I love room service coffee in the morning!

I'm sitting here while Tina sleeps (I'm East Coast & she's West Coast so our internal clocks are not in sync) sipping on my coffee which was delivered promptly @ 7:30am.  I slept like a rock star last night--the beds here at The James Hotel in Chicago are AMAZINGly comfortable.

Last night was fun--had dinner with a few of the ladies at Fontera Grill.  I had a margarita for the first time in years and it was really good.  It had a perfect balance between tart & sweet and the tequila, while strong, did not overpower.  Amanda & I shared a few appetizers;  a goat thingy on masa (it was ok) and two quesos (one with duck & another with chorizo) which were phenomenal and very band friendly!!!  I got to sit next to Joey who is soooo sweet, but I still get a little star-struck around her.

A really cute guy stopped Deb to ask for directions.  Instead of giving him directions to our hotel, she actually gave him directions to where he was going.  I think we need to have an intervention.

Afterward, somebody convinced us that we needed to go shopping for fake eyelashes at Walgreens.  Yep...we're in Chicago and one of our first stops was Walgreens!  But don't scoff.  It was a very serious endeavor.

SUCCESS!!!  (I haven't figured out why Draz is poking Linda in the eye)

Tina and I chose to skip the drag show and instead walked around the city a bit. She sipped on her beloved Starbucks Peppermint Frap while I had a non-fat Chai latte.  YUM!   Chicago has some really interesting buildings & architecture!!!  We poked around at the Intercontinental Hotel which used to be a Masonic Temple.  We also stopped into the lobby of the Chicago Tribune building--where they were broadcasting a live radio show.  Then we walked through the courtyard of the Wrigley Building and down to the river.

We're hoping to find time to explore a bit more while we're here and are definitely heading south of the city at some point to check out the University of Chicago campus and the Robie House.  There's so much going on, we just have to figure out when.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho...

...I'm off to Chi Ca Go!

Packed yesterday afternoon...now I have a pile of "forgotten" things that I need to add currently laying on top of my suitcase.  Take a shower, pack toiletries & makeup and I'll be ready.  I need to leave the house in 3 hours.

See you soon!!!

this post is gonna kill ya...

(because of the bullets....get it?)

• It's the end of The Crying Time (aka OTR, TOM, ETC) and I haven't cried, yet
• I have been nauseated...and TIGHT!
• I vomited from the lower stomach last night
• Then I ate some chili from Wendy's.  And a small Frosty.  I felt better.
• This morning I feel nauseated again.
• Even with 5" heels, my new black pants are too long.
• I'm thinking about being a rebel and rocking a pair of jeans at the Saturday night dinner (with a phenomenal blouse & heels, of course).  I will still look great, but I'll be comfortable!  You all will be jealous.
• I bought a new bra yesterday...36DDD.  WTF?!?!?  I am so not a DDD--trust me, you'll see in Chicago.
• I have almost an entire suitcase full of Sisterhood clothing.  Some of it has never been worn.  I actually bought a new suitcase just for this purpose.
• I'm feeling the pre-travel pressure to have the house perfect.  It isn't.  I probably will cry later today.  Then I'll feel better.
• I miss my dog (and my husband) already.
• My feet hurt from all the new shoes I've tried on lately.
• If I don't hold my stomach in when I'm wearing my new maxi dress, I look like I'm about 5 months pregnant.  Do you think they'll let me board early?  :)

Cheers!

8 hours of shopping...

Amanda and I had a marathon shopping day...8 hours (with only a short break for lunch)!  I am STILL exhausted!  So, it's gonna be a bullet list this morning:

• Shopping with Amanda is AWESOME
• One of the salesgirls asked how long we had been BFF's ( or, if we were cousins)
• We have very similar tastes
• We are almost exactly the same size
• Amanda can wear the heck out of boots!
• She also looks great in heels
• We bought belts!--Size M/L (no XL for these girls)
• Several times I had to go back out to try a SMALLER size
• I will let Amanda tell you about her jeans (or not)
• We both tried out some new styles...some worked, some didn't
• It was nice to have a day where I could be (and act) like a GIRL!
• I bought 5 pair of shoes
• I caught glances of myself in mirrors throughout the day and didn't cringe!
• My hair looked totally different in the back than I thought it did when I left the house.

the Hubs does not approve...

Tried on the dress for the Hubs last night and discovered a fatal flaw--something is off about the fit in the armhole area (I think that maybe the torso is just a bit too long and is causing the armhole to gap in a strange way).  I didn't notice this previously because I was wearing a flesh colored bra.  I'm sure this could be tailored to fit properly, but I don't have time.  

