21:40:00.002-05:00

Today we lost one of our grandpuddys. Luke - of the trio Bo, Luke, and Daisy - was one of a litter of nine that Puddy gave birth to 9 years ago. 3 did not survive their first few days, leaving 6 survivors. My mom and dad gave away three of them, and ended up keeping the aforementioned trio.

They were all good dogs, with a lot of their mother's temperament and their father's, well, schizophrenia. :-) The remaining 2 are doing well. Luke had contracted heartworms and was too far gone for any treatment.

Sleep well, Lukey. We'll meet again at the Rainbow Bridge.

Monday, March 24, 2008

2008-04-04T08:15:00.003-05:00

Keep this day in mind. I think it will stay in mine forever. This is the day that I decided to make that change.

I joined Weight Watchers.

My friend Nettie, has been on WW for nearly two years and has make remarkable progress and I hope I can follow in her footsteps. My meetings are on Monday nights, and this past Monday (March 31) was weigh-in after my first week. I lost 7.8 pounds! I'm not qute sure to be excited about that or not. I mean, yes, a loss is a loss. But know myself and anytime I've started a diet I've lost a lot during the first week so that big of a loss wasn't unexpected.

OK, we stop that right now. We are not going to refer to this as a "diet" because it's not. It's a lifestyle change and if I want to improve my health and extend my life, this "lifestyle" is going to have to stick. My health has seemed to decline rapidly within the past few years. My joints ache to the point where I can hardly walk. If I have to sit for a long period of time, I cannot just jump up from my chair and walk away without a great amount of pain - or "working out the kinks"- before I move on. As I say to Tal when we get to a destination and get out of the car: "Hold on, I've got to get my land legs."

Just a few days after I started WW, I was nearly in tears at the thought of all the foods that I've enjoyed in the past. The "food traditions" that Tal and I have developed over the years we've known each other - like our Tuesday night out, Thursday night chicken and rice (canned chicken and cream of chicken soup mixed together and poured over a mound of white rice), going out to our fav restaurants on the weekends, and our Sunday cinnamon rolls and bacon.

It was at that moment I recalled the last time I was in tears - it was one of those moments when I was in pain, my knees hurt, my right heel hurt, my back hurt, and I just couldn't get a simple task I was working on finished because of it. That was my moment of clarity - which was I going to be most miserable over: constant pain which would only get worse if I didn't lose weight, or not being able to eat certain foods? It was a no-brainer.

So here I am a little over a week later. I'm really enjoying it. I've been snarfing down all kinds of fruits and vegetables like there's no tomorrow. I've become addicted to baby carrots and hummus. Tuesday at Kroger, I came across a refrigerated display full of 7 oz. containers of Athenos hummus in all kinds of flavors at 10 for $10. WOW! No, I didn't go nuts and buy 10 containers (yet) but I did get the roasted red pepper hummus and the greek style hummus (with garlic, lemon, and oregano). A 2 TBSP serving of hummus is only 1 WW point. I can put away about 1/2 the container and a couple of handfuls of baby carrots for only 3-4 points - and that is a LOT to eat! (In fact, I'm munching on some now! Mmmm-MM!) The red pepper hummus is WONDERFUL!! I'm also going to make a container of tofu dip - 1 block of tofu processed with an envelope of dry Ranch dressing mix. I think I need some more veggies! :-) (Here's where Tal pulls out the last Kroger receipt and checks the Reward points accumulated.....)

I've also ditched the coffee. I really don't like the taste, and so when I drank coffee it would have to be loaded down with creamer and sugar. I tried the fat free creamer and sugar substitutes but they were just repulsive to me. So, I switched to tea and have gotten different flavors of black, green, and herbal teas - and I DO like those with artificial sweetener! Go figure! I have a little 4-cup coffee pot at work that I heat up water in, and I'll have 2-3 large mugs of tea during the day. That usually is the majority of my water intake for the day, too. I have a 1.5 liter bottle that I fill up and use to fill my coffee pot several times. Today, for example, I've made 2 pots and have about a cup and a half of water left in the bottle that I will chug to wash down the carrots and hummus. That's already 6 of the 8 glasses recommended per day. At home, I have regular and black tea that I make by the pitcher that Tal and I drink.

So, here we begin. Wish me luck, not to lose weight but to have the ability to adapt to my new lifestyle. If I can do that, then the weight will take care of itself!

-S.G. (which in the future may stand for Skinny Girl! LOL!) (Well, not too skinny - Tal likes a little meat on the bones. :-))

A Capitol Idea

2008-03-07T10:05:00.002-05:00

Since most everyone else who attended the first-annual Gleckfest has posted about their Savannah experience, I'll refrain to do so since Talmadge, Nettiemac, and Kate/Susan have pretty much covered the activities that we participated in. But I will say that I also enjoyed meeting Mr. and Mrs. General and seeing less of Nettiemac again! :-) And I also had a great time doing the touristy thing with this motley crew!

There have been mutterings of a Fall Gleckfest - or Gleckfest Part Deaux, or whatever other names we've come up with to describe a possible meeting of the minds in the Fall of this year somewhere in the Fredericksburg, VA area. I agree with Talmadge that it technically wouldn't really be a "Gleckfest" since it won't be in "Glecksburg" - perhaps Generalfest or something equally descriptive!

It would be extremely cool if we can pull this off! We'd hopefully have some additions to the crew -maybe Bolivar and J-Lo can join us, along with Kate/Susan's DC crew. Thinking of Bolivar joining us made me think of a discussion we had going amongst the group some time back, which lead to this epiphany I had last night while winding my way up I-95, going home after teaching my cake class.

You see, I have a cousin who also lives in the DC area who just so happens to run an entertainment company. He not only does DJ jobs, but he also runs KARAOKE in some locations. (Insert Seraphim sporting a big, cheesy grin HERE). I'm sure he would be more than happy to let us know if and where he's doing karaoke in the area during the time we're there!

Let me tell you, this guy is a karaoke freak! Last Summer, when we had a family reunion in our family's hometown, his choice of hotels to stay at was based upon the fact that one of them had a karaoke night on Saturday nights. And, YES, we did go to it. And YES, he AND his brother both sang two songs each.

Did I sing? Nope. Uh-uh. I'd just as soon attempt to force-feed Talmadge chocolate cake and Pepsi than get up in front of a bunch of strangers and make a fool of myself. (Some people got talent, but not me.) Which reminds me, I've got video of some drunk girls doing just that I'll have to upload to YouTube. :-) That would probably be the only way someone would be able to get me up there - pour a few Jack and Cokes in me and you might succeed.

You asked for it.....but please, don't tell my achy breaky tea glass!

2008-02-01T22:44:00.000-05:00

Yes, dear friends, Seraphim is coming out of hybernation for a little post at the request of fellow Blogger Kate, Katie, Susan and Sue .

She was discussing New Kids On The Block getting back together and going on tour, to which I responded my thoughts and experiences with not only NKOTB but little bro' Marky Mark. I was one of 4 lucky winners of a radio station contest in which we were to take a trip via limo to Club La Vela in Panama City Beach, FL to attend a Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch concert. We also got to meet them backstage before the concert. Admittedly, the meet n' greet was a bit disappointing. The Funky Bunch and their fearless leader were pretty much escorted in the room, we said "HI!", lined up for a photo shoot, then they were escorted back out of the room. What happened DURING the photo shoot lives on in legend.....or at least is a legend in Seraphim's own mind:

See the expression on his baby-face? Yep, young Mr. Walberg just got goosed by yours truly. In case you couldn't guess, I'm the one on the right. The one with a head full of thick, beautiful, curly hair. Damn, I miss my hair! Oh, and the goober on the other side of Mark - that's my sister. All 90 pounds soaking wet, "I can barely wear a size 2", of her. Today, I just poke her little fat rolls and cackle. But I digress.........

OK, I admit, I didn't purposely grope him. I swear!!! I couldn't decide to put my arm in front or behind us and as you can see it made it in front of us before the picture was snapped. But not before my hand accidentally brushed his Calvin Klein-wearing tushy. YES, ACCIDENTALLY!! (Here's where Tal rolls his eyes. He gets goosed, too, but I do it on purpose. HEY, I got a license to do it!)

Hey, speaking of famous teen idol singers, the new Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus 3-D Pre-Recorded Concert Spectacular hit movies theaters tonight. Yep, in answer to the high-pitched whining and crying of disappointed little girls all over the country whose parents did not have several thousand dollars to plunk down to take their baby girls to a live Hannah concert, Disney execs with dollar signs in their eyes recorded one of her concerts IN 3-D so they could feel like they are practically right on stage with her!

Today, it's been total Hannah-monium across the country. There have been several sightings of Billy Ray's baby all over. Talmadge and I were THRILLED to spot not just ONE, but SIXTEEN mini-Hannahs tripping their way through Logan's tonight. Imagine our UTTER DELIGHT when the whole wiggly, giggly bunch of them was seated right next to us. I especially enjoyed trying to hear Tal trying to talk to me with the whole lot of them were trying to talk to each other while walking back and forth between both ends of the table constantly bumping my chair. And it was especially entertaining when the little darling sitting behind me knocked her tea glass off the table, hitting the floor sending ice, tea, and shards of glass flying everywhere. (Why the waitress gave them all GLASS cups instead of the plastic cups with lids like they usually give all the kids, I'll never know.) The highlight of the evening was when a mini-Hannah- who apparently had had one too many Mr. Pibb's - fell out of her chair. Fortunately, she was at the other end of the table and didn't fall in the shards of glass which were still on the floor. I believe it's safe to assume that this was some sort of pre-Hannah-movie-viewing party.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am a complete Disneyana nut. I love the Hannah Montana show, and watch it all the time. But that's where it ends. I suppose that if I had a pre-tween daughter who loved the show, I would be so indulgent. But tonight, I was close to calling our satellite provider and asking them to completely wipe the Disney Channel - both East and West- from our lineup. (Here's where Tal comes in and takes my temperature.......).

In the words of Ms. Hannah/Miley herself: "Sweet niblets!!!!"

And for those who have no idea who Hannah Montana is......be glad. :-)

New Year's MeMe

2007-12-31T12:27:00.000-05:00

Following suit of Nettiemac and Kate/Susan, here is my MeMe for the New Year:

Best Album: I have to agree with Nettie and go with the Robert Plant/Allison Krauss album, Raising Sand. I kind of raised my eyebrows at first, but was pleasantly surprised by the duo.

Best Non-Fiction: Anything non-fiction that I have read this year has probably either had something to do with cakes or baking, or gardening. Can't say which is best. :-)

Best TV Series: I've been into Kyle XY, and am usually glued to the TV for most of the CSI shows.

