Time to make bloggies

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T03:04:00.000-08:00

I hope it was a good day. We stayed in San Antonio since Ryan worked the next day. We had a nice meal, which I am happy to say I had no problem not over-indulging in. The wine is another story though, Dr. Jenn hasn't had THAT MUCH to drink in a while. My headache right now is significant.

Yes you read that right. I am officially a doctor now! The defense was smooth as silk, my family was able to attend which was great, and now I'm looking for jobs, finalizing the dissertation, and finishing up a few things for my mentor. I will be attending graduation also, yay! My aunt has bestowed upon me the cap and gown.

Life is pretty good right now - better than it has been in a long time.

Graduation!

2009-11-05T13:36:00.001-08:00

Well its finally here. I am defending my dissertation on Nov 13. That's a Friday. Friday the 13th. And no, I'm not superstitious, mostly. Graduation is on Dec 17. I will not have pictures as I am not attending as I am too broke to purchase the cap and gown (along with fees I still owe the school and have to pay before I graduate, dissertation paper, dissertation publishing fees, personal copies, etc etc etc so on and so forth.) I am too broke for any of it, but at least the commencement is optional so I can opt out. I am sad about this, surprisingly, since I didn't really want to do the whole ceremony. I guess I still wanted my picture in the full regalia though. PhD regalia is something to behold.

No job yet. Looking. I will be devoting all my time to it as soon as I defend. Next week. Aaaaah!

My new favorite quote

2009-07-07T08:47:00.000-07:00

To be ignorant of ones ignorance is the malady of the ignorant.
Bronson Alcott

Vocabulary lesson - this one is directed northward for someone who really could use an education

2009-07-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

avarice
–noun
insatiable greed for riches; inordinate, miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth.

hypocrisy
–noun, plural -sies.
1. a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess.
2. a pretense of having some desirable or publicly approved attitude.

pharisaism
–noun
1. the principles and practices of the Pharisees.
2. (lowercase) rigid observance of external forms of religion or conduct without genuine piety; hypocrisy.

sanctimonius
–adjective
1. making a hypocritical show of religious devotion, piety, righteousness, etc.

shrew
–noun
a woman of violent temper and speech; termagant.

virago
–noun, plural -goes, -gos.
1. a loud-voiced, ill-tempered, scolding woman; shrew.

old maid
–noun
1. Usually Disparaging and Offensive. an elderly or confirmed spinster.
2. a fussy, timid, prudish person.

blue nose
–noun
1. a puritanical person; prude.

pecksniffian
–adjective (often lowercase)
hypocritically and unctuously affecting benevolence or high moral principles.

rumormonger
–noun
a person given to spreading rumors, often maliciously.

simpleton
–noun
an ignorant, foolish, or silly person.
Synonyms:
dolt, fool, numskull, blockhead, ninny, dope.

nescience
–noun
1. lack of knowledge; ignorance.

philistine
–noun
1. (sometimes initial capital letter) a person who is lacking in or hostile or smugly indifferent to cultural values, intellectual pursuits, aesthetic refinement, etc., or is contentedly commonplace in ideas and tastes.
–adjective
3. (sometimes initial capital letter) lacking in or hostile to culture.
4. smugly commonplace or conventional.

churl
-noun
1. a rude, boorish, or surly person.
2. a peasant; rustic.
3. a niggard; miser: He was a churl in his affections.

supposititious
–adjective
1. fraudulently substituted or pretended; spurious; not genuine.

nefarious
-adjective
Infamous by way of being extremely wicked.

peccant
–adjective
1. sinning; guilty of a moral offense.
2. violating a rule, principle, or established practice; faulty; wrong.

parasite
-noun
2. a person who receives support, advantage, or the like, from another or others without giving any useful or proper return, as one who lives on the hospitality of others.
3. (in ancient Greece) a person who received free meals in return for amusing or impudent conversation, flattering remarks, etc.

egocentric
-adjective
1. having or regarding the self or the individual as the center of all things: an egocentric philosophy that ignores social causes.
2. having little or no regard for interests, beliefs, or attitudes other than one's own; self-centered: an egocentric person; egocentric demands upon the time and patience of others.

Are you a false Christian?
http://kaipneumatos.blogspot.com/2005/04/are-you-false-christian.html

You can claim to be a Christian, shove it down people's throats, etc. BUT I have yet to see any example of Christian behavior, morals, generosity, respectability or humanity towards others from you. At least I don't pretend to be what I am not.