Then, when I showed him my shoes, he said..."did you buy those ON PURPOSE?"  doesn't matter...they don't fit, either.

Good thing Amanda is taking me shopping tomorrow!!!

BYOC

It's Friday and you know what that means - yes?  It's time for BYOC.  Bring Your Own Crazy like your life depends on it!  We answer a few questions to get to know each other better and to give our blogging brains a break.  Copy to your own blog and ENJOY!!

1.  If you were a character on Friends, who would you be and why? I would totally be Monica!  Former fatty who loves to cook with a touch of OCD (and control issues).

2.  If you weren't in your current career what other career do you think you would have done?I always wish that I had concentrated a bit more on the biological sciences in college.  I would love to be a part of some of the captive breeding programs for endangered species. 


3. What did you want to be when you grew up when you were 6?A housewife! (mission accomplished)


4.  Do you think everyone only has one soulmate or true love? Or are there multiple people for everyone?
I believe that there can be only one soulmate, but multiple true loves.


5.  Repeat question.  Summarize your week in real life and in blog land.

The line between real life and blogland has blurred a little this week.  I had a meetup with the amazing Amanda and her husband last weekend and we are meeting again for shopping on Sunday.  And, lots of plans happening for Chicago.

Hubs has been a little stressed lately--lots of big (good) thing happening at work.  I know that me being home taking care of things here is helpful for him.  But, sometimes I just feel like I should be doing more...

OMG...the dress fits!!!

The dress came today and it fits!  Not only does it fit, but it fits perfectly--it's as if it were made custom just for me.  I even called my mother over to take a look because I could not believe it.  She and I both agree that it takes off about 20 lbs.  I loooooove this dress.  Now, if only the shoes would arrive...

Also, I had my un-fill today.  Doc took out .2cc and let me sit for a while & drink some water.  It was better, but still felt some backing up in my throat.  So, I asked him to take out another.1cc.  I feel so much better already!

some of my newest "favorite things"...

The Tea Spot steeping mug

I discovered this steeping mug during our recent trip to Colorado.  I bought one in green at the gift shop and have since ordered another in blue from Amazon.  These are the cups used in the restaurant at the Boulderado Hotel.  It has everything I ever wanted in a tea-mug:  a lid to keep the liquid warm while steeping; a steeping basket for loose tea leaves (I also put my pre-made tea bags in here--it makes for easy retrieval); flip the lid over and is serves as a "saucer" for the basket when you are finished.  A bit pricey ($17.95 on Amazon) but worth it in my book!

Voskos Greek Yogurt-Fig flavor

I love this yogurt!  The fig flavor is unique and not too sweet.  These yogurts are blended, so you don't have any chunks--which makes it especially nice for those days when you are a little bit tight.  I use their honey-vanilla flavor in my morning smoothie.

EQyss Pet Shampoo

EQyss started out as a company that specialized in horse grooming products.  There is a story about how they got involved in other pets, but I can't remember it at the moment.  I first encountered their products at a Pet Grooming trade show (I used to own a grooming salon).  I remember using one of their products to successfully re-grow hair on a Shelty--the dog's vet had said that the hair shafts were dead and the dog would have a bald spot forever.   Lately, I've been using this shampoo on Murphy--the itchiest/allergiest dog in the universe!  He still scratches--'cause that's just how he rolls.  But, he no longer scratches to the point of baldness and blood---and he smells good, too!

 

things i ordered...

Expecting these to come today or tomorrow.  If they fit, I might just have my dress for the B(.)(.)Bs Saturday night dinner!!!

PS  Also expecting boots to come this afternoon.

boo...

First of all--I seem to be a posting fool lately!  this is what?--my 2nd/3rd post today???

So, despite my best efforts, the dreaded post-fill swelling has arrived on schedule.  I have an appointment for a partial un-fill tomorrow morning.  I suspected some swelling yesterday when I had some difficulty with soup last night.  But, this morning when I almost couldn't get my pills down (they are small and should go down w/o trouble) I knew I had to call.

Hoping he'll agree to just take out .2 and see how it goes.

recipe re-post for Trisha...

It seems my dear friend Amanda unwittingly put the pressure on for me to re-post a recipe for Salmon Salad.  The original recipe for Tuna & White Bean salad is here.  I talk about it again here.  