Best Fiction: Kate/Susan really turned me onto Janet Evanovich, I totally blew through the Stephanie Plum series and am waiting with bated breath for the next two books coming out. I still have a few of her other books to read.

Best Kids’ Music: I am a 38 year-old woman with no children, yet my TV is usually tuned to The Disney Channel more often than not. And my favorite show to watch is Hannah Montana. Yeah, it doesn't hurt that Billy Ray Cyrus also stars in it opposite his daughter, Miley. In spite of the recent scandal that Miley has found herself in - which I think is totally ridiculous and was blown way out of proportion (I mean, really, look at any teenage girl's MySpace page and you see that same stupid stuff, girls just goofing off) - I believe she's got a great future provided she does not follow the lead of several of her predecessors. Disney has been a wonderful startup vehicle for many a talented young person, how they handle the fame and fortune as the result is pretty much up to the child star/parents. Miley, I hope, has got her father's (and mother's) support and guidance in this and I am positive that he will keep her on level ground.

Best Movie: Talmadge disagrees but Tiger, Bolivar, and I all liked the movie August Rush. Yes, it's completely fantastical and the plot is a bit trite and sad, but all in all it's just a movie about a little boy whose biggest desire is to be reunited with his mother and father after living in an orphanage all of his life, and the best way he knows how to do it is through music.

Best Sign of the Apocalypse: Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears will suddenly become the models of perfect motherhood and Mama Lynn will finally get to publish her book on parenting.

Best Come Back of the Year: Britney Spears......but of course. (gag)

Best Old TV show you are just getting into: I get on a M*A*S*H* kick every now and again. But I love watching the old episodes of The Waltons and Little House On The Prairie when I am at home on a weekday.

Best grocery store: Kroger!

Best (Summer) Vacation: I have to say that this past summer was the best vacation I have had in a long time. OK, so technically it wasn't a VACATION, because I'd had surgery - but how can I complain about getting to stay out of work an entire month and having people (thanks Tal and Mom!) waiting on me hand and foot and not letting me lift a finger!

(Skipping a couple of categories here, just didn't seem to have any answers thus far.....)

Saddest moment of the year: The year was pretty great up until Dec. 1, when my uncle passed away. He is the first of my dad's siblings to leave us, and probably the uncle I was closest to, because I had shared an apartment with his youngest son for a few years while he was in college and I was getting a jump start on my life. That, among other things, kind of set the mood for the remainder of the holiday season. I for one am glad that it is over for the most part and we can start the new year on a positive note.

Happiest Moment of the Year: When we got through the End of Fiscal Year activities at work and most everything balanced up, considering how screwed up things were when I first started working there and had not much of an idea how to do many of the things. But now everything is running smooth as silk (knock on wood).

Message from Sandy Claws......

2007-12-21T14:49:00.001-05:00

......Puddy asked me to post this for her, since she does not have her own blog:

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!
And
Happy New Year!!!!!

Love and Huggies,
Puddy

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads......

2007-12-19T09:24:00.001-05:00

I wasn't sure if I wanted to bake any cookies for Christmas this year. In the past I have gone nuts baking this and that but for some reason I just couldn't get into it this year. Until now.......

I was actually intending to just make some peanut butter cookies with Hershey kisses plunked on top of them (peanut butter blossoms is what my friend Susan calls them so I'll go with that, love the name!) and some sugar cookies. Tal bought a package of the refrigerated sugar cookie dough so I'll bake those on up.

I've put it off because I've had several other things I've been trying to get done. Tiger is coming home with us after Christmas as well as my oldest nephew, Boogie, who is 11. Just trying to get the house presentable for them. I straightened up the living room last night and have been working trying to get the kitchen clean, which will probably not last once I start baking! I've also been wanting to get out in the garage and straighten up out there because we've got some things to move out there and I need to make room for them. That will have to wait until after Christmas - maybe I can enlist Tal, Tiger, and Boogie's help for this! (hint-hint) We've got company coming mid-January and I want the house in tip-top shape for their visit! :-) It's going to be here sooner than we think - right, Susan and Nettie?!?!?!

But for now, we've got our staff Christmas thingy coming up on Friday. Technically, it's not a party - just all of us bringing in goodies to munch on all day. For that, I decided to make a big chocolate chip cookie and decorate it with buttercream, and also a batch of red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese filling and frosting using the cupcake kit (shameless Wilton plug) I got in July at our Wilton meeting.

Then I came across a recipe for Holiday Wreaths, basically a spritz cookie, and thought they looked cute and easy enough. And I also remembered I have a quart of sesame seeds in the cupboard that I got last year. I need to use those, so I am going to make up a batch of benne seed cookies. I like Paula's recipe, I made it last year and the year before and they turned out really good. Can't disappoint my cousin, Cokie Jo - she loves them and I keep telling her I'm going to send her the recipe but never get around to it! OK....I just got around to it. It should be in her hot little hands as we speak.

So, to recap the cookie list:

sugar cookies for Tal
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Giant Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookie (we'll call it the GC4)
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting
Holiday Wreaths
Benne Seed Cookies

OK....I confess.....for the GC4, I *did* buy some canned chocolate frosting. Canned frosting is usually a taboo item in my house, I make my own which tastes better than the canned stuff - BUT the chocolate usually tastes better because I just can't seem to get the chocolate frosting chocolate enough for my tastes. Until I can perfect the chocolate frosting recipe, I'll humbly turn to Betty, Duncan, or the Dough Boy for help!

I forgot to mention that I baked and decorated a baby shower this past Sunday. Technically, it's not holiday baking but it's still baking nonetheless!

Yum, all this talk about cookies is making me hungry. YAY, it's lunchtime! I'm going to go eat my leftover salad from Zaxby's and think more about my baking blitz I plan to do tonight!

Until later,
Seraphim

Christmas MeMe.......brace yourself........

2007-12-10T13:09:00.000-05:00

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
On the fence about this one. On one hand, wrapping paper certainly does help the mystique of a gift. It's better if you are truly wanting to surprise someone and you KNOW they will try to peek. Gift bags, on the other hand, can be cute and really dress up the gift. Best of all they can be recycled for other uses or re-used for other gifts.

2. Real tree or artificial?
We had an artificial tree for as long as I can remember. I remember what a PITA it was to put together every year. It was one of those that you had to match the color on the end of the branch to its corresponding hole on the "tree trunk". But it had a smell to it that is still ingrained in my mind.....not a bad smell, the smell of things that have been boxed and stored away for a while.

There was this one year when we decided we wanted a real tree. We went down to a Christmas tree farm not far from our house and cut our own, I took our video camera with us and captured the choosing and cutting of the tree. I also have video of Daddy standing in the back of his truck, holding up the tree and saying, "What we have here is a 12-foot tree, and an 8-foot ceiling." Yeah, we ended up hacking about 4 feet off the bottom to make it fit. That was the last and only year we had a real tree! It's a wonder we didn't end up burning the house down with that thing in our living room.

3. When do you put up the tree?
We used to put it up a week or two after Thanksgiving. I always loved to crack out the "A Very Merry Christmas" LP's, stack them on the turntable (yes, stack, Talmadge - we had one of those turntables with the stacker/changer that makes you cringe.) And be-bop decorating the tree.

These days, if I put up a tree it's a miracle. If I'm in the mood to, I'll ask Tal to drag the boxes out of the attic for me. I'm not really in the mood this year.

4. When do you take the tree down?
We always tried to get the tree down before New Years' Day, because we always felt it would be bad luck.

If I put a tree up nowadays, it comes down before Dec. 30th.

5. Do you like eggnog?
I love it! I like store-bought best, but I have to thin it some with regular milk because it's a bit thick for my taste directly from the carton.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
It's a toss-up between the really cool Barbie kitchen and town house that I got one year, and the skateboard I got another year. My mom was always good at refurbishing things from thrift stores or just so happened to find in a pile near someone's trash. She came across a perfectly good skateboard in the neighbor's yard one day and asked if she could have it. She then took it home, spray-painted it a bright yellow and put purple non-skid bathtub flowers all over it, and put new wheels on it. The money she saved on buying a skateboard at the store, she used to get me a helmet and elbow & knee pads. I loved it!

7. Do you have a nativity scene?
Not currently. My parents have one that we made in Sunday school when I was little. It was a small, simple creche made from some scrap paneling that our SS teacher's husband cut out for us. We nailed the pieces together, and then the teacher gave us each a little set of white ceramic figurines in the shape of Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus in a manger. I would set that up on the window ledge every year.

8. Hardest person to buy for?
Our parents......they pretty much get whatever they need during the year and what they truly want is beyond our reach financially. Gift cards work best in this case.

9. Easiest person to buy for?
All the kids - gift cards work best for them, too. Ask a kid what he/she wants for Christmas, they usually give you an answer that leaves your head spinning..."A super megatron power-changing spectra-bot battling.....what??" "What's in a Princess Brittney make-up, hairstyle, and super-model wannabe kit anyway?"

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
When I was a 13 year-old, my great-aunt Doris was apparently under the delusion that I was a perpetual 8 year-old and gave me this hot-pink plastic chain-link necklace with these huge plastic charms. I think I still have it..... IN A BOX SOMEWHERE.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail. Ours will be going out first of this week. (Sorry, Tal.....stole your answer on this one.)

12. Favorite Christmas movie?
The classics - "It's a Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Carol" in black and white only. Don't give me any of that colorized crap, Mr. Ted Fonda. Oh, and "A Christmas Story". I do like to watch it, but like Tal I cannot deal with the marathons of it. Once, maybe twice a season does it for me.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
I try to start getting ideas early, but lately we've just mostly opted for gift cards. They travel easier.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Yes, I have a time or two. But I try to avoid it if I can. Except for that year I got a penis pinata as a white elephant gift. (Was a re-gift from our boss's bridal/bachelorette party earlier in the year.) I couldn't wait to get rid of that thing the next year! That's the last time I get greedy and choose the biggest gift in the stack.........

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Anything not nailed down........Christmas time is usually my "eat, drink, and be merry - for tomorrow we diet" time. Unfortunately, with me, it seems tomorrow never comes.

Seriously, things to eat at Christmas time usually meant baking Christmas cookies, and on Christmas Eve we would have an "open house" of sort. Mama would make Chex Mix, and we'd have cold cuts and cheese on crackers. She would always get some of those flavored cheese spreads from Swiss Colony. Oh, and some of that sweet hot mustard. And the Christmas hard candy mix. Sometimes we'd have a small gingerbread house from there, too. Years later, the Swiss Colony store in the mall closed down and GNC opened in there. I'm thinking somebody was trying to give me a hint......

16. Lights white or colored on the tree?
Colored, that's what we always had on my childhood tree. Yes, we lived in a trailer for a short while, what can I say? My sister and I used to lie beneath the tree and look up through the branches, and blur our eyes so we could see nothing but the greenery, lights, and the occasional twinkle of the tinsel.