Good news!

2009-07-07T07:44:00.000-07:00

Item 1 - Ryan got a new job. He starts at the end of the month, its quite a bit more money (about 20%) and about 5 min away rather than half an hour. So we can expect our financial issues to subside somewhat and maybe we'll finally get some emergency padding back in savings. Then we can start saving for moving, etc.

Item 2 - Well, I think its good news anyway. After years of biting my tongue in regards to my SIL's complete bitchiness I finally spoke up. We had it out, I don't have to play nice anymore. I am tired of the sneering two-faced miserable person who has to judge everyone else to make herself feel better about the lack of life she has. She is a holier-than-thou jealous miser (in Aeropostale and MAC LOL) who actually somehow takes pleasure in other people's troubles. She has never been nice to me, just fake. I feel liberated. I wish we could get along but some people just do not. Its a shame but I feel like this is progress for me because my biggest problem in life, I 100% believe, is letting people walk all over me and not speaking up for myself. I hold it all inside and I just cannot do that anymore. It is not healthy. Granted we will all never be one big happy family, but I don't think that's a shocker. Its never really even been a possibility and it was silly to hope otherwise. So that's mother and sister out of the way.. how many more in-laws can I alienate? (Sarcastic - they probably all hate me anyway, its ok though, you can't live for other people)

Item 3 - I am actually glad to be me. I am happy, its such a relief to not be so so stressed any longer. Money is going to be easier, I'm graduating soon, I feel confident in who I am, I love my husband. I can't wait to see what 2010 holds for us!

Very little new to report, thus the lack of reports.

2009-06-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

Hello reader(s)?

I am not sure why I still have this blog as I obviously don't take the time to update it very often and I don't have a camera to stuff it with pretty pictures. That's ok, when I have a camera again, and a PhD, maybe I'll be more inclined. There is not much new to report. Iowa was nice, pretty weather, lush greenery, the best produce ever. The best steak ever. The conference was ok, but I didn't make many contacts or land a job. On the job front I think we've decided to stay in San Antonio for a little while longer, mainly to build up a savings before we move - definitely not because we like it here. I think I will do one short post-doc here and then maybe a more extended one elsewhere. Actually maybe I'll really like the one here, you never know. I keep putting off applying, I'm not sure why. I'm nothing if not mental.

Its hot, we went swimming, Ryan has an ear infection, no more swimming. We played frisbee though, that was fun, very old school. I think we plan to do more of that once the ear heals and he's not dizzy all the time.

Happy Summer everyone!

Are you going to SMBE2009 in Iowa tomorrow? Great, me too! I'll see you there.

2009-06-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

I am leaving early in the morning for Iowa City and my mentor's Alma Mater. Can you feel the excitement radiating from me? Yeah, me neither. I am just hoping I can find someone to go to the free Squirrel Nut Zippers concert with on Friday night. I am also kicking myself because I forgot to print business cards. Oopsie. Too late now.

Being codependent and such, I am not excited about traveling alone. I am, however, excited about being in a room someone ELSE cleans for 5 days. I am curious what kind of shenanigans my husband will be up to while I'm gone and I hope he misses me a lot. I don't want to come back and hear about the amazing time he had without me. A good time, sure, a great time, maybe, if no laws were broken. An amazing time? Ummmm no. I'm in freaking Iowa bored out of my mind listening to science for a week so no amazing times should be had back in San Antonio. If amazing times are had I reserve the right to pout.

That is all.

Ummm the food posting thing didn't seem to work after all

2009-05-01T11:05:00.001-07:00

Who has time for that crap? Not me. Back to the drawing board.

Exercise - none

Calories - Eighty billion

Food Day 4 - trip to San Angelo

2009-04-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

Road trips = junk. We went to meet my mom, aunt, and their two friends in San Angelo yesterday. It was a nice trip but I was sick of the car by the time we got back. It was wonderful to see the mommy though, as always. I definitely ate a lot though, and am paying for it a little today with indigestion issues.

B - 1 biscuit, some gravy, bacon

S - grande latte

L - Rosa's YUM I miss Rosa's - 1 tortilla with beans and cheese, probably 3oz of smoked/grilled chicken and a piece of the beef as well, a little guacomole, a little sour cream, and one smoked jalepeno (after which I judiciously sampled Ryan's sweet tea for a few minutes, although I try not to eat and drink and the same time, it washes food from the pouch making you able to eat more and also get hungry again sooner. That was a HOT pepper though!)