The particular recipe that Amanda tried is a version of these that I then pureed since I'm still on the liquids/mushies stage of babying my latest fill.  I can't give you exact amounts since once I sort-of just winged it on this one.  Here is the list of ingredients and approximate amounts:

4oz smoked salmon (not lox)

4oz canned pink salmon

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 can cannelloni beans

fresh dill (to taste)

capers (to taste)

2-4 oz cream cheese

For the regular recipe, you just mix all ingredients together in a bowl.  I've found that this recipe is significantly better if it is allowed to sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours (the flavors really bloom!).  

As I mentioned, I pureed this one and it wasn't bad at all!  The flavor profile changed a bit and I drizzled a bit more olive oil on top of the finished product to add moistness.  It was nice to eat alone, but would also make a great dip for crackers or crostinis or even a melt-style open-faced sandwich.

Enjoy!

breaking promises...

I promised myself that I wasn't going to go crazy buying new clothes for the Chicago trip.  And, so far I've kept that promise...if you don't count the 3 dresses and 2 pair of shoes that I've ordered.  To be fair, I am planning to return 2 of the dresses (and possibly 1 pair of shoes depending on which dress I keep).  But now I find myself with the day free and all I want to do is go shopping!  Suddenly, my jeans don't fit "just right" and my tops (which were just fine last week) are suddenly looking worn.  All valid reasons for breaking promises, no?

I am totally in love with Amanda..

... her Hubs is quite like-able, too.  Darrell & I both really enjoyed getting to spend the day with these two. We're already thinking about driving up to the mountains for some porch-time.  There also was some talk about the Hubbies going camping while Amanda & I go shopping.  Me likey!!!

We were having so much fun that we completely forgot about pictures (almost).  We did manage to get one from my cellphone...

PS  She is totally just as cute in real-life as she is on her blog!

i have a hot date...

..with Amanda and her husband!  They are driving down to Atlanta and will be going with us to a Braves baseball game (Darrell occasionally gets dugout seats from work).  Even though we email almost daily & are flying into Chicago together, this will be our first time meeting in person.  I am stoked!!!


PS  Dropped about 5 lbs since two mornings ago...must have been retaining water from our trip to Colorado.

PPS  So far so good with the fill...(hope I didn't just jinx it)

fingers crossed...

...for multiple reasons.

1. Fill today=nerves of jelly
2. CrossFit consult on Monday!!!--so ready for this phase of my journey
3. Boots ordered from Zappo's--hoping they'll fit my 19" calves!

Cheers!

soup's on...

Green Soup with Yams & Sage (Eating Well Magazine)

I'm scheduled for a fill tomorrow afternoon--and I am Nervous!  

As you all know, I do not have a good track record with my fills.  I tend to swell, and then I wind up going back in for a partial un-fill.  That is a large part of the reason that I elected NOT to schedule a fill at my last checkup.  Not because I thought I didn't need it, but because I just didn't want to go through the hassle of being too tight and then having to go back in.  For the last few weeks I have been focusing on being aware of my food choices--both in quality AND quantity.  I feel like I've done pretty good...but I haven't lost any weight.  

I'm sure most of the lack of weight loss is due to a lack of exercise.  I'm hoping CrossFit will take care of that.  However, I have noticed that I must to eat larger portions and more often that is ideal in order not to feel hungry.  And...I ate an entire slice of pizza (including crust) @ the airport two days ago.  Yep--time for a fill.

Even though the doc usually prescribes only 2 days of liquids after a fill, I'm planning to do a week in hopes of avoiding the dreaded swell.  For the 2nd week, I plan to do the puree/mushie/soft food progression.  After that...Chicago!!!

Today I am making soups and the house smells incredible!!!  I had a lot of veggies in the bin that needed to be used up, so I tossed them with olive oil and roasted them in the oven until they got a nice char.  Add a few things sautéing on the stove, shove it all in a blender and, Viola!--you have soup:

1. Charred tomato with roasted garlic & bacon
2. Roasted mixed pepper with parmesan & poblano
3. Sweet potato with caramelized onion & sage
4. Green soup with Japanese yams 

All of these are puree soups, so they will fit into all but the first 2 days of my plan.  And, they all have a bit of protein from the chicken stock.  (has anyone ever added unflavored protein powder to your soup--how did it work out?)

I have my SlimFast Low-Carb shakes, various bottles of kefir & Greek yogurts, and I picked up some of those Fruit2Day drinks (I've not tried them before--product review in the future).  Of course, I always have a stash of low-sodium V-8 as well.  I also started taking Ibuprofen ala Jen (Jen's Lapband Journey).