17. Favorite Christmas song?
"O Holy Night", hands down. And to Tal's great dismay - "Sleigh Ride", only because my sister and I have a whole routine to accompany it, ending with us falling on the floor after the sleigh gets upset. Big fun.

18. Travel for Christmas or stay home?
Travel, rotating between Tal's parents and mine every other year. We have to travel across the state to get to both.

19. Can you name all of Santa's' reindeer?
Yes, it's one of the many useless facts that reside in my brain.

20. Angel on the treetop or a star?
Neither, actually. My childhood tree had a beautiful blown-glass spire that fit on the top of the tree. Then we had a multi-colored lit wreath with a Santa face inside of it.

When I get the notion to put up a tree as an adult, mine has a small angel holding a "candle".

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
Christmas morning. We would get to open ONE present on Christmas Eve, and that was usually new pajamas to wear.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
That the sentiment doesn't last the entire year. The world would be a whole lot better if people could act all year long the way they do around Christmas time.

And, I hope I don't offend when I say this, but we should be thankful that the worst issues we face this season is being annoyed that AC stations started playing Christmas songs in July and have about 16 different versions of "Jingle Bell Rock" OR that people are knocking themselves out to be "PC" and get their panties in a wad if someone wishes them a "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays".

We could be homeless, and thankful for the two really good meals we get each year and the old blanket that someone discarded because they got a new comforter for their bed. We could be sitting in front of the Christmas tree wondering how we are going to get through the season without a loved one who just passed away. Instead of wishing for a necklace from Kay Jeweler or that nifty leaf blower from Home Depot, we could be wishing for a visit from the Orkin man or some pest control supplies to get rid of the unwanted houseguests (non-human) that have taken up residence in your home and you can't afford what is needed to get rid of them because you are having to financially support some human houseguests.

To quote a very wise man...."Perspective, man. Perspective." Am I making any sense here?

23. What do you love most about Christmas?
Eggnog.....with lots of rum. It's the only way to make it out alive.

Seraphim's Ode To Chocolate

2007-11-19T12:47:00.000-05:00

"All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!" Lucy Van Pelt, Peanuts

"You can enjoy it for the both of us." Talmadge Q. Gleck

A few years ago, our office received a box from a lender rep. Inside were some square-shaped lollypops in various flavors - vanilla, butterscotch and....CHOCOLATE........I of course went for the chocolate one, skeptically, because I have tried chocolate-flavored hard candies before and, well......ecccch would be a good way to describe it. But this was different, it was as if I had taken a square of chocolate and let it slowly melt in my mouth. Now, I don't know about you guys, but I truly do have trouble letting a square of chocolate slowly melt in my mouth. I can for a tiny bit, but after a few seconds I have to chew. I can't help it! That's one thing I love about these lollypops, too hard to chew up so you can enjoy them for a long time!

Anyway, they were made by See's Candies, which has been featured before on The Food Network. Ever since we'd received the lollypops, I've been wanting to order a box of them but never really got around to it. Well, I recently learned that See's has a temporary kiosk in one of the local malls and you better bet that I hightailed it over there the first chance I got. Seraphim went home with a bakers' dozen of those wonderful chocolate confections!

Now, for the good news. Out of curiosity, I emailed See's Candies for the nutrional information on the chocolate lollys. I wanted to compare it to other chocolate treats to see the benefit of having one of these long-lasting lollys as opposed to a short-lived chocolate bar. (BTW, it usually takes me about 30 minutes to finish off one of these lollys. In the same amount of time, I could probably polish off an entire bag of Hershey's kisses!) Anyway, here are the results:

Candy

CALORIES

FAT CALORIES

FAT GRAMS

SUGAR GRAMS

See’s Chocolate Gourmet Lollypop

(1 lolly - yep just one!)

4.5

Hershey’s Kisses (9 kisses)

230

126

Hershey’s Bar – milk chocolate (1 regular bar)

270

140

Hershey’s Special Dark (1 regular bar)

180

110

Hershey’s Antioxidant Chocolate (1 bar)

180

100

Dove Dark Chocolate Miniatures (5 pieces)

210

120

Dove Milk Chocolate Miniatures (5 pieces)

220

110

Dove Sugar Free w/ Chocolate Crème filling (5 pieces)

190

140

So there you have it! Enjoy!

-S.G.

What Kind Of Candy Are You?

2007-11-16T09:41:00.000-05:00

Talmadge......this should not surprise you in the least........

Gummy Bears

You may be smooshie and taste unnatural, but you're so darn cute.

What Kind of Candy Are You?

What color crayon are you?

2007-10-30T07:19:00.000-05:00

A co-worker sent this to me, and of course I did it. I'm a YELLOW. Sounds like it describes me pretty well. What do you think?

You Are a Yellow Crayon

Your world is colored with happy, warm, fun colors.
You have a thoughtful and wise way about you. Some people might even consider you a genius.
Charming and eloquent, you are able to get people to do things your way.
While you seem spontaneous and free wheeling, you are calculating to the extreme.

Your color wheel opposite is purple. You both are charismatic leaders, but purple people act like you have no depth.

What Color Crayon Are You?

Butter......It's Not! Vol. 1, Issue 2

2007-10-12T09:46:00.001-05:00

It's random thought time once again in Seraphim's Wittle World. Lord only knows what's going to come from that mushy loaf of ground beef between my ears that some people call a brain.

*My surgery was July 17th. Although I think that most people who read my blog also read Tal's, so they know about it. It was a pretty easy procedure (at least for ME). I was in there early that morning. Was delayed for 1/2 hour due to an emergency, but they got me in the OR and it was lights out. I woke up a few hours later in recovery, upchucked a bit, then went back to sleep until they wheeled me to my room. Tal and my mom came in for a little bit, but then they left to get something to eat and go home for some rest. I was pretty out of it anyway. Drugs.....they can be a wonderful thing sometimes. They had my IV in a weird place on my right wrist because that was the only vein that would cooperate. But I kept occluding it when I would fall asleep and my wrist would bend, and an alarm would go off and wake me up. I would lie there and listen to it beep until the nurse came and turned it off then we'd try to figure out how to keep me from bending my wrist. Actually, she tried to figure it out, I just lay there in my drug induced coma and watched. We found that if we propped my arm up on a rolled-up towel, that helped a bit. They also had me hooked up to a machine that dispensed painkiller whenever I pushed a button. I called that my "happy button". Then I would lie there and watch the button, waiting for it to turn green so I could press it again. Fun times.

Next morning, they woke me up and gave me some breakfast. Then they removed the IV, catheter, and other things I care not to mention at this time, got me up and on my feet, and we took a walk down the hallway. I felt like a toddler who was still learning to walk, very unsteady on my feet. At the end of the hall, a lady in another room waved at me from her bed and asked how I was feeling. "We met each other in recovery.", she says. Sheesh, apparently I make new friends easier when I'm on drugs. (Doesn't surprise me, seems I get more social when I'm under the influence........) Apparently we carried on a short conversation too, but I have absolutely no recollection.

(LOL........I just pooted and then Classical Gas started playing on the radio. Sorry, just had to share.)

AnyHOO, back to my room and both doctors show up to discuss the surgery (separately, not at the same time). I wish Tal and my mom had been there, because I barely remember what they said. By then, I was sitting up in the chair. Mom and Tal show up, then decide to go get some lunch while I get to eat the yummy hospital food they nurse brought in for me to eat. Finally, they get me all checked out, cleaned up, and discharged and send me on my merry way with my hair sticking out all over the place.

Back home, recovery was nice. A whole month off of work, my every need being catered to, not a whole lot of pain, I was pretty spoiled. Talmadge had gotten me this contraption called the "Golden Retriever" - a mechanical grabber thingy to assist me in picking things up off the floor without bending over. Although, a much more fun use I found later was goosing Tal in the hiney as he left the room and harassing Puddy with it.

It was so tough to return to work after I was released by the doctor. Of course, I HAD to go back to work during one of the busiest times. I'm still struggling with my energy level. I have more days that I am dancing as fast as I can to keep up.

* I just got over a bout with a cold that turned to bronchitis. I still have a bit of a cough, but I'm not sure if it's the bronchitis refusing to totally let go or if it's a side effect of the blood pressure medicine my GP put me on after she found my BP was higher than usual. I'm pretty sure that it spiked because of the cold medicines I was taking. Because of all the coughing, I could not use my CPAP machine for nearly a month. Now I am trying to get used to wearing the mask again. For some reason I'm having problems with a dry nose, now, also. I swear, if it's not one thing with me, it's another.

*I'm also still trying to make myself go back to working out at the Y. It's a struggle to WANT to go. With my still-low energy level, some days I'm raring to go and other days I just feel like I am slogging through wet concrete. Most days, after working all day then nearly an hour in the car on the commute home, I barely have just enough juice left to make supper. Although, I HAVE found that on days that we DO manage to go, I feel much better after working out than I did going in. It's just the GETTING THERE that's the hard part. Have to get home, change clothes, get stuff out for supper if necessary. And - tell me if you agree - the toughest part is that once you get home, you just don't feel like leaving again!

*A couple of weeks ago, the mother of one of my co-workers was fatally attacked by an alligator. She was 82, probably just taking a stroll around one of the many lagoons in their community. It was thought that she may have collapsed from a stroke or heart attack and then the gator came along and found her. This happened on a Friday evening, she was not found until around noon on Saturday. An autopsy found that she did not have a stroke or heart attack, and had succumbed to injuries from the attack. The 9-ft gator was caught and an examination of it's stomach contents found it was indeed the one that killed her. The news stated that while there have been about 8 reported gator attacks in the state of Georgia since 1980 and she was the first fatality in as much time. Please keep this family in your prayers.

Just seems so surreal - almost as if it were an episode of CSI.

*Talmadge and The General have recently been voted the World's Most Freakin' Cute Husbands.

*I really need to get some work done. I'm not getting paid to blog. Where CAN I get a job like that??? :-)

Until later!

-Seraphim "Time Capsule" Gleck

High on the Hog

2007-06-22T09:17:00.000-05:00

Borrowing from Kate/Susan's blog entry on her quest to find the world's best sub, I'd like to take the time to enlighten you on my quest to find a decent BBQ place in Savannah, GA.

To start out, my quest was not just for the BBQ, but also the sides that go with. Here is my idea of BBQ nirvana:

*Pulled pork or ribs with a sweet, tomato and brown sugar/molasses-based sauce. Good hickory smoke taste but not so much that if you burp an hour or two later it doesn't taste like you just licked a fireplace log. :) And please, dear God, don't use any of that imitation smoke flavor! That just ain't right.

