Staying positive: If you keep saying you can't, you probably won't

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/mk/ar5m51479phc2ty7symk.gif?time=1/10/2011%2011:57:34%20am" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/mk/ar5m51479phc2ty7symk.gif?time=1/10/2011%2011:57:34%20am" /></a></div>Let's face it: Staying positive isn't always easy. From job seekers frustrated by rejections to workers dealing with everything from long hours to crabby co-workers, many people are finding it hard to put on a happy face.<br /><br />Yet the ability to see the good side of things can be one of your strongest assets, both for your career and for your well-being. Here, experts explain why and offer tips on staying upbeat.<br /><br />The power of positivity<br /><br />Who would you rather be around each day: a sullen colleague or one with a can-do attitude? Positive people radiate an energy that makes others see them as more competent and likable. Studies also show that optimists tend to be healthier, more creative and better performers.<br /><br />"Companies look to hire and promote employees who can see opportunities in challenging situations," says Lisa Quast, president of Career Woman Inc. in Seattle, Wash., and author of "Your Career, Your Way!" "Managers want employees who bring solutions to problems, not who bring problems and then look to their manager to solve them."<br /><br />A positive attitude also can turn out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. "I often have people come to me for advice on how they can get a raise or promotion," Quast notes. "Those who come with a positive attitude that they are worthy are much more likely to accomplish their goal because their self-talk reinforces that they can figure out a way to make it happen. For those with an attitude of doubt that they will ever get what they want, negativity ends up surrounding them to such an extent that they become demotivated and don't want to go through the steps necessary to map out an action plan to accomplish their goal."<br /><br />This doesn't mean becoming a Pollyanna. "A positive attitude is not the same as living and working in a state of euphoria. That's unrealistic," says Roy Cohen, a career coach and author of "The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide." "It's about being upbeat and optimistic and knowing that you'll get through and beat the odds. That's what motivates the team that reports to you, and as a team member that's what inspires your colleagues. When you don't waste time and energy on negative thoughts and behaviors, you'll have the potential to channel all of that 'lost' energy into activities that produce success."<br /><br />Changing your outlook<br /><br />To nurture a positive attitude, Elizabeth R. Lombardo, a psychologist and author of "A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription for Happiness," suggests:<br /><br /><br />Looking for the good: As a society, we have a tendency to focus on what is wrong, such as what we don't like about our job, what others need to change, what we dislike about ourselves. Instead, try to look at what is going right and what you do like about others and yourself.<br /><br />Finding a purpose: Research shows that when people have a sense of purpose and meaning in their work, they are more positive towards it. What are some of the greater-good elements about your job?<br /><br />Focusing on team-building: Develop bonds with your co-workers. Share a walk around the block during breaks. Have lunch together occasionally. Volunteer as a group to help those who are less fortunate. When we have a sense of belonging to a group, we are more positive and motivated to help that group.<br /><br /><br />"Another way to stay positive at work is to think of yourself as a consultant," Quast says. "Consultants, by nature, are hired to assess the difficult situations and then create and implement action plans for improvement. They are required to remain positive and unbiased (or they risk being fired). By thinking of yourself as an 'internal consultant' you can use this same mental frame of reference to help you stay positive, no matter what the situation."<br /><br />Noelle Nelson, a therapist and author of "The Power of Appreciation in Business," adds that it helps to take the last 15 minutes of the day to organize your workspace for tomorrow. "Jot down a to-do list and tidy your desk. The task will give you closure for the day and help you start tomorrow on the right foot. You also can look over the day's to-do list and feel a sense of accomplishment about what you completed."<br /><br />One final way of developing positivity: hang around like-minded, glass-half-full people. And when you do encounter the most miserable grouch, strive to remain pleasant. "Like energy attracts like energy," Nelson notes. "Your co-worker may not understand what's going on when you no longer get frustrated or angry over his comments or behavior, but after awhile your appreciative attitude will often be reciprocated."<br /><br />By Beth Braccio Hering who writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder.com. Follow @CareerBuilder on Twitter.

Staying positive: If you keep saying you can't, you probably won't

Let's face it: Staying positive isn't always easy. From job seekers frustrated by rejections to workers dealing with everything from...

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Blue Monday

 Why a blue Monday you ask? Well...<br /><br />1. My eating was a off this weekend. I felt like I was starving all weekend and overindulged in healthy foods. I gained almost two pounds. 189.2 this morning. Ugh!<br /><br />2. After an awesome workout Saturday and a lazy day afterwards, I had a ton of chores to catch up on yesterday. I ended the day with some sort of hay fever attack (probably from all the dust as I cleaned like a maniac). <br /><br />3. Because of the hay fever, which I couldn't get under control with Allegra, I took Benadryl (aka knockout drug). When I woke up this morning after a fitful night of nightmares, which included a continuing saga of dead and live mice, I woke up exhausted at 4:45am (my normal get up and get to the gym time). I skipped the gym this morning (shame one me).<br /><br />4. The battle with the slugs continued yesterday. My two hanging baskets by the front door (purchased at Costco), look pretty good. The two I made myself that were pretty when I first hung them actually looked hideous. The flowers were getting smaller instead of larger. I took them down, had a look and they had slugs! Slugs in hanging baskets? I guess I planted slugs with the flowers unless they climbed up the side of the house and jumped into the baskets. Somehow, I don't think so. I replaced several of the flowers (after a trip to the nursery) and right now they're gorgeous again. I also added a dose of the organic slug bait, just in case. The flower beds look good, although I noticed the slug bait has what looks like fuzzy mold growing on it. <br /><br />5. It's Monday and even though I'm not really dreading work, I have a ton of stuff on my plate. I'm just sort of dreading how busy it's going to be today. I'm exhausted from the Benadryl hangover and would really rather go back to bed.<br /><br />6. I want to eat my egg/Canadian bacon/2% sharp cheddar cheese combo on a sandwich thin. I'm going to have a 300 calorie green monster instead. The life of a fat girl I guess.<br /><br />7. It's 52 degrees right now and it's 7:30am. Seriously, I'm so freaking sick of this weather I could scream. The sky is dark gray and of course, we have the promise of "precipitation" today. I want to move back to San Diego. Yes, we have pretty mountains and it's gorgeous green in the Northwest. When the sun shines, it's the prettiest place you've ever seen.  WHEN the sun shines, like almost NEVER.<br /><br />8. I credit the above ranting about the weather and this looney tunes post to the Benadryl. It makes me tired and sad, but it stops the allergies when they go into overdrive like they did last night. I think I need a different drug for hayfever, which I'll ask about at my annual physical in July (which is about five months late).<br /><br />9. Speaking of physical, this isn't going to be fun. I have to have my third mammogram in a year in a half (every six months whether I need it or not due to something they found almost two years ago). I have to have another ultrasound of my thyroid because of the nodules they found a year ago. My blood pressure is up because of my weight so I suspect they'll want to put me back on blood pressure medicine. It's been running around 149/90. Yes, I know, that's terrible. Lastly, I know I'm going to get talked to about my weight. I have a wonderful doctor but she doesn't mince words. Which I actually appreciate that she doesn't pretend the weight is okay, like a lot of doctors do. She'll say something.<br /><br />10. I need to put a smile on my face and get over this feeling. None of this stuff is life threatening (although that blood pressure might kill me). Trying to think happy thoughts. :)

Blue Monday

 Why a blue Monday you ask? Well... 1. My eating was a off this weekend. I felt like I was starving all weekend and overindulged in healthy ...

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Friend Making Mondays: If You Lived in a Movie, Which One Would It Be?

Good Monday Morning Friends!<br /><br />Today is <a href="http://kenlietiggeman.com/2011/06/13/friend-makin-monday-which-character-would-you-be/">Friend Making Monday sponsored by Kenlie at All the Weigh</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://kenlietiggeman.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/FMM1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://kenlietiggeman.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/FMM1.jpg" /></a></div><br />The question, as you may have already guessed, is which movie would you be if you lived in a movie?  And what character?<br /><br />I would be Kathleen Kelly in <a href="http://youvegotmail.warnerbros.com/">You've Got Mail</a>.  This is one of my favorite movies ever, AND <a href="http://prittygoodbooks.blogspot.com/">I LOVE LOVE reading</a>!  I love the romantic storyline and I also just love Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.  Plus, I also met my boyfriend online and I like that aspect of it too.  It is one of my dreams to own a book store, but I don't feel like I could ever compete with online and giant commercial retailers. Anyway, that's who I would be!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.dvdtown.com/images/displayimage.php?id=7867" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.dvdtown.com/images/displayimage.php?id=7867" /></a></div><br />Tell me your favorite movie and character! 

Friend Making Mondays Friend Making Mondays: If You Lived in a Movie, Which One Would It Be?

Good Monday Morning Friends! Today is Friend Making Monday sponsored by Kenlie at All the Weigh . The question, as you may have already gues...