Fingers crossed!

crossfit anyone? *updated*

I just discovered that there is a CrossFit studio just 5 miles away!  I've done some research, and it sounds very similar to the workouts I did with a Personal Trainer a couple of years ago.  The bonus?--it is 1/3 the cost and I don't have to get up at 5am!!!  I really enjoyed working out with the PT, but it was just so darn expensive that I couldn't keep it up.

I called today to schedule my initial consultation--just waiting for the call back.  I'm hoping to schedule something for Monday.

[*UPDATE*--just got off the phone with Keefa, the owner of my local CrossFit gym.  I love her already! She seems to be really excited about what she's doing and was extremely personable over the phone.  I have a consultation/1st workout scheduled for Monday @10am.]

I know that someone on the blogs has been doing CrossFit, but I cannot for the life of me remember who. If you are reading this and are so inclined, please email me (thistimenextyear.lynda@gmail.com).

Ciao!

We've been traveling again...back to Colorado for a weekend.  Darrell (the amazing Hubs) found out that he had a business meeting in Boulder on Monday, so we decided to make a weekend of it and visit friends in the area. 

We found ourselves with a day to kill (our friend wound up in the hospital with complications from an outpatient procedure on Friday---he's A.O.K. now) so we drove to the Rocky Mountain National Park and drove up Trail Ridge Road to the Fall River Pass.  I was able to do a bit of birding and mark a few new species off of my list.   We ate lunch sitting next to an amazing older couple who have been on the road with their RV for the last 12 years!  They had some incredibly interesting stories and it was such a nice interlude for us.

Although we both have good DSLR Nikons, we managed to make this trip without either camera.  So, we had to make to with the iPhone camera...not too shabby if you ask me.


Jenny formerly of The Hungry Girl's Diary (she doesn't blog anymore--but is doing great!), met me in Boulder on Monday afternoon and we had a great time catching up.  She is so pretty---and has lost a total of 100lbs!  


If you find yourself in Boulder, you MUST check out a restaurant called The Kitchen.  I am seriously in love with everything there...the food, the service, & their commitment to having a zero carbon footprint.

I also tried on some hats...but didn't buy one this time.  Instead, I bought an $8 chocolate bar---studded with bacon and smoked salt!--YUMMY!

Lastly, I leave you with Murphy's lastest favorite napping position.  That, folks, is one happy dog!

things i think about when nobody's looking...

If I were to say "don't get your panties in a wad"--it would seem a bit crass.  But, if someone with a British accent says something about "knickers in a not"--it sounds quaint & charming.  But, if *I* were to use the phrase "knickers in a knot" (with or without the fake British accent), it would seem pretentious.  So the question is this...what other things can people with foreign accents get away with saying that we (Americans) cannot?

Yes...this is what has been running through my head for the last hour.  Inspired by an episode of Chopped that I watched on the Tivo last night.

Cheers!

PS  Gilly, you don't count since you claim you don't have an accent. :)

PPS  With my luck, I'll be the B(.)(.)Bs blogger of the day tomorrow and this will be somebody's 1st time reading my blog.  So...um..welcome to my blog.  Yes, I do have a bit of crazy in the brain, but I'm harmless...I promise.  But you should beware of the chicken 'cause it will cut you!

BYOC

BYOC – Bring Your Own Crazy (ala Draz). We answer 5 questions in an effort to get to know each other better and to give our blog brains a break. Copy to your own blog and ENJOY!

1. Do you drink coffee? Decaf or regular? Cold or hot? If not – what’s your go-to morning drink?

YES!  I love coffee…anytime of the day.  I have always liked coffee (I think I had my first cup of instant/decaf/Maxwell House when I was only 6 or 7) & it became my crutch when I quit smoking 7 years ago.

I am a coffee snob and have a very nice Cuisinart grind-n-brew coffee maker.  It has a timer so I can set it up before bed--in the morning we have freshly ground & brewed coffee waiting for us when we get up.  I also have a thermal carafe that keep the coffee hot for hours without burning it or getting bitter from the oxygen.

I drink it hot & regular (with Splenda & a splash of half-n-half) in the morning.  The rest of the day it depends on my mood…and the weather…as to whether it is iced/hot/regular/decaf.  The only thing is that I NEVER drink flavored coffee.  I think coffee flavored coffee is just fine.

Yes…I am very passionate about coffee.