* A chunky potato salad (fresh please - again, don't give me the crap from the bucket that you bought from Sam's or wherever with the mushy potato chunks). I love red potato salad the best, but as long as it's potato I'm happy. It's best with a bit of hard-boiled egg, mustard, green onions, diced dill pickle (not sweet), and just enough sour cream and mayo to blend it all together.

* BBQ baked beans I like, but they're a negligible part of my perfect meal. I can love 'em or leave 'em. If they came from a can, have to be doctored with some brown sugar, a little BBQ sauce, mustard, and some bacon - even better if you throw some chopped green pepper and onions in the mix. If you want to throw in a handful of chopped BBQ meat in there - well, I won't complain. And after all that, it's got to be baked for a while so that it's not all runny. I've been to places where they just open up a can of Van Camp's pork-n-beans, slap it on your plate, and say, "Enjoy." If you're lucky, you might get that little chunk of fat with your beans. Then your life will be complete.

*Brunswick Stew - This I would consider a side, but I've been known to eat it on its own as a meal with a side of garlic Texas toast. Yum. My version consists of chicken and BBQ pork, tomato sauce, corn, chunks of potatoes and tomatoes, corn, onions, lima beans, and corn. Did I mention corn? Yeah, I like corn - why do you ask??

*And it is all served with some sort of bread (roll, Texas toast, garlic bread - whatever) and a big glass of sweet iced tea.

When we lived in Savannah, my favorite place to go was a chain restaurant called "Red, Hot and Blue". They had good BBQ, I loved their ribs which I would always get with the dry rub and put their "Sufferin' Sweet" sauce on - sweet and just a hint of spice but not hot. They had excellent red potato salad, and the beans were OK - not the best I've had - but the potato salad more than made up for it. I would occasionally get the Brunswick stew there. My heart was broken the day they closed the restaurant down. I heard they wanted to make the place more of a sports bar and grill type place and the owners wouldn't hear of it so they closed it down altogether. It's now the 2nd location of a popular local upscale hamburger restaurant. I missed RH&B so much after they closed that when Tal and I went to Raleigh, NC a couple of years ago that's one place we had to eat!

A local restaurant named Carey Hilliard's has OK BBQ. The meat is pretty good. I don't care much for their sauce. It's a tomato/mustard/vinegar hybrid. The potato salad I think may be the prepackaged kind and their beans are canned. The Brunswick stew is OK, too, but kind of soupy and thin on veggies (especially corn). I do, however, love their pork club sandwich which is a few slices of their BBQ pork, bacon, cheese, lettuce, and tomato on white bread. Mmmm-MM!

Tal and I came across a BBQ restaurant in Bloomingdale, GA (just outside of Savannah) called Black Jack's. I wasn't thrilled with their BBQ. The meat tasted OK but was too finely chopped. The potato salad was not much more than potato salad flavored mashed potatoes with a few pieces of pickle and onion. The beans were directly from the can. And the Brunswick stew, well it TASTED like Brunswick stew but I suspected they must have cooked it, pureed it, then tossed in a couple of kernels of corn to give it substance. I have the feeling that the majority of their clientele live in the woods surrounding the community and specialize in banjo-playing and making people squeal like pigs.

We've also tried another restaurant in Guyton, GA not far from where we live. I can't remember the name of the place. For some reason I don't remember much about the place. I guess I was too distracted by the advertisement on the placemat for "The Cake Lady". The BBQ must not have been much, or I would have remembered it. :)

Yet another BBQ restaurant, even further out from Bloomingdale, is Baxter's BBQ. Now, their ribs are awesome. I didn't have any BBQ but I think Talmadge had some and liked it. I don't believe I had any Brunswick stew there. Potato salad and beans were also not very memorable.

Talmadge's BBQ nirvana is based in Columbia, SC at a place called "Piggy Park". Maurice's has several locations. We can be found most often and the main location in Columbia, or just up the street (I-95) from us in Santee, SC. Pretty good BBQ. The meat is good and the sauce is a mustard/apple vinegar base - otherwise known as "Carolina Gold". All the other sides are middling. A standard side in their dinners is Carolina Hash - from what I can see it's ground up BBQ pork mixed with some other things to a reddish-brown pudding consistency and served over rice. Tastes OK, if you can get past the looks. They don't have potato salad.

My BBQ nirvana of the moment is at a little shop in Pooler, GA (between Savannah and Bloomingdale). It's called L.I.P.S. - Little Italy Pizza and Subs/Hunter Mountain BBQ. The BBQ is good, if not a little heavy on the smoke, ribs are good too but sometimes not very meaty. I do like their potato salad and beans - almost perfection! But the best thing is their Brunswick Stew. It's a tad bit on the soupy side but it's loaded with chunks of potatoes, chicken, BBQ pork tomatoes, lima beans, and enough corn to make me very happy! It's also got a bit of spice to it, just enough for a tiny kick.

We've also been to Sticky Fingers in Savannah. Meh, it's OK, their BBQ and potato salad is good, kind of on the pricey side but I like it OK.

We have a BBQ place in Rincon that I haven't quite gotten up the nerve to try. G&B Rib's N' Things. I would like to try it some day, I just hope it doesn't disappoint and becomes my new BBQ nirvana. Simply because it's so much closer to home than all the others! I'll certainly give a report on that when I do try it!

Man.....now I've got a craving for some of that Brunswick Stew from L.I.P.S.! {{{sigh}}}

And the winner is........

2007-06-09T17:46:00.000-05:00

...........Tiger Gleck!

Yeppers, dear BIL lasted exactly 29 days at his new job. Sad, isn't it?

Don't know the details, but Dad said it was probably because BIL had three accidents in the 29 days he was there and the employer probably saw him as a risk (may have also seen his previous workers' comp claim records - I dunno). The accidents: cut his finger, welded his wedding ring to his finger, nearly got his leg cut off by a piece of steel because of some other accident-prone guy (just tore his pants, fortunately). Didn't I tell you nothing is ever his fault???

Well, Talmadge, looks like you owe Tiger $5.00!

-S.G.

Update for the month......

2007-05-24T13:20:00.000-05:00

Yikes, I'm slacking again! So, to catch you up I'll give you a brief synopsis of what's going on with me lately.

1) Finally have my surgery scheduled. It's going to be July 17, exactly a week before my birthday. What a nice birthday present - to be recuperating from major surgery. That's about right - for Christmas I got a root canal and crown. For Valentine's Day I got Day Surgery for a hysteroscopy and D&C. For Easter I got another root canal and crown. And now, for my birthday, I get a hysterectomy. Joy! I'd rather have chocolate.........or cake decorating supplies. :)

2) I'm not taking well to being a "hosehead". Mr. CPAP and I are not getting along. More often than not, I end up taking the mask off in the middle of the night and turning off the machine. Dr. Maria prescribe me some Ambien, which puts me out like a light but gives me amnesia. Although, from what I have read about some people who take Ambien I am lucky that's all I do. Others have stated that they sleepwalk, and even sleep-eat. One lady said she kept getting up in the morning to find the kitchen a mess and would blame the kids until she found out it was HER making the mess!

But more often than not, on the nights that I take it I wake up to find that I not only took the mask off and neatly hung it up on the bedpost and turned off the machine. I never remember doing that......but at least I'm neat about it! This morning was the first time I woke up and found the mask on the floor. The machine was off, though. One of the folks on my CPAP email group suggested taping the mask on my head with surgical tape for a while. At least if I try to pull it off, it will HURT and bring me into conciousness. I haven't been brave enough to try that yet. :)

3) The Garden is doing all right. Most of the items I planted are struggling because we have had a severe lack of rain in our area. I have been trying to make sure they have a good amount of water. The weeds are thriving, however. I've been trying to keep the immediate areas around the plants cleared of the weed/grass/whatever but the garden looks pitiful. I am hoping one days the baby plants will be bigger than the weeds and I can tell which is a veggie plant and which is a weed! The only plants that have failed for me are my green onion, regular onion, and spinach plants. That's not TOO bad! I planted some cherry tomato seeds in a planter box just after I got the garden planted, and they went NUTS. I had to thin out the tomato plants and at last count I had 50 plants growing in that one pot. Needless to day, several family members, friends, and co-workers are now the proud plant-parents of some cherry tomato plants! And I still have several left that I have re-potted.

I had also planted two types of mesclun (assorted greens/lettuces, in case you didn't know) in two planter boxes and I'm proud to say I had my first successful harvest as well as an excellent grilled chicken salad this past Monday night. YUM! Wonderful thing about this mesclun is that it replenishes itself!

I think I have become addicted to gardening. I am having fun planting seeds or starter plants and watching them grow and develop. I've reached a point where I know I have an empty pot sitting on the patio - it's currently upside down supporting another plant like a stand - an I am itching to go to Lowe's, Home Depot, or Wal-Mart to see what other type of seeds I can find to plant in that empty pot. Oh, wait, I just remembered that my strawberry plants didn't make a go of it......that's ANOTHER pot with nothing growing in it!!! Hold me back!

In spite of the struggling plants, as I've told Tamadge, I don't consider my little garden a failure but rather a learning experience. I've learned that I probably should have started preparing the garden earlier, mulching, applying weedkiller, etc. in the winter time so I wouldn't have so many weeds to deal with now. I've learned that it probably would have been easier to plant many of the seeds directly into the ground rather than start them in hundred or so little newspaper pots that I made for that purpose - completely eliminating the steps of potmaking, filling w/starting medium, and then replanting in the ground. I've learned that it's harder than heck to till hard ground. (I think I'm still suffering the effects from that with tendonitis or something in my right heel!) I've learned that some of these plants would have probably been better off being planted in planter boxes or flower pots! And last but not least, I learned that Miracle Gro Potting Soil is truly the best. The items I planted in pots using this potting soil have been absolutely thriving! (No, I am not getting a kickback from Miracle-Gro - that's just my personal testimony.)

4) My BIL got a job! Anyone want to contribute to the pool as to how long he actually keeps this one before he: A) gets injured and goes on disability, B) gets fired for poor job performance and/or attitude (such as mouthing off at his superiors), C) quits without having another job lined up, D) tries to dictate to my sister how he will be using "HIS" money for frivola (like cigarettes, Mountain Dew, and video games) instead of adding it to Sis's income in order to secure housing, utilities, and other basic life necessities and she FINALLY gets fed up with his BS, files for divorce, and successfully moves on with her life as a single mother with a brighter outlook for her and her 7 and 10 year-old sons' futures. Selection D, of course, is considered the long-shot.

Talmadge has 30 days, Tiger bets 60. I've already lost, I gave him two weeks. I guess Tal and Tiger were a bit more optimistic than I. :)

That's about it for now! I actually need to go do some work before I lose MY job!! :)

Take care, and I'll try not to go nearly a month again between posts!