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Weekend update / 187.4

<b>Saturday! </b><br />It's Saturday! I love Saturday. It's my favorite day of the week. It's the first day of the weekend, with thoughts of relaxation and doing what I want, when I want to do it. Well, sort of. It often turns into housework, laundry, shopping for the week, and then collapsing at the end of the day.<br /><br />Last weekend, by the end of the weekend I was drop dead exhausted from cleaning, normal weekend chores, and yard work. Sunday night at 6pm I decided to wash my car, which turned into a two-hour chore. This weekend I plan on doing the bare minimum of housework, and a lot of relaxing. <br /><br />Speaking of  yard work, can someone explain to me why my poor little flowers look stunted from the cold weather, lack of sun, and an over abundance of rain, yet the weeds are more prolific then ever?<br /><br />My hanging baskets, that are usually in their full glory by now, look pretty much the same as when I bought them three weeks ago. I know it doesn't do any good to complain about the weather, but can we at least have a little sunshine and warmth? We've suffered through nine months of dark and rain, and I'm starting to think summer is never going to come to the Northwest.<br /><br />With the nasty weather, the slugs have gone to crazytown. Last weekend I bought some organic, all-natural slug bait. It's not toxic to humans or pets, but it is toxic to the slugs. Later I read to use beer, which I was going to try if the slug bait didn't work. It did and we seem to be free of the little beasts for now. Although I had already picked about 30 of the slimy monsters off my Gerbera Daisies (slugs are so gross!). I put them in the recycle bin where they can much to their hearts content.<br /><br /><b>Great book </b><br />I'm reading a really book, Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. At work I get sent boxes of books every two weeks that were left on board our aircraft by our passengers and were unclaimed. I set them out on a table at work for people to purchase. All the money goes to an employees assistant fund at work. I limit my own purchases to two books per box (there are usually 20-30 books per box).<br /><br />I've seen Lovely Bones come through several times and each time I'd read the back of the book. and think, this sounds way too depressing. It came in again last week and someone saw me looking at it and told me it was one of the best books they've ever read. So I bought it, and I could barely put it down. I'm about three-fourths of the way through it and I don't want it to end. Really good book if you can get through the first chapter (no details, but it's a little disturbing--but the rest of the book makes up for it).<br /><br /><b>Diet and exercise</b><br />Since this is a "weight-loss blog" I should say something about how I'm doing in this area of my life. I'm doing pretty good, not perfect, but much better than the past several weeks. I seem to have pulled out of my depression/pity party I was having for myself. I've been waking up happy and feeling like life is good. I'm not dreading my days or hating my job. Things are much better in all areas.<br /><br />I only tracked my food one day last week, but I ate better than I have in weeks (no sugar). My weight this morning was 187.4. Not fabulous, but at least I'm finally going the other direction.<br /><br />I seem to have gotten a handle on the night eating. It sounds sort of silly to say this, but I made up a rule for myself that seems to be working. When I go to bed, I don't allow myself get up to go eat. In fact, I try to not even go near the kitchen after I go to bed.<br /><br />I don't know why this is working for me or what prompted me to just say enough with the night eating. Stop it. I actually listened to the voice in my head and haven't gotten up in the middle of the night to eat for several nights. I'm not saying it's a guarantee that I won't do it again, but I feel like I'm breaking the cycle I was in. <br /><br />I didn't make it to Weight Watchers today, but I'm going tomorrow morning. There's a 9:30 meeting I plan on attending. It's not my favorite leader, but at least it's a meeting and an official weighin.<br /><br />My exercise was good last week, and it got better as the week progressed. Yesterday was the best workout I've had in weeks. Even though I've been going to the gym or walking almost every day, my heart hasn't been in it. Last week I could feel myself getting my old enthusiasm back. I had a great workout yesterday. Thirty minutes on the StairMaster and a full forty minutes up upper body weights.<br /><br />I've added a little twist to my workouts. I have to try out a new exercise or a new machine at least twice a week and add a challenge for myself at least once a week. Yesterday my challenge was to increase the dumbbell weight for my concentrated bicep curls from 20 pounds to 25. I had been completing three sets, 15 reps each set with the 20-pound dumbbell. I knew it was getting too easy, but I've been lazy and not interested in challenging myself. Yesterday I tried three sets of 12 reps each with the 25-dumbbell. It was hard, especially by the third set, but I did it!<br /><br />I'm feeling very hopeful and happy. Life is good, and it's getting better.

Weekend update / 187.4

Saturday! It's Saturday! I love Saturday. It's my favorite day of the week. It's the first day of the weekend, with thoughts of ...

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Shhhh...

Last week I went on vacation. Because I got to stay at a hotel for six nights, I embraced the fact that I had cable again. Back at home, I have been cable-less for the past nine months. It was worthwhile to do it, but I still missed waking up in the morning and getting my top stories delivered to me on my high-definition TV. On my vacation, as soon as I was awake, the TV was on.<br /><br />I was in an area where the ABC family of networks dominated the TV channel lineup. (If you know who owns ABC, you'll know where I was.) And one of these channels was ESPN. Because it was the only sports channel I got, I was obligated to get my sports news from SportsCenter. So I watched it.<br /><br />As I was on vacation, the Detroit Tigers were on a hot streak. Between May 30 and June 7, the Tigers won 7 of 8, taking series against Minnesota, Chicago, and the reigning AL champion Texas. And because Detroit was playing against higher profile teams, their highlights made it on to SportsCenter amids the 50 minutes they devoted to the NBA Finals and the Ohio State scandal. And when the Tigers were being shown, the anchor or analyst would say, "It looks like the Tigers are on the rise" or "Watch out for the Tigers" or "The team to beat in the Central is Detroit."<br /><br />To which I wanted to say, "SHUT UP!"<br /><br />To be the frontrunner in a division is something I fear. I would much rather be the surprise underdog that no one believes will do anything spectacular in a season. But with Minnesota performing an early season swan-dive, Cleveland fading from their strong start, and Chicago being dominated by Ozzie Guillen rants, Detroit seems to be the most stable team in the Central right now. That means the sports anchors are setting their targets on Detroit to win it.<br /><br />When Detroit has had a strong start to their season, they always manage to fade out in the second half. Just look back to last year: at the All-Star break, they were ten games over .500 and 1/2 a game out. But then they proceeded to blow up in losses against New York and Minnesota and suffered so many injuries that it was a whole different team by August.<br /><br />When Cleveland started hot this season, it was great. That meant Detroit could just lurk right behind them and overtake them late in the summer. But if Cleveland keeps losing, the target will head north up Lake Erie and be focused squarely on the Tigers. That is not good. I'm not sure that Detroit, even with their strong veteran core, could keep from collapsing under the pressure of fans <i>and</i> the media.<br /><br />I won't guarantee that the Tigers will win anything until at least three weeks after the All-Star break. From where I see it, if the Tigers are able to put together a strong post-break string of victories (they start at home against Chicago and Oakland), they'll be able to make a push for the Central. Then I'll be able to see if they're in it for the long haul.<br /><br />But for now, keep the hype down, please?

Shhhh...

Last week I went on vacation. Because I got to stay at a hotel for six nights, I embraced the fact that I had cable again. Back at home, I h...

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June 2011 Goals

At the beginning of May, <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/05/may-goals-hiljoe-competition-week-2.html">I published the goals I wanted to accomplish for that month</a>:  <br /><br />1. <a href="http://watchmybuttshrinking.com/10k-a-day"><b>10K a Day in May Challenge</b></a>: I failed.  I tried to keep up with this but I found it floating to the way side as I quickly became overwhelmed with school, and annoyed with my pedometer that kept shifting on my waist-band and not counting my steps accurately.  Now that I own a MyTrak, I realize how severly innaccurate my pedometer was - probably mostly do to the unsecure attachment to my clothing.  The MyTrak stays snuggly against my waist and in a given workday I almost always go over 10K steps (providing I go to the gym as well).  <br /><br />2. Stay On Plan:  I did not do this perfectly either, but I still managed to lose some weight this month and I'm grateful and content with that. <br /><br />3. Move: While I didn't meet the goal of moving by the end of May, we did find and secure a place of residence by the end of May and we are set to move on June 15!<br /><br /><b style="color: #660000;">My goals for June</b>:<br /><br />1. <b>Pass Anatomy/Physiology:</b>  I really want to pass both classes (lecture + lab) with an 'A'.  So far, so good. I also want to do so while maintaining that little thing called sanity!<br /><br />2. <b>Plan Meals:</b> By doing this, I should be able to meet May's goal of 'staying on plan'.  Now that I'll be in my own place in just a few more days, I know this will be so much easier!  I missing cooking like I used to - I love spending hours in the kitchen...<br /><br />3. <b>Find a New Gym:</b> It will most likely be Gold's, which will be right down the street from me.  It was a sad day on Tuesday saying goodbye to Stanley.  Stanley is the manager of the gym I go to now - I <i>love </i>this gym.  It's large in size, but small in the amount of people who are members there, and many of the people who go there regularly are so personable and friendly.  This gym will always hold a special place in my heart - it was the place <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/04/drawing-inspiration-from-places-other.html">where I was finally able to get myself refocused on removing this weight</a> once and for all, especially after such a long period of time of not having that focus.  I hope that the new gym will develop a special placeholder in my heart as well!  <br /><br />4. <b>Meet My First Weight Loss Goal:</b> I want those shoes so badly, and I want so badly to say I've reached the first goal I've set for myself! Meeting goals are such great motivators!<br /><br />Tomorrow is weigh in day and I <i>hope </i>I can report back to you with a loss - Happy Thursday :)

goals Success Weight Loss June 2011 Goals

At the beginning of May, I published the goals I wanted to accomplish for that month :  1. 10K a Day in May Challenge : I failed.  I tried t...