2. What are your top six characteristics in a partner if you could hand pick them. And just for kicks – if you’re in a relationship – after you make the list of six – does the person you are with possess all five?

intelligent

honest

confident

gets my jokes/thinks I'm funny

good hugger

calm/steady (I need a foil for my crazy)

My husband possesses all of the qualities and so many more!  He is an amazing man and, while he may not be perfect, is absolutely perfect for me.

3. I’m going to pick a person – not knowing if this person even exists in your life – and you try to describe this person in 5 short words or sentences:

Paternal grandfather

• called me Li'l Bit
• loved trains
• alcoholic
• always had a stash of Werther's Original candies in his pocket
• carried a cloth handkerchief

To this day, the sound of trains & even train yards is one of the most relaxing sounds to me.  When I was younger and spending the night with my grandparents, PawPaw would play train sound records for me to help me go to sleep.  I still have those records in my basement.

4. What’s your signature item? Color? Piece of clothing or jewelry? Accessory? You know – that one thing people know you will ALWAYS have on?

My signature is that I don't usually wear jewelry other than my wedding band.  If we go somewhere and I'm wearing earrings or (gasp!) a necklace, you'll know that I made a special effort to look nice for you. 

I do love a good purse, though, and you can bet that whatever purse I'm carrying  will have a special pocket for my Kindle.  

5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in real life and in blog life.

Crazy week for me in real life!--Mom's car went kaput so we spent a few days car shopping.  The hubs had an extra busy week @ work--lots of meetings with VP's & such.  

In blogland--I realized that some of the people I remember best from last year's B(.)(.)Bs were not on my blog reader.  So, now I'm frantically trying to catch up so that I won't look like an a$$ in a few weeks.  I think it's a sign that I'm following too many blogs....might be time to re-examine my list and get rid of some of the clutter.

tee-tiny-wee little fill...

I just scheduled a fill appointment for next Friday.  I think that I am VERY close to my sweet spot...just need a little bit of tweaking.  As discussed with my doc at my last check-up (about 2 weeks ago), I have been taking extra care to be conscientious about my eating choices and portions.  I find that when I eat according to plan, I am generally hungry about 2-3 hours later instead of the ideal 4-5.  I also have discovered that it takes about 1.5 cups of food to get me to the point of being satisfied.  I need to get that down to 1-cup.

Since I have a history of stomach swelling after a fill, I made sure to schedule this one AFTER my trip to Colorado this weekend and 2 weeks BEFORE Chicago.  I also am going to ask for just .5cc (or maybe even as little as .25 cc).  Fingers crossed that this will get me where I need to be.  

On a different note:  I have been attempting to prepare at least 1 vegetarian dinner each week.  Coming up with recipes/ideas is a challenge given our increased protein requirements.  Last night, I prepared a recipe from the American Heart Association's Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol cookbook.  It was surprisingly satisfying--my husband even said we could have it again!

broiled vegetables, white beans, & tomatoes

makes 4 servings

2 medium zucchini, coarsley chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 medium yellow bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

12 oz. grape tomatoes, halved 

2 Tbsp capers, rinsed & drained

2 tsp dried basil, crumbled

1 15 oz. can navy beans

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat broiler.  Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.  Put zucchini, peppers & onion in a single layer on the baking sheet.  Lightly spray vegetables with cooking spray. (I tossed them in a bit of olive oil & sprinkled lightly with salt & pepper)

Broil vegetables about 4" from broiler for 10 minutes, or until richly browned, stirring halfway through.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together tomatoes basil & capers.  (I used 2 Tbsp fresh basil & added a tsp of olive oil)

Put the beans in a colander and rinse under very hot water until heated through. Drain well.

Spoon beans onto plates, top w/ broiled vegetables, tomato mixture & sprinkle with feta.

calories:  179

protein: 13g

fiber: 8g

fat: 0.5g (not including added olive oil)

my new favorite lunch...

A few days ago, I posted this recipe from the American Heart Association.  Since then, I've tried a few other variations, and all have been quite yummy!  I tried canned salmon instead of tuna...yummy.  I tried red-wine vinegar instead of balsamic...yummy.  I tried smoked salmon...yummy.  Dill instead of basil...yummy.

This is an amazing basic recipe that can be tweaked with just about any combination of things that you have on hand (or leftover from other recipes).  It's easy to portion into 1-cup containers; it's soft enough that you can eat it on even your tightest days; it has oodles of protein; and...it's amazingly filling!

As a side note, I've been making quite a few of the recipes from various American Heart Association cookbooks and have been very impressed with the results!