-Farmer Seraphim.....MOO

The Masterpiece......

2007-04-28T14:04:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is - after two weeks of planning, baking, fussing, and cussing, here is the cake of my labours. BEHOLD, the CAR ENGINE CAKE:

Now, I don't know if this resembles any type of engine that exists in the automotive world. Being a chick, and not knowing one thing about car engines, this is my closest interpretation. I claim artistic license n this one. The engine block and filter on top are chocolate fudge cakes with chocolate buttercream. The little round knobby things - I have not idea what you may call them - are those little round dessert cakes. All is covered with fondant that I colored gray. I also colored a bit of the fondant black for some of the accent pieces.

The pulleys and "fan" on the ends are colored and molded white chocolate, as well are the tools. I have a special chocolate mold for the tools, but I had to fabricate the pulleys and fan myself. The fan was molded from the lid of a Tupperware container and the pulleys I molded from plastic margarine tub lids of different sizes then pieced them together and "glued" them with more white chocolate. They are held in place with dowel rods and more white chocolate glue. The "wires" are chocolate licorice ropes and cherry Twizzler Pull-and-Peels. Oh, and the fan belt is a length of bubble gum tape.

This was an undertaking I don't see myself doing again until well after I have recovered from this one!! But it was fun!

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!

2007-04-22T00:05:00.000-05:00

"Oleomargarine" is already taken, SOOOO.......

Random thoughts for today:

1) Do we offend??? Over the past couple of months or so, several houses on our relatively short cul-de-sac street have gone up for sale. There is one at the entrance to our street, two on either side of the house directly across the street from ours (one of which I am glad for their departure, as the guy has this truck with a loud muffler that scares the bejesus out of me every time he revs the freakin' thing up), and I just noticed today that the house directly across the street is up for sale. I'm starting to get a complex. I mean, I know that quite a few ugly words have emanated from the backyard the past couple of weeks (see previous post "Inna-Gadda-Da-(Gleckia)") but it's nothing different than they've heard on cable....

2) About 2 weeks ago, the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department began an initiative dubbed "Operation Rolling Thunder" - Motorists who were impaired, driving recklessly, not wearing seatbelts, speeding, or committing other traffic infractions that result in crashes were the focus of Operation Rolling Thunder. I sure didn't see a whole lot of police presence on my usual commuting path, which includes an interstate and a major artery into and out of town.

On the way to town today to give a cake decorating demo at the mall, I passed by an overturned pickup truck blocking 2 of the 3 northbound lanes of the Interstate 95. There was an incident just 2 days ago where a woman flipped her SUV over the guardrail at nearly the same spot. Now, I am not saying that speeding was a factor in either crash but experience makes me allege that it was. These two accidents - in conjunction with the many motorists who tailgate me and/or pass me like I am standing still when I am already going about 10 miles over the posted speed limit - prompts me to make just one statement:

Operation Rolling Thunder - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

Take that any way you want it. :)

3) I just mixed and baked 10 boxes of chocolate fudge cake mix. The house smells wonderfully of chocolate cake. Talmadge would be retching by now. Good thing he is off visiting Tiger!

4) Bet you're wondering why I have 10 boxes worth of cake in my kitchen. I'm not telling.

5) OK, I'll tell you, but only because you twisted my arm. I've been assigned the task of designing a groom's cake in the shape of a hot rod engine for a wedding next weekend. Wish me luck! I'm just absolutely making myself sick over this cake, because all the pictures of hot rod engines that I have seen look so complicated. SO, this cake is going to be my artist's rendition of a hot rod engine. It may not look like any engine that exists in the automotive world, but it will look like an engine of some sort! I'll post a picture when I get it done to get feedback.

6) Puddy is lying on the floor chasing squirrels in her sleep. So darn cute. Now, everybody go "AWWWWWWWWWWWWW!".

7) It's 1:45 a.m. on Sunday. After doing a cake demo, working in the garden, cleaning out the car (YES, Talmadge, I cleaned the car today), washing dishes, cooking supper, and baking a go-zillion chocolate cakes (actually, four 9"x13" rectangular, three 8" rounds, two 6" rounds, one 9" round, and one 6" square), and writing a blog entry I am ready to go hook myself up to my magical sleep machine and zonk out!

8) I'm wondering if Kate/Susan hits it big in Vegas this weekend, she might considering investing in a little cake shop in the Coastal Empire of Georgia..........

9) You know that I had to include a Number 9. ITTEMDEEOW....and Good Night.

(Late-night blogging should really be outlawed.)

Until later.....

Following Tal and Kate/Susan's lead.......ya'll.......

2007-04-18T14:53:00.000-05:00

YOUR LINGUISTIC PROFILE:

YOUR LINGUISTIC PROFILE:

60% General American English

25% Dixie

5% Upper Midwestern

5% Yankee

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

I guess that's about right. I'm a mutt. Georgia born, raised, and bred but have a Missouri/New Jersey lilt. Where the hell did that Upper Midwestern stuff come from????

I do have a tendency to emulate the "accent" of whatever particular group I may be hanging around at the time. My dad's family is deep Southwest Georgia and got that good ol' Southen accent. My mom's father was from the St. Louis area, her mom from New Jersey, and while they lived in SW GA the majority of their lives, my grandparents, aunts, and mom have a distinctly different sound. Then there was that summer in which we hosted two British girls as counselors at our Girl Scout camp. By summer's end we all had a mangled Southern/British dialect going. I got tickled at one of my campers when she asked me if Wendy and Jenny were from another country and I said yes, they came from England a couple of weeks ago to learn about America and help us out at camp. This little girl looked up at me all wide-eyed and said, "Wow, how did they learn English so fast??" I tell ya, if she had not been so cute I would have died laughing in front of her.

If you're happy and you know it.......

2007-04-17T09:05:00.000-05:00

.....laugh your little heart out.

I came across this video on YouTube the other day and it just made me laugh. I've decided that this is going to be my pick me up when I am feeling down or tired or just plain grumpy. So darn cute you could just turn inside out!

Now, if a singleton isn't enough for you, try this quartet!

I'm just overwhelmed with cuteness right now I just can't stand it!!!

In-a-Gadda-Da-(Gleckia)

2007-04-16T09:26:00.000-05:00

Warning! A rather long and schizophrenic post follows:

I have had a rather ambitious project in mind for the past 3 years since we moved into our house in January of 2004. I wanted a veggie garden. Just a small one, enough to get my fill of my favorite veggies. Talmadge isn't much of a veggie eater, so I'll be enjoying this one for the both of us!

In 2004, I could barely keep the two potted plants that I had alive. I had killed off my ficus tree a year earlier while we were still living at the apartment in Savannah.

In 2005, I still had aspirations of gardening. I read a few gardening books, but still wasn't sure if I was up to the task. I did discover a wild blackberry vine that was growing in the corner of the yard and managed to get enough blackberries from that plant to make a nice blackberry cobbler.

In 2006, I tried my hand at "container gardening" on the back patio. I had a tomato, a pepper, a cucumber, and a squash plant. I found a couple more blackberry bushes. My bumper crop for the year yielded me 4-5 decent red tomatoes and, at the end of the season a bunch of small green tomatoes (good thing I adore fried green tomatoes!!), one huge cucumber and 2 smaller ones, a huge squash and couple of smaller ones, and 2 nice peppers. Not quite sure what type of pepper plant this was. I thought it was a bell pepper plant, but they took more of a tapered form but tasted like a bell pepper. It wasn't hot. Oh, and more blackberries for a couple of cobblers and just munching on.

Which brings us into 2007.........the bug has bitten. In winter, Tal and I stopped at "Beaver Bucks" which used to be a pretty big video/music store which has dwindled to part video/dvd, bargain basement music cassettes and rap cd's and part everything's a dollar store. Looking around, I came across a box full of post-season vegetable seeds, 4 for a dollar. I went nuts and left that store with about $5 worth of veggie seeds and visions of a lush green veggie garden in my head.

My brain began forming the plan - I would carve out a small section of our not so huge backyard with the reasoning that it would be less grass for Tal to mow - his favorite chore - so how could he protest?!?! Weeks ago, I started making newspaper seed starter pots based on a plan I found on the internet. I was determined to be the frugal gardener! After our West Virginia vacation in March, I bought some seed starting medium, filled my little paper pots, and planted my seeds. It was warm enough outside, that I put the seeded pots in a plastic underbed storage box that I had, put the lid on it, and put it outside on a table near the patio. It was like a mini-greenhouse! Just enough ventilation so the plants wouldn't smother, and it kept the warmth and humidity inside. To my delight, within a week I could see little green shoots peeking from amongst the newsprint! Over the next week the seedlings just went nuts! So much so that I had to take the lid off the box otherwise the plants would have pushed them off.

I had planned to get the plot ready the weekend before last, however we ended up having cold snap and I had to bring the plants into the garage so they'd be safe and sound.

This past weekend, it was time. I got up early Saturday morning (okay - around 9:30. That's early for ME on a Saturday!) with the best of intentions. I rolled my little cable-spool table out near my garden-to-be, set up the beach umbrella in the little hole in the middle of the table, got out my folding chair, and all my tools and equipment and the ever-important radio (HEY, gotta have tunes to work to, right???). Got a bowl of cereal, a huge glass of iced tea, and came outside to find that the bottom of the cable-spool table had broken, spilling the radio and the umbrella to the ground. I went and got the umbrella stand, put the umbrella in that, set the table back up, put the piece that broke back underneath to support it, put the radio back on the table, sat down, and enjoyed my soggy Lucky Charms while listening to "Car Talk" on public radio and formulating my garden game plan while Puddy helped me out by spreading a little fertilizer.

First, I would use the edger to mark the outer perimeter of the plot. OK, got the edger and extension cord - extension cord not long enough and remembered that I threw out the other extension cord because it was old and frazzled. Grr. So I stomp into the house, grab my purse, and run up to Wally World where I not only purchase an extension cord, but a variety of other items I did not intend to buy.....then back to the house where I discover the umbrella has hit the dirt again. I fold the fallen umbrella and lay it down in the yard, and move the table and my chair over to the shade beside the house, plug in the other extension cord, connect everything up and start running the edger along the areas I've marked. I complete one edge and look behind me to see - nothing. Where's my line? OK, well this idea sucked. I guess I'll just go ahead and start hoeing and raking. I got a "Garden Claw" from the store I was going to use to cultivate, aerate, pulverize, and otherwise prepare the soil to accept my tender little seedlings. You know, like it does on the commercials. HA!! I got maybe one square foot of soil done, looked at the other 127 or so square feet to go and thought, "I'll be here until Memorial Day trying to get this done!" and convinced Talmadge that I needed to go rent a tiller. So off to the rental store we go.