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There is light at the end of this dark tunnel

For the first time in weeks I woke up feeling like life is good. I'm not dreading going to work. I'm looking forward to heading off to the gym in a few minutes. Even though the sky here in the Northwest is dark, there's a promise of "sun breaks" today (a popular Northwest phrase that  means it might rain, but we might get to see the sun too). I feel...well, happy. For the first time in what feels like forever.<br /><br />We had a new guy start on Tuesday. I'm mentoring him. I'll admit that I was dreading this task. This was going to be the third person I've mentored in the last five months. It's a challenge to mentor someone, and one of my mentors didn't turn out well.<br /><br />This guy is great. He's easy going, funny, laughs at my jokes and he's super smart (much smarter than myself, but that's not really saying much). It's only been two days, but so far, so good. I have high hopes this one will work out.<br /><br />I've eased up on myself about the weight thing. I went through a bad few days that included sugary, junk foods. Something I haven't indulged in for quite a while. Thankfully that only lasted a few days, and I've been back to healthy eating for several days now. Although the scale isn't going down, I'm hanging steady at 188.<br /><br />I decided to give myself a break and stop beating myself up so much for my 30-pound weight gain. Yes, it's horrible, but it's not the end of the world. It's just something I have to deal with, and recently I just couldn't deal with it and my work situation too.  <br /><br />Now that I've calmed down a bit about work, I feel able to tackle my weight problem. Number one is back to Weight Watchers and back to tracking. I haven't done either for over a month. My best friend has dropped out of Weight Watchers. She just gave up after months of not really trying. I've had months of not really trying too, but I refuse to give up. <br /><br />Number two, back to reading my favorite blogs and commenting. I've been reading a lot of your blogs, but I wouldn't comment a lot of the times because I felt empty inside. It's hard to encourage someone else when I was feeling hopeless myself.<br /><br />I'm finally seeing the light again.

There is light at the end of this dark tunnel

For the first time in weeks I woke up feeling like life is good. I'm not dreading going to work. I'm looking forward to heading off ...

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The Adorable Blog Award!! :)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNwRH_hXiLhgzfxK7kMQiCLLBX5MsY94AjXDZWHu9fP5N4zfydmZBFNIEt-wc5DYLlBJycAgZNmmUItQA3UbIqE4B9OE8aP_j-rr0paCAO_S0iefSpXfBf2bptt3TBOczBNbUG7xr7cA/s1600/Adorable+Blog+Award.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNwRH_hXiLhgzfxK7kMQiCLLBX5MsY94AjXDZWHu9fP5N4zfydmZBFNIEt-wc5DYLlBJycAgZNmmUItQA3UbIqE4B9OE8aP_j-rr0paCAO_S0iefSpXfBf2bptt3TBOczBNbUG7xr7cA/s1600/Adorable+Blog+Award.jpg" /></a></div>On June 1, I received an exciting little blogger award - my first ever!  I received this awesome award from <a href="http://spoonfulofme.blogspot.com/2011/06/adorable-blog-award.html">Spoonful of Me</a> - <b><i>Thank You So Much</i></b> for thinking of me here at The Big Weight!<br /><br /><u>The Rules</u>:<br /><ul><li>Thank the person who gave you the award with a link to their blog. </li><li>Tell us 10 things about yourself.</li><li>Nominate other bloggers and let them know about the award.</li></ul><br />1. I LOVE to read. (And also have <a href="http://prittygoodbooks.blogspot.com/">a blog devoted to my book reviews</a>.)<br />2. I own a very <strike>adorable</strike> (read: <i>spunky</i>), all-black cat named Charles.<br />3. I have dated my boyfriend Joel for 4 years.<br />4. I am back in school again, for the second time, to become a nurse.<br />5. I'm originally from western Pennsylvania.<br />6. I love me some Vera Bradley - hardcore!<br />7. Chai Tea is my morning drug.<br />8. Keystone Light is my beer of choice... unless some Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier is available - then I'd have to go with that!<br />9. Country music is my preferred genre :)<br />10. My favorite condiment ever is HEINZ ketchup - not Hunt's - HEINZ!!!!!  If it ain't Heinz, it ain't sh*t!<br /><br />I would love to share this award with some others (who most likely have no clue who I am and/or have never even viewed my site! - no hard feelings :) ):<br /><br /><a href="http://momonamission2bhealthy.blogspot.com/">Sam @ Momma on a Mission to Get Healthy</a><br /><a href="http://thisfat.blogspot.com/">Faith @ I'm Too Sexy For This Fat</a><br /><a href="http://biggerthanababyelephant.blogspot.com/">Jodie @ Bigger Than a Baby Elephant</a><br /><a href="http://watchmybuttshrinking.com/">Jennifer @ Watch My Butt Shrink</a><br /><br />I really enjoy reading your blogs ladies, and I look forward to following along with you on your respective journeys!

Random Weight Loss Thoughts The Adorable Blog Award!! :)

On June 1, I received an exciting little blogger award - my first ever!  I received this awesome award from Spoonful of Me - Thank You So M...

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Making Good Choices

Last Friday, I found myself reading <a href="http://momonamission2bhealthy.blogspot.com/2011/06/i-have-choice.html">Sam's post about having a choice</a>.  I'm glad I did!<br /><br />It was a Friday afterall, I actually had to go into the office (I typically either work at home on Friday's or I have that day off), and so a large part of me really wanted to nix the workout for the day.  I wanted to get the weekend started!  (Why was I so anxious, when I knew all I'd be doing was studying, afterall?)  Anyhow, <a href="http://momonamission2bhealthy.blogspot.com/2011/06/i-have-choice.html">Sam's post</a> helped me realize that even though I was tired from a grueling work week with with not only work itself, but also school work, and TOM as well.... that it was ultimately my choice for doing or not doing a workout.  I knew I'd feel badly if I skipped the Friday workout and I knew the after effects of skipping a workout could cascade throughout my weekend.  <br /><br />As I was making the drive home, I realized I didn't have any reading material for the gym with me.  I didn't want to stop and buy any magazines because I have SO many at home I need to catch up on.  I also didn't want to drive home, get the reading material and then drive back to the gym.  I also was in no frame of mind to attempt to suffer through a workout while doing nothing...I was having a hard enough time as it was convincing myself to do something in the first place.  Then a light bulb went off!  It was an absolutely beautiful day - I could go for a bike ride!  So once I got home, I quickly changed and loaded up my bike into the Equinox and took off for the <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/04/bloooower.html">Indian Head Rail Trail</a>.    <br /><br />I love this trail so much, and I'm sad that I'll be moving further away from it next week :(.  I'm so glad I decided to go for a ride though - what a perfect ending to a hectic week... <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4esvSF30o0SOM0y-zB75ORVLpBOkhN8mgiC9Tjs9m5V_NvBkjj6whO3shnieA9KVvPUJooYDJt81wkpVh39UEaiu_bxHs3ypVPVBQGcGlc_Mbyy1cw8XFh2O3SlqncXDR1zpiwbNULEk/s1600/bike+ride+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4esvSF30o0SOM0y-zB75ORVLpBOkhN8mgiC9Tjs9m5V_NvBkjj6whO3shnieA9KVvPUJooYDJt81wkpVh39UEaiu_bxHs3ypVPVBQGcGlc_Mbyy1cw8XFh2O3SlqncXDR1zpiwbNULEk/s400/bike+ride+004.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mattawoman Creek</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzxAaQ5DHwkT0OixNQUWPb_uk8-YrS_ZZfMEKy24NSjmOiTukUi48HbEEHTPH-CE3UjprWRxcTazuvYZMqVr1KA4fDWOG4RFu_DicajeaD5MijltDyjmVhHwDtkCndNsls5yc7mqUFa4/s1600/bike+ride+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzxAaQ5DHwkT0OixNQUWPb_uk8-YrS_ZZfMEKy24NSjmOiTukUi48HbEEHTPH-CE3UjprWRxcTazuvYZMqVr1KA4fDWOG4RFu_DicajeaD5MijltDyjmVhHwDtkCndNsls5yc7mqUFa4/s400/bike+ride+005.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love rail trails - flat and scenic!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvXOc6Cv0opkUwHp2PYZWZsYWX0XiOogfSTf32scUU-SyuZfXXjDgp9QFLgP5fuH0olOdYU5Xaax6PaIYWzCjFxIlV4Y9VHSbr73GpeWILVa_OYf8wl2pSOcZ1kWEl5tkm1HV0enmd2k/s1600/bike+ride+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvXOc6Cv0opkUwHp2PYZWZsYWX0XiOogfSTf32scUU-SyuZfXXjDgp9QFLgP5fuH0olOdYU5Xaax6PaIYWzCjFxIlV4Y9VHSbr73GpeWILVa_OYf8wl2pSOcZ1kWEl5tkm1HV0enmd2k/s400/bike+ride+007.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The end is in site!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuk-z2wNwKZ-227QbbSz5WTBbHQkFXt6okE9x42C8EIBl3Yvf98CEx6KKJOsm9yJcFEo-FkemMFWiGbYaLafuZmoLNcGNck_k1jlsoeTIUr2Jft9b5BDhwR3fbsCPgf1URBO0VMrHd164/s1600/bike+ride+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuk-z2wNwKZ-227QbbSz5WTBbHQkFXt6okE9x42C8EIBl3Yvf98CEx6KKJOsm9yJcFEo-FkemMFWiGbYaLafuZmoLNcGNck_k1jlsoeTIUr2Jft9b5BDhwR3fbsCPgf1URBO0VMrHd164/s400/bike+ride+009.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me @ the end - you can see where the train tracks start up again in the background</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeYVp_MMpXbOTxEkASjiM03TCwpxWSAPHJ1oZ0oa-dwRFGVj0OqwItro4YU_eZ6XgrQB7fZ9w8Ferx_jZBKCg59guldFMQFDc9G_f0cULF5Vy2FnvOPQxo99IaP-f_GIHiRFvltcXTZ0/s1600/bike+ride+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeYVp_MMpXbOTxEkASjiM03TCwpxWSAPHJ1oZ0oa-dwRFGVj0OqwItro4YU_eZ6XgrQB7fZ9w8Ferx_jZBKCg59guldFMQFDc9G_f0cULF5Vy2FnvOPQxo99IaP-f_GIHiRFvltcXTZ0/s400/bike+ride+013.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pieces of old track</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvBqowjSAc0tuWya14g4a7dAw5af7C8ygm756NXu3EUIuwB8Gn1cTZQ0bzovVLmJMKwt1OzoBwsvcJhypz3KY9dhJG8nUKeaQTkxIpxi-eX0_Bbes6Ep8ujfcCLb0Rr88yw2pfdQEAqg/s1600/bike+ride+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvBqowjSAc0tuWya14g4a7dAw5af7C8ygm756NXu3EUIuwB8Gn1cTZQ0bzovVLmJMKwt1OzoBwsvcJhypz3KY9dhJG8nUKeaQTkxIpxi-eX0_Bbes6Ep8ujfcCLb0Rr88yw2pfdQEAqg/s400/bike+ride+014.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1d7HQUdIpGX_Xq6LMLqumRirbG2Ipa7YpSP00hDvfvtNoCIH5gdVR0AdV4t0q8_xukgk0q7cnL9pJHK4-Ycu_Ut_irt_bbfQ1JJUGWbdgvxrOaA058dRktYU8yJbdJJH85InvZmI5CE/s1600/bike+ride+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1d7HQUdIpGX_Xq6LMLqumRirbG2Ipa7YpSP00hDvfvtNoCIH5gdVR0AdV4t0q8_xukgk0q7cnL9pJHK4-Ycu_Ut_irt_bbfQ1JJUGWbdgvxrOaA058dRktYU8yJbdJJH85InvZmI5CE/s400/bike+ride+016.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My bike and the tracks :)</td></tr></tbody></table>Hopefully I can grab another ride or two on here before Joel and I move to Virginia next week.  It's not like we'll be living <i>that far</i> from this, but it won't be a mile down the road anymore :(.   <br /><br /><i>P.S. I had been meaning to check how far I rode that day, since I don't have a gauge on my bike, and it turns out I rode 6.4 miles!  Yay!</i>