In the spirit of breaking rules I also had junk in the car - potato chips, half of a candy bar, and a Sugar Daddy

D - leftover cappelini pomodoro

S - tequila

S - a small bowl of corn flakes with mootopia

Carbolicious exhaustion!

Ok coming clean about this is just scary. I am glad my surgeon doesn't read my blog!

Food Day 3 - Trying not to hear the sugar calling

2009-04-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

Friday, "Diet" Day 3 - wow I think I'm eating worse now that I am trying not to! Its ok though, I am, always, a work in progress.

B - Thomas English muffin toasted, 2 pats butter

S - coffee, a lot of it, with a total of probably 4T half and half and 3 packets of sugar in the raw (this is my way of trying to wean off the $tarbucks habit, which I cannot afford to support)

L - tortilla pizza (fajita sized whole grain tortilla, cheese, pepperoni, pizza sauce)

D - my version of cappelini pomodoro (barilla plus angel hair, canned diced tomatoes, canned crushed tomatoes, sauteed garlic, chili pequin, fresh basil, salt, pepper) and grilled zucchini

S - milk maid caramels

S - huge purple seedless grapes

I am too lazy to track again. I have to ease into this or something. No gym also.

Food Day 2 - the incredible grocery shopping debacle

2009-04-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

I spent $240.00 at the grocery store today. OMG!

Granted, I bought basically two weeks worth of food, and we were out of a lot of staples like salt, sugar, garlic powder, chives, ketchup, bbq sauce, everything else. I also bought some vitamins and things like razor blades and other toiletries that aren't food related but still OMG. I should not be allowed to shop alone, or hungry. I actually followed the list and did well with nutrition and coupons but I was still SHOCKED. Recessions blow.

Here is my food for Thurs, Day 2 of the great diet attempt.

B - egg and bacon breakfast taco

L - 20oz mootopia milk, 1/2 serving chocolate malted milk

S - tortilla pizza (1 fajita size Mission Plus! whole grain tortilla, 1/4c mozzarella, 1T pizza sauce, 7 pepperoni (and um another 10 or so while I was making it, geesh), 1/2oz pecorino Re Nero/Ora Antico

I fell in love with both of these cheeses while visiting the cheese section today and got a small portion of each... much more affordable than the parmesano reggiano I was originally planning on, but not quite as tasty

D - 3oz sirloin steak, 1 of Ellie Kreiger's portobello paninis (BEST COOKBOOK EVER) - 2 portobello caps, filled with sundried tomatoes/gorgonzola and then grilled (brush outside of mushrooms with olive oil)

S - some dark chocolate (I am having a chocolate issue lately... its VERY cyclical)

Calories - 1526
Fat - way too much
Fiber - definitely not enough
Carbs - 100g
Protein - 96g

Exercise: I parked at the end of the lot, shopped for two hours in a giant grocery store, carried it all to the car, carried it all inside my house, put it all away (this includes a lot of very weighty liquids - we are thirsty people). I am tired and have excused myself from the gym

Food & Exercise Tracking Day 1 - ummm not so good

2009-04-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

Ugh I had a headache today and just didn't "feel it" at the gym. I also ate A LOT of carbs. I had an out of control day for sure. Its ironic considering I knew I'd have to write it all down.

Pre B - 8oz mootopia (skim high protein milk with extra calcium and lactose free, available in texas and my holy grail for getting in protein some days)

B - small whole grain tortilla toasted and topped with a scrambled egg, 1/4c cheddar cheese, and 2T of pureed red chile (the base for enchilada sauce, often available in the freezer section, my faves are from Albuqerque Tortilla Factory or Bueno). This was a quick mimic of huevos rancheros.

S - several (3) Sbux chai chocolate truffles - must never buy again, chocolate and tea flavors, my two favorite things, in one candy? EVIL

L - tuna salad and whole grain crackers - tuna, red bell pepper, cucumber, onion, bread and butter pickles, mayo, salt, pepper, garlic powder.

S - more crackers

S - venti iced caramel macchiato (ack, I told you it was an out of control day!)