Tal and I return home with what we eventually ended up dubbing "The Machine From Hell". Got it unloaded and pushed it to the backyard and positioned at the corner of the plot, fiddled with the controls, and pulled the starter cord. It sputtered to life, I released the brake and let it go. We were sure we'd have this little approximately 8x16 spot done in no time and return the machine before the store closed at 5:30. As we stood there scratching our heads and watching the machine churn away slowly at the ground, we saw that was not going to happen. Then we discovered the accelerator. We turned that thing up to 11, I released the brake, and it took off across the plot dragging me behind. I managed to get my footing, engaged the brake, and dragged the machine back to the starting point. Tal and I took turns letting the machine drag us across the yard and managed to get one row of tilling done before we collapsed from sheer exhaustion and decided that the ground was too hard to till because of the lack of rain in the area. We were expecting a major storm that night and hoping it would soak and soften the ground. But to hedge, we thought maybe we'd give the soaking a head start and dragged the sprinkler out. It's one of those bow-shaped ones - you know, the ones that shoot off several streams in the shapes of a fan that we used to jump through when we were kids. The little piece that makes it sweep back and forth was broken(that should surprise you how?). Talmadge fiddled with it, trying to make the streams cover the entire plot, at one point pushing on it with his foot which only made it flip over and soak him from head to toe while I stood by and laughed my ass off. I couldn't help it, the way the day had been going so far I almost expected it!

That's how our evening ended. I straightened up the yard, putting all the equipment on the patio and doing a little trimming of branches and such. Tal called the rental place to let them know we were keeping the tiller a little longer.

The next day, the ground was much softer after the soaking. The bad storm that was supposed to hit the night before pretty much fizzled out before it got here and we got only a sprinkling of rain - running the sprinkler was a lucky bit of foresight on our part! The day had started out warm, but it soon turned gusty and cold. We finished the tilling and I raked, weeded, and leveled out the plot then dug a trench between the house and the plot for the irrigation drip line.

Because of the wind I decided to wait to put in the plants so they wouldn't get broken or blown away. So now all I have left to do is mark the rows, plant the seedlings, run the drip lines up the rows, water and fertilize the plants, and then let God take over. Hopefully by mid- to late-summer I will literally be enjoying the fruits (and vegetables) of my labor!

What am I planting, you ask? I've got tomatoes, peppers, onions, okra, corn, beets, carrots, jalapeno peppers, a variety of colored bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, green beans, pole beans, zucchini, yellow squash, spaghetti squash, pumpkins, cantaloupes, watermelons, and cucumbers. I'll have a couple of hanging baskets with cherry tomatoes and strawberries, a little patch of mammoth sunflowers, two planter boxes - one with a regular mesclun mix and another with a spicy mesclun mix, and regular planter with nasturtium. Oh, and lets not forget the patch of wild blackberries in the wetlands. Think I need anything else???

Maybe I should plant some flowers, perhaps some that would attract some of the helpful insects. Like maybe some ladybugs to eat the aphids, honeybees to pollenate the plants, even perhaps an iron butterfly or two........I just hope this doesn't turn out to be a "$64 tomato"!!

A change will do you good.....

2007-04-13T11:15:00.000-05:00

OK, so the nasal pillow wasn't working out so well for me. I'd wake up often on my side to the sound of rushing air from one or both dislodged nostrils and my eyelids flapping in the breeze. I broke down and called the respiratory company who provided me with my CPAP machine and nasal pillow and asked to try one of the nose masks that we had sampled on Monday.

I got a spiffy model with that cool blue gel stuff to cushion it - looks like THIS. And, yeah, I do look as much like a dork as the dork in the picture does. But as long as I can get some good sleep, I could look like Steve Urkel for all I care!

I look like I'm all set for chemical warfare with that thing on. And, with Talmadge's love for beans, I should count my lucky stars for this setup. LOL!

Finally......a refill!

2007-04-11T19:22:00.000-05:00

OK, so I got the results back from my sleep study. Dr. Maria says that I have mild sleep apnea. Mild according to the reports, that is. I got a total of 4 hours of sleep - mostly light sleep that did not get to the restful, restorative REM stage at which apnea rears its ugly head. I got to that stage probably 1 1/2 hours before I was to wake up. During that 1 1/2 hour stretch of time I stopped breathing several times, at one time for a whole minute and a half! Dr. Maria said that, had I had a longer REM sleep stage, she feels that I probably would have been classified as severe apnea.

So now I am all set up with a CPAP machine. Thankfully, I do not have to wear a full face mask - I've been fitted with a less cumbersome nasal pillow. The first night, it was weird to wear something on my face. I couldn't really lay on my stomach (where I'm most comfortable without knocking it askew) even though the wonderful Dr. Maria hooked me up with some drugs. The air pressure from the machine, which is what keeps your airways open as you sleep, fills up your head and makes you feel like a balloon! As you breathe, you can hear the air moving in and out of the machine. Later that night, through my drug-and-sleep haze, I could swear I heard Talmadge utter, "Luke, I am your father......." as he crawled into bed. Oh, and I came across a support group for CPAP users on Yahoo Groups (man, they have a group for EVERYTHING!!). One of the posters signed off "Hosehead since 2002". I like that.....I'm now officially a "hosehead"! LOL!

Last night was better, I got some sleep and actually could feel a difference. I was still a bit sleepy after lunch today, though. Baby steps, time will tell!

I have to see Dr. Maria next week for some tweaking of the machine, and she wants to do another sleep study w/ the machine. Afterwards, we should be good to go for scheduling my surgery!

One of these things is not like the other.......

2007-04-04T15:56:00.000-05:00

I just realized this afternoon (while counting out a change drawer) that the picture that I took of Talmadge at the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia is the same that's on the back of the 2005 West Virginia quarter - almost from the same perspective! Cool, huh?

(The picture of Tal was modified NOT to protect his identity, but to prevent terrorizing any small children and/or impressionable adults who may happen by my blog.....)

I neither slept nor dreamt......

2007-04-04T11:55:00.000-05:00

.....that I know of.

So, I did the sleep study on Monday night. The night seemed promising as I drove the 2-3 miles between our house and the sleep center. I got there at 8:25 p.m. and was met by Wanda, the sleep technician. I was given paperwork to fill in, took a little time to go potty, get a drink of water, and watched TV for a bit. Then Wanda came in and started hooking me up to all the wires while we watched "Dancing With The Stars". It was either that, or the Ohio State/Florida game on CBS. No cable. :-( After I was all wired up and connected, it was beddy-bye time. Yeah - wired was the word for it. I couldn't get comfortable. I usually sleep on my stomach, and I wasn't allowed to because of all the wires and sensors. The center was right next to Hwy. 21, and there were semi trucks going by constantly, the occasional nitwit with his BOOM BOOM BOOM, and the train that runs through Rincon what seems like every 2 hours. I had a fan running in the room, which drowned out a little bit of the noise but not much.

I tossed, I turned, I started to know what a fly caught in a spider web felt like. I was hot, I was cold. Wanda was in the next room and apparently fighting a cold, I could hear her coughing all night. Finally, after I don't know how many hours I had to get up and go to the bathroom again so I had to summon Wanda by knocking on the wall. She came in and disconnected me, I did my business, and on the way back to my room I stole into the waiting room and looked at the clock. 2:00??? It didn't seem that late. I know that I must have gone to bed no later than 10. I felt a little distressed because I only had 3 more hours before they would be waking me up and I had not gotten enough sleep for them to monitor yet. So, back to get hooked up again and try to get to sleep. Without a clock in the room, it was hard to tell how much longer I stayed awake. I just remember Wanda coming in and waking me up at 5:00. Filling in some paperwork, and leaving. I went back home and crawled into bed with Talmadge and Puddy and slept for a couple of hours, wishing that I was still hooked up to the monitors so they could have recorded that. Hmph. Fortunately, I could sleep in a little bit because I had a dentist appointment for a root canal and crown prep later that morning. No, I didn't fall asleep in the chair, but I could have!

I'm supposed to go back to Dr. Maria next Monday for the results of my sleep test. I wonder if I'll have to do it again? If so, they better give me a Valium or something to take prior to it to relax me, otherwise it will be ANOTHER long night.

To sleep, perchance to dream.

2007-03-30T14:29:00.000-05:00

Ah, back from our glorious West Virginia Mountain Vacation! Talmadge has blogged about it on his blog, complete with pictures. It was lovely, and the snow.....the snow was just COOL (literally and figuratively). It was the first time this South Georgia girl had seen this much snow. There was the time when I was 4 years old, living in Albany, and had what we considered a blizzard for that area - about 3 inches. It looks like we got at least 4-5 inches in our little West Virginia Winter Wonderland. Gorgeous! Then we had to come back to the humid 80-degree Fahrenheit sandgnat-filled weather of the Coast Empire. Bummer.

After our return, we had Tiger with us until the end of the week. I took him back to meet his mother in Ft. Valley, GA (the usual hand-off spot) and then I went northward a few miles to Macon where I ventured downtown on a search for Nu-Way Weiners. I saw them featured on a Food Network show some time back and HAD to try them when I got the chance. I am a sucker for a good chili dog and I've had some good ones in my time. People in Albany, GA line the block for a Jimmie's Hot Dog, wrapped in deli paper and stuffed in a brown bag that is nearly transparent from the grease by the time you get to your picnic spot (no inside dining there). Star-Ways and Lil' Red Dog House in Albany were also favorites. And, of course, when they ask you "What'll ya have?" at the Varsity in Atlanta, and you answer "Hot dog all the way!", you'll get one the way I like it - chili, mustard, and onions. Yum!

Now, Nu-Way DOES have several locations, one being just blocks away from the Burger King in Ft. Valley where I left what I can only assume was Josiebelle giving instruction to Tiger before handing over the car keys to him. There are also a couple of locations in Warner Robins - within blocks of the highway I had just taken en route to Ft. Valley and could have made the return trip on. But one thing that I have learned from my dear husband is that if you're going to visit a locally renowned and historic eating establishment for the first time, you've GOT to hit the original location if you can! Which is what I did.

It was tucked in a off-street and every bit the old-fashioned lunch counter I imagined it would be. I got three chili dogs for myself, one plain dog for Puddy (who had accompanied me on this trip) and a large triple-thick chocolate malted milkshake. I was in heaven! My only mistake was that I took the chili dogs with me and ate them in the car. It's especially challenging when you're trying to fight off a dog who has already wolfed down hers and is going after yours!! The chili dogs were not the best I have had - I think the Varsity still holds top honors with me - but they were still very good. But the shake was heavenly. I should have gotten the small, as it was so thick that I had to wait for it to melt a bit to get it through the straw. They gave me a spoon, but do you think I could have handled this thing with a spoon at 75 mph on the interstate? I don't think so! It took me nearly the full 2 1/2 hours of the trip home to finish it.