Exercise Success Weight Loss Making Good Choices

Last Friday, I found myself reading Sam's post about having a choice .  I'm glad I did! It was a Friday afterall, I actually had to ...

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dear daughter…

<p>To our baby girl, </p> <p>To say we are excited to meet you is an understatement. Only ten days till your scheduled arrival date. Just like you have been hearing from Mommy & Daddy lately, we would not object to you coming early!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzRiFearBkdxhyCJTTuHhtFiBPyTn3q_dazHX4wT-crM5Qh9qzidrwXb_oCEVn9LaVXXJkB4OA0CvDs0TN9FH6mx75MdBCnocq7Ve0-o-yuFVmGqaccNB5ysmKuMFWg9Hd9FDc4pXmtWj/s1600-h/DSC3410edited-2-L%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC3410edited-2-L" border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgds9DBA0MTVc7uzvgP2YeufmSBgLTFJAVnR-JGEVMdbOktEI9yZm0kUp2YrcVzKpIW848MxM3iKspjQ5335gUIrZLdWcngVPQbTL6JnJJE7aPhrNGXRSDu-o5NTAmy72pfvI1pY68wRL07/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC3410edited-2-L" width="404"></a></p> <p>The doctors are saying you are healthy little girl, estimating your weight over 8 1/2 pounds. Each week we visit the doctor’s office we love hearing that “thump…thump…thump” of your little heart beating inside Mommy’s tummy. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9_EP40diTYVATKQKqSpYJeHLz_aZ4AfMT5e7a30bNqlagf1GNbGOSaMieRjtEIMMiP7nb3M-gVRuGgN0Vje0QW8h_T9Aqy0wNqvXO3l-Gzga9DU-mNpzIVG0KtL4cUKpqPqGjgPbsJrX/s1600-h/DSC3436edited-1-L%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC3436edited-1-L" border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNCQWPwy9Yv-l6iC9r_auO_SzrX3zSYBa8xx6kMiLKJBNBFk9tV4xzczofbEjgGxNfnL7yUGQ9nHfyvdfadfRqEWZ-c1ZaJNhmcRAYLfoEF8qW19dnS0SDbWvSOpedh9W22e711Is20QP/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC3436edited-1-L" width="404"></a></p> <p>We have prayed & dreamed about you since the day we found out you were growing in my tummy. You have been so good to Mommy these past 38 weeks and we pray that continues when you decide to enter this big world. Mommy loves feeling you wiggle and move in her tummy all throughout the day. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjys6ayh72wbCDRl6j5s0VSxZSPtmO0Z8tNI0HaqOZzuA4EglRdcI1w2EtQ-Ndy3bpGtMsZss0dVpJuZ1iDX_MXkirUB7y9oaWaiku5T4O7FZV6fhFLSH6JtvDL8vDfhc1RVeknFY0F-Bgs/s1600-h/DSC3321edited-1-L%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC3321edited-1-L" border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk5E7VXKk8f_tsK5q_lgtGresJPTpGpLV7Idarsya8PLpjzwxISg22hUGNw9Ce14lBKyXVs16AIpaXawevnQ4FittOZAujpDc4MX6SC8scpQGZRrgOXacMD8JK3OGmtMYQ-8UpD1Noo4Kh/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC3321edited-1-L" width="354"></a></p> <p>When you found out you were a little girl it brought tears of joy to our eyes! Of course we would have been happy if you were a boy, but God knew Mommy had dreamed about you for years. Your room is all ready for you, complete with all things pink! We had so much fun getting it ready and cannot wait for you to come and make our home complete. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGXBcKHbrOpaNV5NEbKI7PIGCzanGw21a_i-c12o1Mc4jh3SIH1uaDcwoz8U4mXBIAfAXx41onz3Xm0IGmEnuMS53Q4xZxkJX5p6WQnRkvgVeUBAU-BmqIEChDfPu9bQ_EuBb2fDqOAkq/s1600-h/DSC3384edited-1-L%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC3384edited-1-L" border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgcr81fBYC6fo5SP5Zj51Be_WnC3QoWnkc36xFCMjj36O7nzAHfcK1_-ldtvFJQ9T3jL0sOubxg2Aa-0JFCXW4HEs6jQLVDW1O_UNlaVMDXhyphenhyphenM1hjM_fj6taWF_Rz1WIcOP8tEJsB4GVtr/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC3384edited-1-L" width="354"></a></p> <p>Just because you are a girl doesn’t mean we can’t go play in the dirt or participate in sports. We cannot wait to spend our Saturdays as a family in Iowa City cheering on our favorite team, the Iowa Hawkeyes.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQubGIeWNPOlBc5ywues4ElhcehjCSwihXFViap5gqC236Zo4vZaIecsBYtdiRusO1YeffGm_t6ktdt8nsY1rXDultWhrMEiYhONSX7aAOuohZ5Peh7_P6MbAj6b3jk0FwIEEZZwBG_sLz/s1600-h/DSC3350-L%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC3350-L" border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcD8EPaFNKheFlZbrTDtF0BnnZhLR68JMSgor_7eQH-ZsdPcdqxg9WZCq_JrLXOsIDdDbUOXIi3iOxm9jMkzSUc80JRmvPX1eLByaMhR25wAiy36bP5HwzHd2ia8qdLSWd52S93GNXPS-/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px auto; padding-top: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" title="DSC3350-L" width="354"></a></p> <p>Daddy loves pretty much any sport and will teach you anything you want to know! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVZS_dW8i7fgsqfLGTz-or78kbk5dS0XfXcvDS7usncw55irIJ6hQNlzTWk7j2akwvxFxSumEdPsyf3_q2MOq44zO97HJPj-PQ8DElqMXCoNnnc9dwAZILecjIlkuL1c09q2j-kakwf68/s1600-h/DSC3471edited-2-L%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC3471edited-2-L" border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2owOGAU5E5snqcWz0nbnSuYfkywzifDygVY9GTGfqY2aK0UB9QsJ97g5pWviF2L4H1W4E13hLU3CKtgwECq2tIzsXQe7fD8lfus0qx3J0B3AkwhZiwpkZ9rv5lLbeNNRDoWwSK6m7L7S7/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC3471edited-2-L" width="404"></a></p> <p>We cannot wait for that first time when we get to see your sweet face and cute little feet for the first time. We are longing for that moment to hold you in our arms. We are very excited to be your Mommy & Daddy. We know we won’t be perfect parents, but we plan to do our best to raise you to love others, your family, and, more importantly God.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZmhOjZSxibY9OPjlqEfsMsQe77Xq0EF_poVQdtAOjYcMp4qejEZrRbIdLITmzgv3HPG_XxPdghzKAdtnPrrUbtr9q90vvyD5dZnXePxNAur3XllwQD_gdBKocSnLsGhWXGL98zWovYKi/s1600-h/DSC3452edited-2-L%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC3452edited-2-L" border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYbsae_uq57mTapxli5gI_7NlhzQdLMKv6LW2sM9v1JHLIsBc3i9wu1FAw-P4GGkadKal50fXmk1Ca6MLRoKakRWwPnUBdhEdZmmyYPbp-HajeJBBLA3xCbAiGxyIw5_ZLIaXY_TX5leR/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC3452edited-2-L" width="354"></a></p> <p>You have so many people that are so excited to meet you. Mommy & Daddy already love you more than you will every know. You are our gift sent from above!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUem3YFLpaUYN8oREkg_AmXDP6X2HLteHyyA8QxV5m5DI3gkpMX9vB0nP46SrroudCA8NfQb0eB3uGRtZ7nGg2lNhMdFoFme2e4JpWLNcJxPguMuEYipaynewyPjVbYAO87zwQ1uivllIs/s1600-h/DSC3340edited-2-L%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC3340edited-2-L" border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHAjzg7HQF0W4m1eGc3iUCFDG4h2qOy8bAON-OCRDdxuWmc3AbzFwbe38nWVwSNQvzye2-pXZsGcrlaPzwK-c3HkmlfUy3-iTFkSSW03GZE-mi7kDYtwDB9p-b0c-b4io2TmGiSNnog6QK/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC3340edited-2-L" width="404"></a></p> <p>All our love, </p> <p>Mommy & Daddy</p>

dear daughter…

To our baby girl, To say we are excited to meet you is an understatement. Only ten days till your scheduled arrival date. Just like you hav...