D - 2 chicken tenderloins sauteed in olive oil with lemon juice, parmesan cheese, and lemon pepper; 1/4c (cooked) sauteed baby spinach with garlic & sea salt, 2/3c cooked baby carrots in a tangerine juice reduction (1 pat butter, juice of one tangerine heated until a thick syrup)

Well dinner was delicious and I really needed the veggies after so many carbs.

I also went to the gym, but my head was really aching. I did 30min on the treadmill "fat burning" program - 1.25miles, 3-5%incline, machine reported 250cal burned.

Overall not a good day to start my journey to lose 50 more lbs.

I did not feel like putting all of this in thedailyplate.com so I have no idea of calories but I would guess 2000ish with 50% coming from carbs. Not exactly according to plan. Well tomorrow is another day.

Back in the saddle

2009-04-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine recently reached her goal weight after a long while and a LOT of hard work. I had pretty much given up on reaching either of my goal weights (my weight loss has stalled, partly because I overeat sometimes, partly because I stopped working out as much, and mostly because that's what happens once your body starts adapting to surgery). There was also perhaps a little more party type eating going on last fall as opposed to the controlled portions I was doing before then. Grazing makes it easy to outwit your surgery!

Now its more work than it was. Every pound is a struggle and a victory. I'd like to lose 50 more. And so, inspired by my friend, and by my husband who is also yearning to lose a bit of weight, I have decided to really work for it. I will track my intake again (I rarely do it now, but I am starting tomorrow) and I will work out in some aerobic form or another for at least 5 hours per week.

And to keep myself honest I will track both of these items here. So expect some even more boring than usual posts at Time to Make Bloggies :)

We have been back at the gym several times this week - go us! Beginning tomorrow DAY 1(because I am lazy today) I am going to post my food and exercise here. And every Monday I will track my weight (as in I've lost 2 lbs since DAY 1.. not my actual real weight because I'd prefer not to share, as is every lady's perogative). When I get to 50lbs lost I shall post a movie here of my happy dance! Sooo.. check back in a year LOL

Easter feast. Do this.

2009-04-13T06:58:00.001-07:00

We had a nice Easter.

For those of you who don't know, I am very much un-religious, but I still enjoy Easter as a celebration of spring, renewal, fertility, etc. Plus I like bunnies and chocolate.

This Easter was nice since we had Ryan's relatives visiting and it was a lovely sunny Spring day. I made dinner - ham, roasted pineapple, roasted asparagus, mashed potatoes (with half and half yum) and rolls. The asparagus was particularly good (I also roasted a few green onions for myself). I will never eat asparagus any other way again.

Roasted asparagus and green onions

1-2 bunches of asparagus, trimmed of their tough bases
Juice of 1-2 ripe lemons
1T olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 bunch of spring (green) onions, trimmed of roots and cut to the same length as the asparagus

Instructions - Place the veggies on a baking sheet, coat liberally with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Roast at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes (middle rack) without disturbing the vegetables. Viola! DELISH. I ate the leftovers cold and they were possibly even better that way.

The pineapple was also delightful roasted with butter. It was very sweet fresh pineapple and needed no additional sugar.

Vocabulary Lesson #3 - Nice words edition

2009-04-10T05:49:00.001-07:00

Ok I think I've got the negative words covered. Its important to be able to truly express exactly how you feel about people. I'm just giving you the tools, man.

But since its Friday and I hate to end the week on a bad note here are some nice words for those good friends you love and adore.

nonpareil [non-par-rail]
Noun
a person or thing that is unsurpassed

apotheosis [ap-poth-ee-oh-siss, -seez]
Noun
pl -ses
1. a perfect example: it was the apotheosis of elitism
2. elevation to the rank of a god [Greek]

munificent [mew-niff-fiss-sent]
Adjective
very generous [Latin munus gift + facere to make]

affable
adjective
1. Easy to be spoken to or addressed; receiving others kindly and conversing with them in a free and friendly manner; courteous; sociable.
2. Gracious; mild; benign.

élan (-lä, -län)
n.
1. Enthusiastic vigor and liveliness.
2. Distinctive style or flair.

scin⋅til⋅lat⋅ing
/ˈsɪntlˌeɪtɪŋ/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [sin-tl-ey-ting] Show IPA
–adjective
1. animated; vivacious; effervescent: a scintillating personality.
2. witty; brilliantly clever: a scintillating conversationalist; a play full of scintillating dialogue.