After the weekend, I had a couple of doctor appointments. Monday was the lung specialist (Dr. Maria) for my sleep apnea issue. We have a sleep study scheduled for this coming Monday night (April 2), in which I will go to the clinic where they have a "motel-like room" and sleep while they monitor me. I wonder if I will be able to sleep......I mean, with people watching me??? And, OH GOODY, when I wake up the next morning (provided I go to sleep, LOL) I get to go to the dentist for a possible root canal and a buildup for a crown. JOY! Knowing me, I probably won't get any sleep at the sleep clinic, but I'll probably pass out in the dentist chair. Hehehe.

Dr. Maria was telling me about some of the problems that sleep apnea can cause. To give you an abridged version, check out this brochure. After we find the right treatment, should she find that I do indeed have sleep apnea, my world is (hopefully) going to change for the better. I can't remember a morning since I was young that I actually woke up feeling like I got a good night's rest. I don't want to feel like a zombie any more!!

Tuesday, I had an appointment with the urologist. That went OK, and he says he can fix that problem at the same time they do the LAVH. (TMI! TMI!) This procedure is called a mid-urethral sling transobturator (some rather detailed drawings on this page - don't look if you're squeamish). I'm starting to get the feeling that I will be walking like a cowboy for a few days afterward these two procedures. The horse I will be riding will be named Ice Pack......yee haw. Methinks Tal will be able to sympathize with me on that, eh Tal?

SO, I'm almost set. Once I get the results of the sleep test on April 9th, we'll be able to get the hysterectomy surgery scheduled.

OK, it's Friday night. Just got home from work and finishing this blog entry. Tal and I will be heading to the Y in a bit, then back home for some chicken and rice. (Tal's favorite - his mom's recipe: One can of white meat chicken mixed with one can of cream of chicken soup, served over rice.) So easy, one day Tal might be able to make it. (hint hint) Like maybe Thursday nights coming up. (hint hint) :) (love you!) Maybe we'll get a movie, I'd like to see "The Pursuit of Happyness" (yes, that's how it's supposed to be spelled!) with Will Smith. It just came out on DVD this week and looks to be a good movie. Then off to sleep. I've got a cake class from 1-5 tomorrow. Sunday I will probably do some rat-killing in the house. (That's what Tal calls a major house cleaning - NO, we don't have rats.....or mice......or even roaches, thanks to Jackie the Exterminator). I may do some yard work and get my garden plot dug up. We'll just see how much energy I can muster. Knowing me, I'll be lucky if I can get the dishes done and all the mess out of the living room!

Have a great weekend!

-Seraphim "Did I miss Spring????" Gleck

To cut or not to cut.......

2007-03-13T22:12:00.000-05:00

.....that will be the question.

I had an appointment with Dr. Amy today. Talmadge went with me to the appointment. Scratch that - he went to the appointment and I got there late. :) Gotta love that Savannah traffic. I thought I'd try to be smart and avoid what's probably one of the worst intersections here. Then thought that I could get on the road that would lead me right to the hospital where Dr. Amy's office is. I ended up on another road, stuck behind a school bus stopping at every freakin' block, so I tried to go down another street, then another, then another until I thought I was in Dead End Hell! Finally got turned back around and to the street I SHOULD have turned down in the first place. Got stuck in a long light at the intersection there. Tal calls and says, "Where ARE you?" I told him, "I'm stuck in line at a traffic light about 1/4 mile from the hospital but I've got a lovely view of a big azalea bush in some folks' yard so I'm not bored!" Poor Tal had to go into the Dr. Amy's OB/GYN office by himself. I'll bet he was glad to see me walk in! Well, he's ALWAYS glad to see me walk in, but he was probably especially glad at that moment.

I was almost 10 minutes late getting there. Not that it really mattered, as we ended up waiting an hour and a half to see Dr. Amy. Several pregnoids came and went with their "baby daddy". I was praying that none of them would attempt a conversation with me by starting with, "So, when are YOU due?" Because I had worn a rather loose dress and with my gut I could probably pass for an 11 1/2 month pregnant woman carrying quadruplets, and I was sitting there with my husband, it could have very well been an easy assumption. However, the mood I was in after dealing with the stupid traffic and waiting for so long to see the doctor, no telling what I may have said.

So we finally got taken to a room where we waited a little while longer, then Dr. Amy came in and talked to us. Looks like sometime in May I will be scheduled for an LAVH. Dr. Amy said hopefully this will go OK and she won't have to switch mid-operation and do a Total Abdominal Hysterectomy (TAH) where the uterus is removed through a large incision in the abdomen. This is the last resort, as recovery is longer and more painful than it would be with a LAVH. Dr. Amy said that since I haven't had any children the LAVH might be a bit more difficult to do because (entering TMI zone) my vagina has not been stretched out by some big ol' melon-headed rugrat. So if she finds she can't git r' done with the LAVH, I'll be getting cut. Pray that this does not happen! She will also be removing my ovaries and fallopian tubes. I will also have to have HRT after the surgery. Basically, at age 37 1/2, I will be going through (surgically induced) menopause.

I will be seeing a lung specialist before the surgery to be tested for sleep apnea (as I believe I mentioned in the previous post). In my heart, I feel like when all is said and done I will feel so much better. Maybe my hormones will actually get straightened out, I'll be able to get better sleep if the sleep apnea is treated, and hopefully I'll get fixed so (TMI zone again) I won't pee myself when I cough, sneeze, laugh, or bend over to pick something up. (That will be yet another doctor - a urologist - I will be visiting prior to surgery.)

So.....feeling like you know much more about me than you cared to?? LOL.

In the meantime, I am working like crazy trying to get caught up and ahead in work so I won't have that hanging over me. I don't know if this is a blessing or a curse, but my boss and Dr. Amy go to church together. Hopefully, they will both respect my privacy and not discuss me more than relating our "three (two?) degrees of separation". Bosslady has had her own health issues recently and asked me not to mention that to Dr. Amy, which I wouldn't, so I am sure she would be reciprocal.

So, as of right now I am vascillating between being being scared poopless and feeling optimistic that my life is about to change for the better. One moment I want to cry, the other I feel giddy. Weird, huh? I'm truly a work of art, ain't I?

-Seraphim

Gimme a mulligan??

2007-03-10T17:29:00.000-05:00

So, here I am again, blogging. It's been over a year since my last blog entry. Sometimes I take for granted that my husband, Talmadge Gleck, blogs everything that goes on in our lives and for me to do so might be a bit redundant. For those who periodically visit my blog to see if I have finally written anything, thanks for visiting! I'll try, once again, to keep up with my blog this time.

What's happened this past year? To start out, since my last blog entry, my Cuz has had an amazing recovery from his incident. The man who shot him has been sentenced to 60 years in prison - he's in his 30's now. Cuz still has the bullet lodged in his neck and will undergo more surgery to his upper jaw in the future. He still has some psychological issues to work out but is doing much better since his attacker has been sentenced. He is back to work on a light duty basis. He's received several commendations from local and state law enforcement agencies and has also been featured on Court TV twice - this is video from one of the shows.

Tal and I have done a little traveling, I got a new job in October at the university I work at (yay, less stress!) and started teaching cake decorating classes at a local craft store.

I've got a few health issues that I am dealing with. Gotta lose weight, and Tal and I have started going to the Y as often as we can. Baby steps...... Been seeing doctors for female issues. If you do not care to hear about them, just scroll to the bottom of the post because from this point on, many of my blogs will more than likely tread into the TMI zone. Well, it won't be that bad, but most entries will probably be about my female parts for which I will not hesitate to use the proper terms. If you are cringing now, you probably won't want to continue. :-P

In early December, I went to my regular doctor for my 3-month follow up visit. She's following my blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. I have a previous diagnosis of PCOS which I've been kinda treated for but since it's such a mysterious malady there just still isn't a real comprehensive course of treatment for it. PCOS can really mess up the ol' menstrual cycle. I haven't been to a GYN for a while, so my doctor referred me to one. I saw the GYN in January who discovered a couple of endometrial polyps growing in my uterus. February 20 found me in Day Surgery having a hysteroscopy (where they insert a scope up into your uterus, blow you up like a balloon, and take a look around). There was not just 2, but 3 polyps and hyperplastic endometrium (thickened, tough lining as a result of the PCOS) which they removed. Tal calls this procedure a "Roto-rooting". I had a similar procedure done 5 years ago with no real follow-up treatment, which is why I had to have it done again.

My GYN called me this past Monday with the pathology report. It's called complex hyperplasia without atypia. This sort of a pre-pre-cancerous condition that could eventually develop into endometrial cancer. There are 2 courses of treatment for this: progesterone for 13 days out of each month and a biopsy every 6 months.........or a hysterectomy. What a decision I have to make. Now, normally a 37 year-old woman with no children whose only been married 5 years would not even CONSIDER a hysterectomy if there was still a chance of her getting pregnant. But I'm not and never have been normal. I've got several cards stacked against me: PCOS means I don't ovulate. Those of you who regularly read Tal's blog know that he's mentioned getting the snip-snip not long after his son, Tiger, was born. Meaning: world peace will happen before Talmadge and Seraphim Gleck procreate.

That being said, the only obvious decision will be to have the offending organ removed. I'd love it if they could do a tummy tuck while they're down there. :)

I had an appointment with my GYN - who I will refer to as Dr. Amy- this past Thursday. Tal was going to go with me so we could discuss my decision and what to expect and prepare for. Unfortunately, Dr. Amy had the flu and was not able to see me that day. So I will be seeing her on Tuesday. In the meanwhile, I have been surfing the net and reading everything I can about hysterectomies and the aftermath. I've got a good list of questions for Dr. Amy. I also came across this support group, HysterSisters. Cute site.

I've already started a shopping list of things to take to the hospital, like an eye mask - a' la Dorothy Kilgallen of "What's My Line" fame:

I told Tal that I wanted one that looked like a pair of open eyes with lots of makeup, like Tammy Faye Baker's. If anyone comes across one like that, let me know! :) Hey, just because you're in a hospital doesn't mean that you can't have fun! You know the saying, "Laughter is the best medicine!".

Before I have any surgery, though, I will have to be tested for sleep apnea. When I had the hysteroscopy, I had a tough time coming out of it and getting my blood oxygen levels up. Back in my Day Surgery room, the alarm on the pulse oximeter (the machine that measures the amount of oxygen in the blood) kept going off and the nurse kept getting after me to breathe. My mom and Tal were in there coaching me,"Breathe! Breathe!" You'd swear I was in labor or something. I thought my mom was going to hyperventilate and probably pass out (the woman has consciousness issues, I swear) from helping me try to breathe.