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HilJoe Competition - Week 5

I'm going to have to forgo sharing Joel's weight because neither him nor I can remember exactly what it was - doh! <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.beautyandwell-being.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/weight-scale-400x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.beautyandwell-being.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/weight-scale-400x400.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Joel (6'): 237ish</b><br /><b> Hilary (5'8"): 254.6</b></div><br />As you can see, I did manage to remove some weight this week and for THAT I am grateful!  It was not a super great week for me, especially after a weekend of celebrating our 4 year dating anniversary (March 27).  I tried to eat as best I could while we were away over Memorial Day weekend, but it was tough.  Also, I think what helped me out was the shear amount of walking and sweating I did all week long!  Holy cow was it hot in the nation's capital this week - a freaken heat index of 100+ degrees almost every single work day!  I sweated.... a lot.<br /><br />Regardless of how those pounds came off, they came off and I hope to keep those numbers going in a decline pattern.  I'm SO close to meeting my first goal :).  Just 1.6 pounds away!!<br /><br />I'm repeating this mantra every single day this week:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"One day at a time Hilary, just one day at a time."  </i></div><br />As it's no surprise by now, I'm very busy with school.  Joel & I also move in 9 days.  I want to get this work week over ASAP so I can devote time to packing <i>so </i>I can regain some of my sanity and actually start to feel like I'm somewhat prepared for when the movers show up next week... 

HJ Competition Success HilJoe Competition - Week 5

I'm going to have to forgo sharing Joel's weight because neither him nor I can remember exactly what it was - doh!  Joel (6'): 2...

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Location, Location, Location: Catalina Island