What does it say about me that I can think of a lot more negative words than positive ones? Perhaps I am vitriolic? (You can look it up when you get home. - Tom Lehrer)

Actually what I think it means is that there are many more wonderful colorful NEGATIVE words than positive ones. It must just be part of the human condition to want to fully, completely, and poetically express just exactly what you find unappealing about someone or something. Unless of course you write love poems, which obviously I don't.

I. Need. Sleep.

2009-04-10T05:45:00.000-07:00

Holy crap I'm tired. So should I curl up on the floor of my office with a blanket or try to sleep with my head on my desk?

Which is less likely to yield a back-ache?

I shouldn't be trusted to think today. I spent a long time looking for my ID this morning and it turns out it was around my neck already.

So. Tired.

Zombie.

The fam will be here tomorrow

2009-04-08T10:26:00.001-07:00

Ryan's family is visiting us in San Antonio?

This is a first. Must. Clean. So. Badly. Is it wrong to just throw everything in the spare room and close the door? Well if its wrong, do I care? Umm No.

We've had a particularly bad week so I hope the visit goes well. I am not feeling social and I have some kind of bizarre-ass breakout on my face next to my lip. Its healing but its gross.

Yeah I'm gross. Do I care? Ummm Yes.

So in other news, what is a semi-used kidney going for on the black market these days? Does anyone want my eggs? I'm a smarty and kind of cute except for those pesky obesity genes. Really though, seriously. Any buyers? If you want a future pessimistic sarcastic doctor, lawyer, physicist or the like, consider my eggs! I'll give you a great deal - 2 for 1 sale.

Will trade eggs for corneas?

Will trade eggs for maid services?

Will trade eggs for a nice vacation?

I'll give you an entire ovary if you will give me a high-paying guaranteed for life job that I love. Ok both ovaries. Please?

Insomnia task 2 - Wonder why I have insomnia

2009-03-31T22:24:00.000-07:00

Ok. This SUCKS. I have got to get a schedule going. I am not getting a whole lot done lately because I don't know when I will be awake and when I will be sleepy. I was sleepy ALL DAY after a full night's sleep last night. I ended up taking a nap in the early evening because I could not stay awake. Now I can not go to sleep.

In other news, Ryan's birthday was nice. Things here are a-ok. We have some new friends maybe, definitely good candidates. I got to see my best friend Steph this past weekend and that was wonderful! Her family is moving to West Point and I am really bummed at how we barely see each other now, living in the same town. What happens when we are so many states apart? Le sigh.

I have been learning all about fertility lately, and taking my basal body temperature. Its kind of cool to see the patterns as I've never really paid much attention to how my body works before. The scientist in me is fascinated. The pragmatist in me realizes that I have other things to be doing besides pondering my hormonal surges, basal body temp, and other more graphic elements to fertility charting. The future mother in me says "hurry up already and have a baby!" Yes, I hear voices. Don't you?

I am exceedingly frustrated with school. I don't know why. I am just not into it anymore. I've lost my groove. None of it feels like it matters, and I feel very disconnected from the process. I need some deadlines or stress or something. I just don't seem to care right now. Its a very bad place to be. I don't regret choosing to get a PhD at all, but I do wonder if it was a smart decision. If I could re-do things I'd be making a lot more money by now. I'm not feeling passionate about science, I'm feeling sort of like I wasted a lot of time. This is probably a common reaction to nearing the end of the PhD process, I don't know. Graduate school is strange. So many people regret NOT doing it and then so many people who do finish grad school wonder why they bothered when their friends who didn't go to grad school are more successful than they are. The grass is always greener, no?

These are the things on my mind when I can't sleep. I think I followed the rules and was a good girl for too long, now I just want to buck the system. People tell me to do things and I think "screw you!" What are you going to do to me if I don't show up for your stupid mandatory meeting? Kick me out? Ok! I think I waited much too long to hit the rebellious stage in my life, but boy howdy I'm there now!