Tal and I are going up to West Virginia for a few days next week. I'm looking forward to it. We're renting a small cabin up there and will go to Charleston for a couple of days. We'll spend the night in Chattanooga on the way home.

OK, so I guess that's kind of gotten me caught up. If I think of anything else, I'll be sure to blog that, too!

Sweet dreams!

Seraphim

Whew....close call!

2006-02-08T14:04:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know, I know, I know! It's been a couple-few months since my last confes-- Oops, I mean BLOG ENTRY. Talmadge has delivered 1000 lashes with a wet noodle, and Bolivar has also reprimanded me. SO, here are a few thoughts that are bouncing around in my head that I'd like to get out:

First, a very scary thing happened to my family this past weekend. My very sweet cousin, who is a deputy sheriff in a county near where my parents live, was shot while on duty. He's only 25, and had only been in law enforcement since last May, I believe. (Bolivar and Nettiemac, you may or may not remember him, he was at our rehearsal dinner.)

He was patrolling late Friday night (actually 1 a.m. Saturday morning) and a car with its radio blasting passed him. Well, he pulled the car over, just to warn the fellow to turn the radio down. As he was approaching the car, the driver got out and fired at cuz, striking him in the face, just below his right eye. While he was on the ground, semi-unconcious, the guy tried to shoot him again, but the GUN JAMMED. So he started pistol-whipping him while trying to get his gun out of his holster. Cuz managed to regain his senses and get away from the attacker. He got back to his car as the guy ran for his, and with his training and instincts kicking in, Cuz fired a round at the guy's car as he was getting away. He filled that car with holes (I saw pictures of it on the news). But the guy still got away.

He called for help, and they got him to the hospital. He was stabilized and taken to another hospital nearby, where he was listed in serious condition in the ICU.

Fortunately, he was not hit in any vital areas. The small-caliber bullet is lodged against his 1st cervical vertebra and that vertebra has a hairline fracture. The doctor said that if the bullet had gone just millimeters further, he might have been killed or paralyzed. He's also lost a few of his molars - those are what slowed the bullet down. He will have to wear a neck brace for 2-3 months, have dental work done, and once the fractured vertebra is healed they may do surgery to remove the bullet, but because of the fracture he's better off with the bullet remaining in there.

Believe it or not, he went home yesterday evening. Just four days after being shot in the face, he was released to go home.

What a miracle - first that he was not critically injured, and second that the attacker didn't get that second shot in, which could have been a fatal shot. We are all convinced that God had a hand in this miracle, no doubt. He sent Cuz's guardian angel - Cuz's father who passed away 11 years ago at the age of 41 from leukemia - to protect him.

I think the physically he will recuperate just fine. He is young and strong. But, think of this - this is one of those things that will either strengthens an officer's conviction to his job or make him consider a new line of work. I can only imagine what goes through the mind of someone who came so close to losing his life. I mean, I know every police officer knows going in the risks involved in this job. The reality of this risk literally hit Cuz square in the face this weekend. I myself would be scared sh--less to get back out there again.

There have been a couple of incidents since he started in law enforcement that were a lot more risky - the high speed chase, a foot chase when he was just a rookie without a gun chasing a guy with one, and probably a few others that I don't know about - and to get out of those unscathed. But c'mon we're talking about a small rural Georgia county, not friggin' Atlanta, or even Albany, or Savannah with it's high crime rate! Then to get shot in the face while just trying to tell a guy to turn down his radio. That's GOT to somehow get you f---ed up in the head. Or at least make you re-evaluate your life.

Then again, this could have just been a minor setback for him and he gets back out there wiser and a little more cautious.

Whatever comes of it, I'm just going to pray for a smooth recuperation for him and that he suffers no permanent physical or mental damage from this. He's a good guy and deserves to live a full and happy life.

Talmadge told me that, after this incident, he became more than "just another deputy" in the area, as his name has become pretty well known throughout many of the law enforcement agencies in the area. Might open up some great career opportunities for him in the future. "What department wouldn't want to hire "the man who survived a bullet to the face"??" Tal said.

As far as the guy who shot him.......he turned himself in around 9:00 that morning. This guy has served prison time for aggravated assault and had several violations for obstruction of an officer and eluding police. He is now charged with aggravated assault, aggravated battery, criminal attempt to commit murder (!!!), obstruction of a police officer, removal of a firearm of a police officer, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. His future is pretty messed up now. All because he was playing his radio too loud.

-SG

Starstruck

2005-11-14T14:17:00.000-05:00

Great Googly-Moogly! I can't believe that it's been a month since my last post, has it really been that long?? Sheesh, I just don't know where the time went. Seems like just yeterday was the beginning of the month and now it's almost halfway through!! I overheard someone at the Christmas Made In The South craft and trade show this past weekend say, "Did you know that Christmas is just 5 weekends away?" I nearly fainted dead away. I'm not ready for it, I'm just not. Seriously, I was just kidding when I asked Talmadge if he'd get the decorations from the attic!

Well, I guess I haven't really written much because there really hasn't been much to write about - or Talmadge had already written about it and it's no use in repeating. :)

A pretty cool thing happened this past weekend. My mom had been here visiting all last week (I kidnapped her the previous weekend and brought her back to our home to stay for a bit - to have a vacation away from things that were troubling her back at home regarding my sister and her issues) and my dad came over Saturday morning to spend the weekend and then take Mom back home on Sunday.

Late Saturday afternoon, we decided that we would try to get a table at Savannah's famous "Lady and Sons" restaurant owned by Food Network's Paula Deen. I had gotten Mom and Dad a gift certificate for Christmas last year and it was about to expire, I didn't want them to lose it. Well, silly us - we were thinking that if we got there early, there wouldn't be much of a wait! HAH! When we got there, we encountered a line winding around the block!

Fortunately, the gift certificate was also good at the restaurant that Paula's brother runs - "Uncle Bubba's Oyster House" further out on one of the islands. So we decided to try our luck out there. It was a short drive from downtown Savannah and, as we pulled into the parking lot, we saw that we'd made the right decision.

We found a parking space just a couple down from the front door. As we were parking, I noticed a very distinguished-looking gentleman standing beside a big, black truck that was parked in the space closer to the front of the restaurant. He was talking to the people sitting inside the truck. We got out of our car as he turned and started walking out into the parking lot. I immediately recognized him - it was Gordon Elliott. I remember thinking, "Hm, I wonder who was in the truck."

We were walking toward the restaurant as the big truck backed out and started driving in our direction. I then realized who was in the truck - Paula Deen and her husband Michael Groover. We waved as they approached, thinking that they would just wave and drive by - I secretly feared that my mother - who is a big fan - would throw herself on the hood of the truck! Not surprisingly - they stopped the truck right beside us and opened the window to be greeted by Paula's well-known, "Hey ya'll!". My mom says, "Do you remember me?" and Paula says, "You look familiar to me, what is your name?" (Well, for those who don't know - my mom and Paula knew each other at and graduated from Albany (GA) High School together in 1965.) My mom told Paula her name and Paula turns to her husband and says, "We went to school together!". They talked for a short bit - Paula's a busy lady and was on the go - Mama told Paula how we had gone to Lady and Son's and saw the line decided to come out to Bubba's instead. Paula says, "Honey, on the weekends even I can't get a table there!" Then they had to get going - we went inside and sat at the bar until the restaurant opened at 4:45. The food there was pretty good - a bit pricey for what it was, but still good.

I have two things to say to all those people who were standing in line outside of Lady and Sons - 1) the food there is good, but IT'S NOT THE ONLY RESTAURANT IN TOWN, and 2) nanny-nanny-boo-boo, we got to see and talk to Paula and YOU DIDN'T!! Hahahahahahaha!!! (Evil laugh). And we didn't have to stand in line for an hour. LOL.

- Seraphim "Yep, I'm gloating" Gleck

2005-10-13T08:23:00.000-05:00

Say it ain't so.....PLEASE.....say it ain't so......

I beg of you who work in the fashion industry to please reconsider your decision to bring back the gaucho pants. I can't think of anything much worse than these except maybe culottes.

These things - a cross between a pair of pants and a skirt - have got to be one of the most hideous items of fashion that came out of the 70's. I remember I had a pair or two of them and I avoided wearing them at all costs (hey - I was still a child without much say-so when it came to clothing purchases). They remind me of how my "I can barely wear a size zero" sister looked when she put on a pair of my shorts!!

OK - some people CAN pull off wearing these things. In my most humble opinion the only accessory I can think of that remotely compliments these is a nice pair of tall boots like these. But please don't wear them with these - I don't think these boots are good for anything but dog-sledding, hunting polar bears or while scoring a half-caff double latte' in your favorite bedsheet like our favorite mom, Britney.

I admit that maybe some of my animosity toward gauchos and culottes stems from the fact that I have neither the right type of thighs to pull off such an outfit - nor the calves to wear the tall boots. I like to eat - and I prefer to digest my meals thankyouverymuch.

Who is guilty cuplrit who decided to resurrect this hideous frock??? Was Donatella Versace going through some boxes in her brother's attic and found these stuffed away in a corner and thought, "I'll bet if I just slap the Versace label on these they will sell like hotcakes!"? Did Stella McCartney think, "They were good enough for my mom - and she was a famous musician - then they are are good enough for me!" ? Do they bring back warm fuzzy memories of little Isaac Mizrahi running around in his Mommy's clothes?

I have never claimed to be a fashionista. I think that those who get orgasmic over haute couteur (high fashion), hang on every word of the top designers, and are almost spastic about having name-brand design labels attached to their clothing and apparel are above-the-neck paraplegics.

But GAUCHOS???? C'mon.

Introverts Unite!

2005-10-11T15:15:00.000-05:00

You know......some days it pays to be an introvert. Today was no exception.

I have a couple of co-workers who are always at each others' throats. Not in a bad way - kind of in a "mom, he's touching me!" way. You know, the types who are always picking at each other but are the best of friends. They are truly funny to listen to - and I hear almost everything because one of the ladies' desk is just outside of my office.

Today, they were both out there doing their usual stuff.
J: "C...look at this for me...can you -"
C: "WHY are you bothering me???"

I look at my office-mate and say, "T - the kids are fighting again." Then a moment of incorrigible-ness overtakes me. I sling open the office door and say to both of them, "Don't make me HURT you!!" The look on their faces was priceless. I dare say it's the first time either of them have been rendered speechless.

I close the door and notice T writhing on the floor in a fit of laughter. I hear through the door, "Damn......Seraphim has crossed over to the dark side......" Minutes later, after the shock value wore off, we were all laughing.

Welcome to my Wittle World!

2005-09-21T13:48:00.000-05:00

OK, here is the first post to my new blog. Um, I think I will leave it at that right now because I am at work and have to answer the phone. Joy.