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqdNI8dVaLtHY5wxKfsrFrwYx17coBSYPjRW3vWKY8N4kX3_vclwpH8oxyRBI9bDB-0p4JGexJ2SkQlaBN5nkR7moBWvzlXIa7VMEVw70toCwxrbSCUm_cVmoTmIvcxRe5Jp9spSovL_v/s1600/cropped+1934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqdNI8dVaLtHY5wxKfsrFrwYx17coBSYPjRW3vWKY8N4kX3_vclwpH8oxyRBI9bDB-0p4JGexJ2SkQlaBN5nkR7moBWvzlXIa7VMEVw70toCwxrbSCUm_cVmoTmIvcxRe5Jp9spSovL_v/s400/cropped+1934.jpg" width="338" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Norma Shearer, Paulette Goddard and Charlie Chaplin off Catalina, 1934</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>A Film Location and Celebrity Haunt Since the Early 20th Century</b> </span></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Santa Catalina, one of California's Channel Islands, is just 26 miles SSW of Los Angeles. Once called Pimu, it's been inhabited for more than 7,000 years and has weathered the Spanish conquest, an influx of otter hunters and infestation by smugglers over its long history. It is best known today as a playground for those with money and celebrity and was once a popular location for filming Hollywood movies. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><a name='more'></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4tQLTAvi13DCbsMl8zs1MF1Gu5oHobWpxNsHawS_DhRTncxpOcAqc88EUVPKt_pftDGFXKK9099EViF-uyZiKSBI4lkpyoud6H9eHdJ8OfmSe2GnPvOHFdPnIIzSpkxmDpCM_I1FUq_Qt/s1600/catalina+ferry+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4tQLTAvi13DCbsMl8zs1MF1Gu5oHobWpxNsHawS_DhRTncxpOcAqc88EUVPKt_pftDGFXKK9099EViF-uyZiKSBI4lkpyoud6H9eHdJ8OfmSe2GnPvOHFdPnIIzSpkxmDpCM_I1FUq_Qt/s320/catalina+ferry+map.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">22 miles from shore to isle</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Back in 1891, Catalina was purchased by the Banning brothers who planned to develop the island as a resort. Avalon Harbor was their primary </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">focus, but roads and hunting lodges were also built in the interior. A devastating fire and World War I eventually forced the Bannings to sell off the property. In 1919, William Wrigley, Jr., founder of the chewing gum company and owner of the Chicago Cubs, bought controlling interest in the island. He soon set about building a dance hall on Sugarloaf Point - the Sugarloaf Casino.</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Not long after, in 1920, Al Jolson recorded "Avalon" and popularized the song about Catalina's resort town:</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxU66jHDWLhocPc6s-XWhjQoWUUb1uCpiuf8bUQD9-xNEHJcjrgNzm4RIT64XT6dw_6OFJqEaqqasM0waIqaVZ98pt5kXVnso23SCjfNILbsisQHs7QvZz_lAF2xonyX0vAG1VGsoBQNP/s1600/avalon+song.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxU66jHDWLhocPc6s-XWhjQoWUUb1uCpiuf8bUQD9-xNEHJcjrgNzm4RIT64XT6dw_6OFJqEaqqasM0waIqaVZ98pt5kXVnso23SCjfNILbsisQHs7QvZz_lAF2xonyX0vAG1VGsoBQNP/s200/avalon+song.jpg" width="145" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"Avalon" sheet music</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I found my love in Avalon</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Beside the bay.</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I left</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> my love in Avalon</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">and sail'd away.</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I dream of her and Avalon</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> from dusk 'til dawn.</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">And so I think I'll travel on</span></i><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>to Avalon.</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As it turned out, the song's tune was similar enough to an aria from Puccini's<i> Tosca </i>(1900) that the composer's music publisher filed and won a plagiarism lawsuit.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyVtwybS9rRyrnRCn4plgDdvLsbGj8AO5oXrEsXp7KvcAIPhDg_G-K6GTVuGVEfwdVmsuma-G2TZjuMdGMgqMiNfcI8TJXRttPeWT8ge_zQbe27BpRkVg4ag_22mI9G0VQiZiZ1cD17GT/s1600/the-ten-commandments-1923%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyVtwybS9rRyrnRCn4plgDdvLsbGj8AO5oXrEsXp7KvcAIPhDg_G-K6GTVuGVEfwdVmsuma-G2TZjuMdGMgqMiNfcI8TJXRttPeWT8ge_zQbe27BpRkVg4ag_22mI9G0VQiZiZ1cD17GT/s200/the-ten-commandments-1923%255B1%255D.jpg" width="146" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>The Ten Commandments </i>(1923)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">From Hollywood's earliest days, Santa Catalina Island provided a shooting location for film crews. D.W. Griffith was one of the first to use the island for this purpose with <i>Man's Genesis</i> in 1912. Other filmmakers followed suit. Classic silents with a Catalina backdrop include Fox's <i>Treasure Island </i>(1918), directed by Sidney Franklin, DeMille's <i>The Ten Commandments </i>(1923) for Paramount, and <i>Ben-Hur </i>(1925), directed by Fred Niblo for MGM. The island portrayed locales as exotic as North Africa and Tahiti and three diverse island areas were most often used for filming - Avalon, Little Harbor and the Isthmus - which eventually became known as "the Movie Colony Isthmus." Some of Catalina's palm trees were originally planted by film companies, and the island's buffalo herd was the result of a movie production. Legend has it that the animals were imported for Famous Player-Lasky's Richard Dix vehicle, <i>The Vanishing American </i>(1925). Though this is unproven, it is true that the picture was filmed on the island at the same time the creatures first appeared.</span><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFB39o8PtKuaViGs8Et0-dk214CYf5r9vMQ9acxXMUtTSPSScNFmnJZf7h3FwvMfdcelwpeH-ziSrhvE5YFtEaQabtIdVgqWRICW-_kUQGOfeADt7cUGoPF_YPMnmjqobVPub7nRRRdls2/s1600/avalon+ballroom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFB39o8PtKuaViGs8Et0-dk214CYf5r9vMQ9acxXMUtTSPSScNFmnJZf7h3FwvMfdcelwpeH-ziSrhvE5YFtEaQabtIdVgqWRICW-_kUQGOfeADt7cUGoPF_YPMnmjqobVPub7nRRRdls2/s320/avalon+ballroom.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The  Casino's Avalon Ballroom opened in May 1929</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Throughout the 1920s the island grew more popular as a resort destination and William Wrigley decided to raze Sugarloaf Casino to make room for a newer, larger structure. Construction on the Catalina Casino, a ballroom and theater, began in 1928. Architects Sumner A. Spaulding and William Webber created a design described variously as Moorish Alhambra and Mediterranean Revival. Fixtures and furnishings and art were designed in the Art Deco style. John Gabriel Beckman, known for his work on Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, designed the murals.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The new ballroom opened in May 1929 with the Maurice Menge band providing dance music for 2,500 couples. The theater opened with <i>The Iron Mask</i> (1929), a silent film<i> </i>starring Douglas Fairbanks enhanced by the musical accompaniment of the theater's organ, the largest Page organ in the world. <b><a href="http://youtu.be/4LAp8mukNqM" style="color: #990000;">Click here</a></b> to visit the interior of the Casino theater and ballroom and hear "Avalon" played on the Page organ.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OvLMQprdh2XAPU_5mvxQ23ZcS3IHN5GPxkgRMlOtC1z5TY9uE3EsptuTEisxOfmn9_ewB_jo3ssiICLUgZ30FJOXoKfazHa-jl2WbCY9-hmZRVXoXqhepHzWUA-e9ZAvnwhR8vReAYbO/s1600/avalon-theatre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OvLMQprdh2XAPU_5mvxQ23ZcS3IHN5GPxkgRMlOtC1z5TY9uE3EsptuTEisxOfmn9_ewB_jo3ssiICLUgZ30FJOXoKfazHa-jl2WbCY9-hmZRVXoXqhepHzWUA-e9ZAvnwhR8vReAYbO/s320/avalon-theatre.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The Avalon Theatre</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In 1929 sound permanently took hold in motion pictures. One early talkie filmed on Catalina was Sam Goldwyn's <i>Condemned </i>(1929) starring Ronald Colman and Ann Harding. Critic Mordaunt Hall, writing for the <i>New York Times</i> in November 1929, referred to it as an 'audible film.' In <i>Condemned</i>, Catalina provided the French penal island locale.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The island went on to appear in several classics of the 1930s: <i>The Island of Lost Souls </i>(1932), <i>Rain </i>(1932), Victor Fleming's version of <i>Treasure Island </i>(1934), <i>Captain Blood </i>(1935), <i>Mutiny on the Bounty </i>(1935) and <i>Captains Courageous </i>(1937).</span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnG_EnCjiyGL5w_yEkFKQgDSB9BPiKMYUP6kal-gE6L0kjKkU2825zt6vD4e1dAJn9g7-GSd365BSCV9HLY231k5J6GULPyCFeRNSaJMdqv8ovBHJBhGPnYO3BMOxVFz9k4qXusklRA3u/s1600/flynn+on+the+sirocco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnG_EnCjiyGL5w_yEkFKQgDSB9BPiKMYUP6kal-gE6L0kjKkU2825zt6vD4e1dAJn9g7-GSd365BSCV9HLY231k5J6GULPyCFeRNSaJMdqv8ovBHJBhGPnYO3BMOxVFz9k4qXusklRA3u/s1600/flynn+on+the+sirocco.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Errol Flynn on the <i>Sirocco</i> just off the island</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Filming on the island introduced movie casts and crews to the pleasures of Catalina, and those who could afford it sailed and vacationed there. Some of the biggest names in movies spent time on and around the island...Chaplin and Paulette Goddard (pictured above on Joe Schenck's yacht) reportedly enjoyed fishing for marlin in the nearby waters. And Errol Flynn, a devoted sailor and carouser, ended up on trial following one of his many sojourns to the island.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Beginning in 1934, the Casino Ballroom hosted legendary big bands that were broadcast nationwide as they played live. Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Harry James, the Dorseys, Woody Herman and other top bands played to ballroom crowds that, over 28 years, averaged 4,000 per night. A record crowd turned out 6,200 strong for Kay Kyser and his band in 1938. The Avalon Ballroom's live big band broadcasts lasted far into the 1950s.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In the mid-'30s MGM produced this 19-minute musical revue featuring Buddy Rogers and his band (the California Cavaliers), Chester Morris, Leon Errol and others. Filmed in beautiful 3-strip Technicolor, the short includes cameo appearances by Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, Mickey Rooney, Virginia Bruce, Lee Tracy, Randolph Scott, Marion Davies and Lili Damita. Avalon provides the sea- and sun-kissed setting.</span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/czIGtYPpKrA" width="425"></iframe><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkH1qD6z7SEX-zSNGBSw1hPHlR8ZTPionheyRcsaNX-Ak-cAZXRTGYxUR2AOhHHRe-meVO1cDSADzGYIDQSqUWsFOlLj-qpfDYTL-AySjBJgv4JiCvEpi7IgXMyshuDxk3Jjup6vsz8jMT/s1600/Jaws.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkH1qD6z7SEX-zSNGBSw1hPHlR8ZTPionheyRcsaNX-Ak-cAZXRTGYxUR2AOhHHRe-meVO1cDSADzGYIDQSqUWsFOlLj-qpfDYTL-AySjBJgv4JiCvEpi7IgXMyshuDxk3Jjup6vsz8jMT/s200/Jaws.jpg" width="168" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Jaws </i>1975</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When the United States entered World War II, the island was closed to tourism and decreed off-limits to film production for the duration. Following the war, domestic and international air travel boomed and studios began shooting on location in Africa, the South Pacific and around the world. This didn't end Catalina's life as a location site, however. The island and its surrounding waters have been featured many times since in films like <i>Around the World in 80 Days </i>(1956), <i>The Glass Bottom Boat </i>(1966), <i>Rosemary's Baby</i> (1968), <i>Chinatown </i>(1974), <i>Jaws </i>(1975), <i>Dick Tracy </i>(1989), <i>The Hunt for Red October </i>(1990), <i>Apollo 13 </i>(1995), and <i>The Thin Red Line </i>(1998). Beginning with the silent era, Catalina has appeared in more than 200 films. Of course, the island has been featured on TV many times, too...</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ientt9E9ewNwvabT2r4Uon8j9FbLKOfMjhKeCrkO6GaC9Q4SZjYGs2IFaw1_upKNTgMfrMpAxZSFq1xjln7CLqRNcdAB3FYre60tw6f7712d4bgVmmJW8pyiKAgM_yTvhZFGLqFO-JM6/s1600/Bogart+and+Bacall+Santana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Ientt9E9ewNwvabT2r4Uon8j9FbLKOfMjhKeCrkO6GaC9Q4SZjYGs2IFaw1_upKNTgMfrMpAxZSFq1xjln7CLqRNcdAB3FYre60tw6f7712d4bgVmmJW8pyiKAgM_yTvhZFGLqFO-JM6/s1600/Bogart+and+Bacall+Santana.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bacall and Bogart offshore</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Once World War II ended, movie folk returned to the island. Bogart, Bacall and friends sailed often to and from Catalina on his beloved <i>Santana</i>. Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher spent part of their honeymoon on Catalina. Marlon Brando rented a house on the island while <i>Morituri </i>(1965) was shooting offshore. In 1972, Liza Minnelli threw a party in Avalon to celebrate her Oscar win for <i>Cabaret</i>. Celebrity couples from Warren Beatty and Julie Christie (dancing at the Chi Chi Club back in the day) to Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw to Barbra Streisand and James Brolin have been spotted on Catalina over the years.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">On a sadder note, Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner were spending Thanksgiving weekend 1981 in the area on their yacht, the <i>Splendour</i>, and it was in the waters off Catalina that she drowned.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">During William Wrigley's ownership of the Chicago Cubs, the team's spring training was held on the island - a tradition that went on for 30 years. But in addition to developing and making use of the island, Wrigley wanted to preserve it. In 1972, P.K. Wrigley fulfilled his late father's wishes when he established the Catalina Island Conservancy and transferred family ownership to it. Ever since, most of the island has been held in trust by the Conservancy...and buffalo still roam in the uplands (<b><a href="http://youtu.be/95EWO554CaA" style="color: #990000;">click here</a></b> to watch them roam), schools of Garibaldi fish still swim in the coastal waters, gray whales continue to pass by during their annual migration and dolphins are often sighted not far from shore.</span><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_J86waQKI44FVSBHejyNFN51OXT4Z8teXi739LR5RuHWKo0Gy4RkuZO18rFHqN5KO8oOu2keBvDDDyLP8O9E8C3u9j-tVaRZvtAEtmgSjCsU-HsCLDkYhyphenhyphen3z1JdIKnFDH6grXiXZHQbb/s1600/CatalinaIsland%255B2%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_J86waQKI44FVSBHejyNFN51OXT4Z8teXi739LR5RuHWKo0Gy4RkuZO18rFHqN5KO8oOu2keBvDDDyLP8O9E8C3u9j-tVaRZvtAEtmgSjCsU-HsCLDkYhyphenhyphen3z1JdIKnFDH6grXiXZHQbb/s320/CatalinaIsland%255B2%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Avalon Harbor</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIMZePAnogicBE87-t2YbNc5b_Lcbvj_6yeFqnyEYLQ5zx98in04cgjUtOibosRwOYcMIlq3070ZrdK_bXkFNTNkzF_3DRHDTpxQyaGsrhPHvOFSVktgK18N-TllfFkf5vfmwfKMRari-/s1600/casino+entrance+full+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIMZePAnogicBE87-t2YbNc5b_Lcbvj_6yeFqnyEYLQ5zx98in04cgjUtOibosRwOYcMIlq3070ZrdK_bXkFNTNkzF_3DRHDTpxQyaGsrhPHvOFSVktgK18N-TllfFkf5vfmwfKMRari-/s320/casino+entrance+full+shot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Catalina Casino entrance</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8H1jTXvDIH2ZNVPWKZFLEsdSKXlVStm-c3KR005z_TZYXHHx8079x1UnmBEE7QP0X8fbSIg_El92O0WTXnrGujCc3QGEf9ez7h2CteMD-lwUCu8FpbUHkoUm3n5tgdoKmlRCD0BNUbx2O/s1600/casino+ballroom+and+theater+entrance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8H1jTXvDIH2ZNVPWKZFLEsdSKXlVStm-c3KR005z_TZYXHHx8079x1UnmBEE7QP0X8fbSIg_El92O0WTXnrGujCc3QGEf9ez7h2CteMD-lwUCu8FpbUHkoUm3n5tgdoKmlRCD0BNUbx2O/s320/casino+ballroom+and+theater+entrance.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Casino entrance detail</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjks3_fqVk2rLH-0PBSfya6yIXdJEDryXmbMjoBLQXhzgTanJXFDKY_T5_Mitmd7T5GqBEdUh8snGkh2HBEgHW6tPlacJcxBGq0ylpbiUaq-PS-Nlj1EwrD4gyX7sJkHWyUiNdCmTRlTX-8/s1600/Ronald_Colman_Condemned.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjks3_fqVk2rLH-0PBSfya6yIXdJEDryXmbMjoBLQXhzgTanJXFDKY_T5_Mitmd7T5GqBEdUh8snGkh2HBEgHW6tPlacJcxBGq0ylpbiUaq-PS-Nlj1EwrD4gyX7sJkHWyUiNdCmTRlTX-8/s320/Ronald_Colman_Condemned.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Condemned</i> 1929</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyOjkqyjep9CbCkvRkNLe0sW7ZYv8HwlQJ_N6xGiaXfsnQb-S2RYfyMW3IQa31IfWQR6xxhG3-dsL2qtehifhJU9rOIwOPxV_qoreR6XUSdQFkjhx9zkkQ13YwL8yFXc6jgf3GCpV8PC_/s320/Captain+Blood.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="224" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Captain Blood</i> 1935</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMGzWUiwIGCggo5rVJ0u815A0hVksVLlaA6Tz5BONSjlItCZjC42v4Eso2MyKdOxgoYA2-o_p9HvYIOnoyZvfZgQz8jSo19QjYhQHobFkt4QgTA-hO0PSzA75DgX7N6kf_APQvZwrJHso/s1600/Muntiny+Bounty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMGzWUiwIGCggo5rVJ0u815A0hVksVLlaA6Tz5BONSjlItCZjC42v4Eso2MyKdOxgoYA2-o_p9HvYIOnoyZvfZgQz8jSo19QjYhQHobFkt4QgTA-hO0PSzA75DgX7N6kf_APQvZwrJHso/s320/Muntiny+Bounty.jpg" width="177" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Mutiny on the Bounty</i> 1935</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQeEw7imwKKswXy-frczss6Udraqix2jlwUWt8DwsjGcW6MfbghrwTdo9VyMQNXrknxwKGM-rY4giRPh8fHiu1dxpT_b5XTg6HOnY_FamVXJIH1cILpYrk7twc7DQrrBfyOnDkTa592GUp/s1600/Rosemarys+Baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQeEw7imwKKswXy-frczss6Udraqix2jlwUWt8DwsjGcW6MfbghrwTdo9VyMQNXrknxwKGM-rY4giRPh8fHiu1dxpT_b5XTg6HOnY_FamVXJIH1cILpYrk7twc7DQrrBfyOnDkTa592GUp/s320/Rosemarys+Baby.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Rosemary's Baby</i> 1968</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>