Another vocabulary lesson

2009-04-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

su⋅per⋅cil⋅i⋅ous
/ˌsupərˈsɪliəs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [soo-per-sil-ee-uhs] Show IPA
–adjective
haughtily disdainful or contemptuous, as a person or a facial expression.

ca⋅pri⋅cious
/kəˈprɪʃəs, -ˈpriʃəs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [kuh-prish-uhs, -pree-shuhs] Show IPA
–adjective
1. subject to, led by, or indicative of caprice or whim; erratic: He's such a capricious boss I never know how he'll react.
2. Obsolete. fanciful or witty.

fick⋅le
/ˈfɪkəl/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [fik-uhl] Show IPA
–adjective
1. likely to change, esp. due to caprice, irresolution, or instability; casually changeable: fickle weather.
2. not constant or loyal in affections: a fickle lover.

mer⋅cu⋅ri⋅al
/mərˈkyʊəriəl/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [mer-kyoor-ee-uhl] Show IPA
–adjective
1. changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic: a mercurial nature.

friv⋅o⋅lous
/ˈfrɪvələs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [friv-uh-luhs] Show IPA
–adjective
1. characterized by lack of seriousness or sense: frivolous conduct.
2. self-indulgently carefree; unconcerned about or lacking any serious purpose.
3. (of a person) given to trifling or undue levity: a frivolous, empty-headed person.
4. of little or no weight, worth, or importance; not worthy of serious notice: a frivolous suggestion.

up⋅pi⋅ty
/ˈʌpɪti/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [uhp-i-tee] Show IPA
–adjective Informal.
1. affecting an attitude of inflated self-esteem; haughty; snobbish.
2. rebelliously self-assertive; not inclined to be tractable or deferential.

bump⋅tious
/ˈbʌmpʃəs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [buhmp-shuhs] Show IPA
–adjective
offensively self-assertive: a bumptious young upstart.

nar⋅cis⋅sism
/ˈnɑrsəˌsɪzɛm/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [nahr-suh-siz-em] Show IPA
–noun
1. inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity.

vain⋅glo⋅ri⋅ous
/veɪnˈglɔriəs, -ˈgloʊr-/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [veyn-glawr-ee-uhs, -glohr-] Show IPA
–adjective
1. filled with or given to vainglory: a vainglorious actor.
2. characterized by, showing, or proceeding from vainglory: a vainglorious estimate of one's ability.

caus⋅tic
/ˈkɔstɪk/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [kaw-stik] Show IPA
–adjective
1. capable of burning, corroding, or destroying living tissue.
2. severely critical or sarcastic: a caustic remark.

ac⋅ri⋅mo⋅ni⋅ous
/ˌækrəˈmoʊniəs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ak-ruh-moh-nee-uhs] Show IPA
–adjective
caustic, stinging, or bitter in nature, speech, behavior, etc.: an acrimonious answer; an acrimonious dispute.

bel⋅li⋅cose
/ˈbɛlɪˌkoʊs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [bel-i-kohs] Show IPA
–adjective
inclined or eager to fight; aggressively hostile; belligerent; pugnacious.

spu⋅ri⋅ous
/ˈspyʊəriəs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [spyoor-ee-uhs] Show IPA
–adjective
1. not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit.

con⋅trived
/kənˈtraɪvd/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [kuhn-trahyvd] Show IPA
–adjective
obviously planned or forced; artificial; strained: a contrived story.

home⋅ly
/ˈhoʊmli/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [hohm-lee] Show IPA
–adjective, -li⋅er, -li⋅est.
1. lacking in physical attractiveness; not beautiful; unattractive: a homely child.
2. not having elegance, refinement, or cultivation.
3. proper or suited to the home or to ordinary domestic life; plain; unpretentious: homely food.

So the next time you meet a judgmental spoiled bitch (and you will, they are EVERYWHERE) remember these words.

Insomnia task 1 - Grocery list

2009-03-26T21:19:00.000-07:00

Well since I was laying in bed not sleeping I decided to get up and make a list of the meals I would cook this week and the ingredients I need. Since I am trying to blog more I thought I'd give you an idea of my plans for lunch and dinner (not so much breakfast cooked around here except for the weekends)

Breakfast 1 -
Slow cooked steel cut oatmeal with bananas, sugar free vanilla syrup, butter, milk, and walnuts

Breakfast 2 -
Sunday omelets (this is become sort of a tradition around here in 2009) - ham, bell pepper, onion, spinach, mozzarella/pepperjack combo, avocado, tomato

Lunch 1, 2, 3 -
1/2 Whole wheat pita stuffed with roasted red pepper hummus and sliced turkey, combined with fruit (mango, strawberries, or banana) OR greek yogurt

Lunch 4,5 -
Quesadillas - whole grain tortillas, pepper jack/mozzarella, baby spinach, any leftover meats or veggies from the week, avocado, tomato

Dinner 1 -
Fettucine with chicken tenderloin and broccoli in a lemon alfredo sauce

Dinner 2 -
Stuffed bell peppers and steamed baby carrots (the stuffing is ground beef, onion, marinara, brown rice, mozzarella cheese, baby spinach)

Dinner 3 -
Bean burritos and corn casserole - whole grain tortillas, pepper jack, fat-free refried beans, salsa; fresh corn cut from cob, fat free cream cheese, jalepeno, salt and pepper

Dinner 4 -
Balsamic chicken and pears - chicken tenderloins & pears in a garlic balsalmic vinegar sauce, served with frozen italian green beans (Roma beans)

Dinner 5 -
Cavatappi with spinach, beans, and parmesano reggiano (canneloni beans, garlic, olive oil, pasta, baby spinach, parmesano reggiano)

Snacks/Breakfast on the go
Marcona almonds for me
Trail mix for Ryan
Protein bars for me (I like the zone perfect dark chocolate)
mootopia high protein skim milk
soy milk
protein shakes for Ryan
V-8
dark chocolate
whole grain English muffins with peanut butter or cheese
teddy grahams
leftovers (I almost always have leftovers, sigh)

My methodology for planning meals is to choose ingredients I can use more than once. With just the two of us its hard to shop and not waste food if I don't do this. This week those ingredients are:

whole grain tortillas
baby spinach (otherwise we'd never use a whole package - I stick spinach in everything and usually still end up not using the whole package)
parmesano reggiano
pepper jack
mozzarella
chicken tenderloins

Its hard to balance nutrition and price. Some things that help are vegetarian dishes, repeat ingredients, pasta (unfortunately for the low-carb person, but very fortunate for her Italian blooded husband), beans, and most especially planning ahead. I aim for 100g protein per day at about 1400-1600 calories and 25-30g fiber. I don't worry about fat grams but try to keep the saturated fats within reason (which is hard when you subsist on a lot of cheese). As for carbs, I like the totals for me around 120-140g (with 30 of that being fiber). I don't track my intake everyday anymore but I still track now and again to make sure I'm on target. I don't watch Ryan's carbs as much but I probably should but I do make sure he gets plenty of protein, fruits, and vegetables in his diet as much as I can. He drinks a lot of soda and now I am tending to drink carbonated waters with lime pretty often when I want the fizzies. (My gastric bypass was not friendly to fizzies for about a year but now I enjoy being able to burp).

So was that overkill? Can you tell I'm bored? :) Good night!

A vocabulary lesson.

2009-03-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

haugh⋅ty
/ˈhɔti/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [haw-tee] Show IPA
–adjective, -ti⋅er, -ti⋅est.
1. disdainfully proud; snobbish; scornfully arrogant; supercilious: haughty aristocrats; a haughty salesclerk.
2. Archaic. lofty or noble; exalted.

pre⋅ten⋅tious
/prɪˈtɛnʃəs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [pri-ten-shuhs] Show IPA
–adjective
1. full of pretense or pretension.
2. characterized by assumption of dignity or importance.
3. making an exaggerated outward show; ostentatious.

e⋅go⋅tis⋅tic
/ˌigəˈtɪstɪk, ˌɛgə-/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ee-guh-tis-tik, eg-uh-] Show IPA
–adjective
1. pertaining to or characterized by egotism.
2. given to talking about oneself; vain; boastful; opinionated.
3. indifferent to the well-being of others; selfish.

con⋅de⋅scend⋅ing
/ˌkɒndəˈsɛndɪŋ/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [kon-duh-sen-ding] Show IPA
–adjective
showing or implying a usually patronizing descent from dignity or superiority: They resented the older neighbors' condescending cordiality.

pomp⋅ous
/ˈpɒmpəs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [pom-puhs] Show IPA
–adjective
1. characterized by an ostentatious display of dignity or importance: a pompous minor official.
2. ostentatiously lofty or high-flown: a pompous speech.
3. characterized by pomp, stately splendor, or magnificence.

Passive-Aggressive
Formerly associated with a particular psychological disorder stemming from years of percieved underappreciation and bitterness. A character flaw brought on by a person's inability to deal with their own bitterness, anger, or resentment in an assertive manner, thus, becoming a more passive form of hostility.

Can you use all of these words in a single sentence? I can.

Our water heater is broken and so is my toe (maybe) but you know what, I feel good.