Avalon Bogart Captain Blood Catalina Island Charlie Chaplin Chinatown D.W. Griffith Errol Flynn Jaws Mutiny on the Bounty Rosemary's Baby William Wrigley Jr. Location, Location, Location: Catalina Island

Norma Shearer, Paulette Goddard and Charlie Chaplin off Catalina, 1934 A Film Location and Celebrity Haunt Since the Early 20th Century San...

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Eat What You Love: Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal

Since Joel and I are moving in 11 days (yay!), we're trying HARD to eat up a lot of our food.  I had some rolled oats left over from the first time I made this oatmeal months ago, so I decided to use them up this week and make it again.<br /><br />The oatmeal is adapted from Marlene Koch's <i>Eat What You Love</i> and is called Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal:<br /><br /><b><u>Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal</u> <i>(7 Points+) </i></b><br /><i><b>Ingredients:</b></i><br /><ul><li>1/2 c. rolled oats</li><li>1 c. water <i>(you made need more depending on your box's cooking instructions - read those instead)</i></li><li>2 packets of sweetener of your choice <i>(I only used 1 packet of Sweet 'n Low this time)</i></li><li>1/2 tsp ground cinnamon</li><li>1/2 tsp vanilla extract</li><li>1 tsp table salt</li></ul><i>Optional Ingredients:</i><br /><ul><li>raisins</li><li>banana</li></ul><i><b>Instructions:</b></i><br />Cook oats according to package directions.  Once cooked, mix in remaining ingredients. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMIBdS37Gt1_Ch-y7zTxMV_V74pKUWmgapNyRx6GjxXY7FJmISz1r0fu6owMvZrdxkkB8I5YPWb1KjWw-7F42zB4jZNTkwZXGKseuxHgc6ijatwJZp2afE_iwQ16ofd7ocWA1GMGhRLn4/s1600/Blog+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMIBdS37Gt1_Ch-y7zTxMV_V74pKUWmgapNyRx6GjxXY7FJmISz1r0fu6owMvZrdxkkB8I5YPWb1KjWw-7F42zB4jZNTkwZXGKseuxHgc6ijatwJZp2afE_iwQ16ofd7ocWA1GMGhRLn4/s400/Blog+003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />I also added raisins and a banana to mine, which made it delicious and very filling for me.<br /><br />I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend!  I'm spending mine studying at Starbucks and hopefully getting a chance to enjoy some of this amazing weather we're having in Maryland - no humidity for the weekend after a week of upper 90-degree weather with a heat index of over 100! <br /><br />I haven't decided what I'll be making this week for breakfast and lunch.  Do you plan your work-week meals?   

Eat What You Love Weight Watcher Recipes Eat What You Love: Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal

Since Joel and I are moving in 11 days (yay!), we're trying HARD to eat up a lot of our food.  I had some rolled oats left over from the...

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37 weeks

<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjG6kPf77E01m5nFpn1HoS3Bhlv5KJS9shM2mmyx8BCsiPFBn1Oonr3sKE1vJ7zRTHnPHs6Pc8yZWvEE_CQ5TmWKl6mGLNP3FBZ5RWSW0ZajGCZsp_K5LpSh6vueFTxTmYoi-rk59wssO/s1600-h/37%252520weeks%252520-%2525205.31.11%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="37 weeks - 5.31.11" border="0" height="471" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8PClbOktjjCTZgaTHAi58mkZhVQrcN4JLvC7-woobjCWke3azt_ZkG3v1fzuvwa3et_xJ1rOAKiMe3FV8fdBxyzxapyahbmYWIMxP0Sv5SwMd16lNJNUhasa8XaKOETCNM5KEbfOqsAO/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px auto; padding-top: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" title="37 weeks - 5.31.11" width="354"></a></p> <p>I’ve been slacking on my weekly posts lately. I couldn’t believe the difference in my belly from my <a href="http://weightloss-stories.blogspot.com/2011/05/33-weeks.html">33 week post</a>!</p> <p><strong>How Far Along:</strong> 37 Weeks, 5 days! (day of picture) Today, 6/3/11, I’m 38 weeks, 1 day <p><strong>Size of baby:</strong> According to thebump.com Baby Bangert is the size of a watermelon, over 6 pounds, and over 19 inches long from head to heel. BUT…I had an ultrasound last week and they are estimating Baby Bangert at 8 1/2 lbs already! <p><strong>Maternity Clothes:</strong> Pretty much ALL maternity…minus a few t-shirts from the hubby! <p><strong>Gender:</strong> It’s a girl!!! We’re still working on names…we’ve had 2 deadlines come and go and still no name. We are down to 3! Pray we pick one soon!! <p><strong>Movement: </strong>She is a busy little girl, too bad she can’t just kick her way out of my tummy! I feel her moving around all throughout the day. I love it though…there is a tiny little life inside me! <p><strong></strong><strong>Sleep:</strong> Pretty much non-existent! But everyone tells me its getting me ready for what’s to come. Tuesday night I think I may have gotten 2 hours total. <img alt="Sad smile" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-sadsmile" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO91cTVnKuiVGFP2rr6HurT0pRNSf3dYDtB61Qqs7A3J73fcQEAE6rKvsN4FHD37CDrRgZV5JMPGzfu6kw_kQIqjbbAHT9ztqlhEKJIeV80xao7lxyKOxh3rDqSH32IKzf5ZQwA-qqiL-f/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-bottom-style: none"> <p><strong>What I miss:</strong> Sleeping on my stomach, a bigger selection of clothes, sleep, and buying regular clothes (the maternity section needs to expand)! <p><strong>Cravings:</strong> Nothing out of the ordinary. Ice cream and Mexican…but those are favs whether I’m prego or not! <p><strong>Symptoms:</strong> Feeling well for the most part, just <u><strong>very</strong></u> achy & tired by the end of the the day. <p><strong>Best Moment this week:</strong> We spent our long holiday weekend with some of our friends from KC! They were so hopeful Baby Bangert would make her arrival while they were in town. But no such luck. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDw6M68TbXW0ycsVJWpGeyML5a8Hazf1qhuMwtyirpRMqOe_uAYv-2W4TrEOneQ1vAMyQB1SQPH4W-NkHOnkx2YAcUsX6grfEfIEmkmCSibJdLmrEJAw4VZnBdDzXlrUAPP6t0fLVcjf_/s1600-h/Picture_277%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="Picture_277" border="0" height="471" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NMAqRyVQENbl3PWkbaqbcwt01vcTy-9N9lbowbYagKcPJgKYXgKVhBKi-y3EBrFIF04ugpzoXenUmPD0fjTa57iL4uadMuYObpZnw-T_d0HfG1Z-IaJcHx6TqBIvyeshBYdHYTjvWjxv/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-width: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px auto; padding-top: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" title="Picture_277" width="354"></a> <p>At my 38 week appointment I was dilated 2+ centimeters and my Doctor is hopeful I’ll go this week. But I think that is because she is on call this weekend! <img alt="Winking smile" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-winkingsmile" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbixrT5mtQiIZ-sB22YJoUMGVL1BrZIQ5vVM9iqudM1c2Zp5DHBTyaCKvqsHhUr0DB2CNE4kuCYT3w6R54tIvx6AW3Xh4dpWiMseYtnkHoYj_xZb_wvOPrJ5qlu2mnRoLcEL-1yy_lJJmQ/?imgmax=800" style="border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-bottom-style: none"> I am more than ready to meet my little girl! I’ve been walking every night in hopes it would help get her here sooner!</p> <p>And I have to give a shout out to Callie over at <a href="http://wannabeathlete.wordpress.com/">The Wannabe Athlete</a>, her and her husband welcomed their little guy into the world this week! And I read a post she did last week that was just what I needed today. So for all you prego’s out there that are anxious and ready to meet your little one, click <a href="http://wannabeathlete.wordpress.com/2011/05/27/choosing-patience/">here</a>!</p> <p>Happy Friday everyone!</p> <p>Oh and in case you missed the nursery tour, click <a href="http://weightloss-stories.blogspot.com/2011/05/nursery-tour.html">here</a>!!</p>

37 weeks

I’ve been slacking on my weekly posts lately. I couldn’t believe the difference in my belly from my 33 week post ! How Far Along: 37 Week...