2009-03-26T09:01:00.001-07:00

I feel great actually. Liberated! I'd run through the living room if my toe didn't hurt and my living room had room to run through.

I had a run-in with my unplugged stationary vacuum cleaner the other night and whacked my baby toe. I think the vacuum was lashing out because I ignore it too much. But you know what, a clean house means you don't have other things in your life to occupy your mind. At least that's how I feel! Whatever lets you sleep at night. Not that I seem to be doing much of that lately.

Our water heater is kaput. Its a sad reality when I need to clean up a little before I call maintenance. That's just the kind of housekeeper I am. I'm ok with that, although someday when I have the money I am definitely investing in a maid. If you ever need a Christmas gift or something for me... there ya go ;)

Anyway, life is getting better and better today. I've been kind of cranky lately but today we have this storm that is just ridiculously cool. Thunder shaking the walls and making car alarms go off. There is nothing like a great spring storm to cleanse your mind and bring focus and clarity to the world. It washes away all of the nonsense and ushers in the lovely wildflowers of south Texas. I always love wildflowers. I think it stems from several large science projects as a child. We had to take pictures for one project and for another we had to collect and dry samples. I probably can't find the derivative of anything but I can still remember most of the names of the wildflowers. Its funny how some things stick.

So, its kind of ironic that a dark cloudy foul day like today where I am lacking hot water to clean my dirty house or shower, where I am cold and achy and my foot is as purple as the sky.. a day like today where things pretty much really suck somehow brings me out of my funk? I cannot explain but I appreciate it. Thank you psyche.

Actually I can explain but you don't really want to hear about it. Suffice to say, change is good.

10 things

2009-03-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while. I am going to try try try to be better! Mostly I just don't have a lot to say these days. So what's going on in my life?

1 - weight loss STALL, I am not working out like I should

2 - work = pain in the ass, I don't want to talk about it

3 - Ryan is turning 30 and might be taking it a little hard. I took it better than expected but I was making so many changes in my life that turning 30 kind of got lost in the shuffle.

4 - I don't know if it has anything to do with #3 (I suspect somewhat) but we would very much like to have a baby and hope to see that through sometime in the relatively near future. Us and everyone else! Who ISN'T pregnant these days? I wonder why, when the economy sucks, everyone wants babies? Maybe its because sex is a good form of entertainment when you can't afford the movies? And yes, I am a cynic. Hadn't you noticed that by now?

5 - I've decided I am a one to three "good friend" type of person. I don't really do "acquaintances" well and I am so picky about the QUALITY of my friendships and friends that I am just going to have to limit it or get disappointed. Unfortunately I am someone who often just expects too much out of people, and I am thus constantly disappointed. Its my fault, I know this, but that's the way it is. I don't think this quality about me is going to change anytime soon. I married someone who is the same way. We are reserved people and if we do put ourselves "on the line" so to speak, getting to know someone, we want to make sure its not going to bite us in the ass. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I'm a softy. I don't like getting hurt.

6 - Cats are a handful! I feel like I am their possession and they fight over who gets me. Can't we all be friends?

7 - Coffee is my best friend and my mortal enemy. I love it but I HATE when my body becomes dependent on it for functioning. I see-saw. I drink it for a while then break the habit and then end up drinking it for a while again until I get pissed that I want it so bad. I am hoping if I do become pregnant, that will be my incentive to break the habit permanently. In the meantime, this is a DELICIOUS latte! I wish I liked drip more, because its pricey to be a slave to the Bux.

8 - Insomnia blows. Something about post-ops that not a lot of people are warned about is the high incidence of insomnia. I took Ambien for a while and it helped but Ambien has some crazy side-effects that I don't want to play with. Then the insomnia seemed to clear itself up but now its back. Too much number 7 maybe?

9 - I can't wait to pay off our car. I hate car payments!!! I will never buy a new car again. What a racket that is! It depreciates by like half as soon as you leave the lot.

10 - I was trying to think of ten things but I only have nine. I asked Ryan what my tenth thing should be about and he said "how awesome I am." Ok. He is, you know. I am pretty lucky to have such a kind, considerate, loving husband who equally appreciates my awesomeness. Yay!

Politics

2009-02-05T15:55:00.003-08:00

My Political Views
I am a left social moderate
Left: 4.18, Authoritarian: 0.29

Political Spectrum Quiz

2009-02-05T15:55:00.001-08:00