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Weight Watchers Walk-It Day Challenge

As you can see, I'm a little behind on the posting :).  Again, please bear with me these next few weeks - <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/05/busy-bee.html">my life is consumed by anatomy right now</a>.  <br /><br />On Sunday, May 22 I participated in what I think has been my favorite 5K so far!  The <a href="http://www.weightwatchers.com/templates/marketing/marketing_utool_1col.aspx?pageid=1171941">Weight Watchers Walk-It Day Challenge </a>took place in College Park, MD at Lake Artemesia.   <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMpLQX-3W_hkSfWOGsfXuGjl61njRMi4B_ZBCxbEFSe2O3XE9X2YcFhVdni3OPZYYS1QmhcylDVHUn57AldZg9sJO_bqFVOglII3TIUv2YksU1tmBkylkpkE5hyN2gr9TUCHFqado_nCU/s1600/LA+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMpLQX-3W_hkSfWOGsfXuGjl61njRMi4B_ZBCxbEFSe2O3XE9X2YcFhVdni3OPZYYS1QmhcylDVHUn57AldZg9sJO_bqFVOglII3TIUv2YksU1tmBkylkpkE5hyN2gr9TUCHFqado_nCU/s400/LA+1.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">so pretty - a perfect 5K around this lake!</td></tr></tbody></table>What I liked about this 5K was the scenery!  We did 2 laps around the lake as part of the 3.1 miles.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmeGmaYugpTHok1LVaQXBoJdzGNp2hFknk9HOMk2Fb4-gojEJ8JTJHv5yn-EUI-T2Ut-mKtmoA8lTkQWYD2e4EzuJBoiockYCo1xrX3QjcwJ5pDqOze5g2UjHE4k7oo3HNfKGeflXHgQ/s1600/LA+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmeGmaYugpTHok1LVaQXBoJdzGNp2hFknk9HOMk2Fb4-gojEJ8JTJHv5yn-EUI-T2Ut-mKtmoA8lTkQWYD2e4EzuJBoiockYCo1xrX3QjcwJ5pDqOze5g2UjHE4k7oo3HNfKGeflXHgQ/s400/LA+2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rest of the 5K took place through woods</td></tr></tbody></table>The path was perfectly paved and wide enough for people to pass one another.  Also, because this event is related to the eating plan I follow, it made it that much better!  The snacks at the end were calculated with the Points+ values, and they were ALL healthy snacks - no pizza & pop afterward like most of the 5K's I've attended.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU3Z3jt6Hr1Byby0hZYUc3oeQ58dZ2pbNDshp5_HjXByB1UPHP4CgFOCf_GqQFJ7l6fQ4an3XZTQ9nVDkrrpgNI5fWmx0c6UYjCk8BNTiCwIfpykrtuEGI0p9e_KC5YuWmyPphyphenhyphenXVIvIQ/s1600/LA+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU3Z3jt6Hr1Byby0hZYUc3oeQ58dZ2pbNDshp5_HjXByB1UPHP4CgFOCf_GqQFJ7l6fQ4an3XZTQ9nVDkrrpgNI5fWmx0c6UYjCk8BNTiCwIfpykrtuEGI0p9e_KC5YuWmyPphyphenhyphenXVIvIQ/s400/LA+3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>The event organizers were also amazing - very encouraging and positive!  There were several of them along the route at various intervals cheering us on.  I also enjoyed the fact that in order to do this challenge, you had to be a WW member.  This made it extra special for me because it felt like you were really doing those 3.1 miles as a team.  Also, everyone there has been through the same struggles I'm going through.  Having Weight Watchers be the commonality between all of us was absolutely perfect - no one was looking down upon the next person for not being as fit or fast as they are.  In other 5K's I've done, people are strutting around in their skimpy running gear and everyone seems to be trying to outdo the next person.  I <3 Weight Watchers members!<br /><br />I was also happy with myself because I think this was the most distance I've jogged during a 5K.  I have no real way of knowing that for certain, but I felt really strong that day and I felt like the running was easy for me and it was not hard for me to keep going.  That almost NEVER happens.<br /><br />At the finish line they greeted you with what was my very first race medal! *Tear*<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1_aD-KmBRB9X59ppI69vGqKjXqjWIDDmR9rVyvBUd4hljqwvfP3CrQ_OsnnAQPgE-vVbBK-TggTd787s1FrqKblgj7hM-OjLuzpnXZ0l110TWbhHMubggbGtSkPcKhXRXdgu8UkqiUFI/s1600/LA+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1_aD-KmBRB9X59ppI69vGqKjXqjWIDDmR9rVyvBUd4hljqwvfP3CrQ_OsnnAQPgE-vVbBK-TggTd787s1FrqKblgj7hM-OjLuzpnXZ0l110TWbhHMubggbGtSkPcKhXRXdgu8UkqiUFI/s320/LA+5.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>That made my day!  It was as though I was being rewarded not just for completing this 5K, but for all the others I've done over the last few weeks.  Also, at the finish line they gave us a bag of WW friendly treats.  After everyone finished the walk, they gave away 50 prizes - I was so close 2 times!  They called numbers 301 and 303 :(!<br /><br />Oh, and we got this AWESOME shirt for signing up for the walk:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1tKA1ABWGfCejAQIUOkJnqXJwwHAvWTOo6ngJjw4mSUaHhP1lfAvZ5XBkCH4EslfCiajRprGXkaQ7LPVNWYqffGB45nXvw8oNDq190Ul5Iw2bsR0HGO2DPpx7NcA4ClgBpQLstkH8Wk/s1600/LA+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1tKA1ABWGfCejAQIUOkJnqXJwwHAvWTOo6ngJjw4mSUaHhP1lfAvZ5XBkCH4EslfCiajRprGXkaQ7LPVNWYqffGB45nXvw8oNDq190Ul5Iw2bsR0HGO2DPpx7NcA4ClgBpQLstkH8Wk/s320/LA+4.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>This is blurry because I didn't want someone to walk in and see me doing a self-photo shoot!  But, that t-shirt I'm wearing is that silky, moisture wicking material.  It's SOOOOO nice!  I've never owned a shirt like this before and it is now my favorite exercise shirt.  I never understood the thrill with this type of athletic clothing because I really felt like my cotton t-shirts did the job just fine.  But man, these shirts suck the sweat away from your body and then you don't feel so disgusting!  <br /><br />If you're a WW member, I would highly recommend doing this walk next year!  Ours was so well put together and I just loved all the people who participated.<br /><br />My next and final 5K is this Saturday on the National Mall in Washington, DC.  It is the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure.  I'm kind of excited that this will be the last 5K for awhile.  I'm not currently committed to any others as of yet, but I'm going to hold off for the month of June until after we get moved and I'm done with this hell... or, I mean, school!

5K Success Weight Watchers Walk-It Day Challenge Weight Watchers Walk-It Day Challenge

As you can see, I'm a little behind on the posting :).  Again, please bear with me these next few weeks - my life is consumed by anatomy...

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I'm feeling fluffy / 189.0

Feeling fluffy for a human being is NOT a good thing.<br /><br />I don't wear 189 pounds very gracefully. It's doesn't feel comfortable. I've passed the point where I'm a little overweight, now I'm into the obese category again. <br /><br />My left knee hurts, I get out of breath easily and my blood pressure is up to hypertension levels (149/ 90--physical next month). I don't like this one little bit. I'm miserable.<br /><br />I wrote a really bad post Wednesday night. I only left it up for about five hours. Only a few people read it before I got up at 5am and deleted it. As my 14-year old nephew said after he posted something awful on Facebook a few weeks ago (he sounded very angry and depressed)...he said "I'm sorry...that's not me. I didn't mean it." I'm saying the exact same thing.<br /><br />It's strange how life slaps you up side the head one day, and you just think you're going to die from unhappiness. Sometimes that day turns into weeks. Then one day you wake up and it's like "oh well, that's life. Stuff happens. I'll be okay." That was me this morning. Whatever that thing was that I was going through seems to have passed for now.<br /><br />My change of attitude came about early today. I had a really good workout at the gym. I didn't want to go, but I had to make myself go to the gym at 5:30am. I've been going, but not as often and not working out as hard as I was a few weeks ago. Today it was different. I felt the old me coming through. The woman that wants to be healthy, and actually gives a damn about her life. <br /><br />Pretty good day today. Even if I am fluffier than I'd like to be. :)

I'm feeling fluffy / 189.0

Feeling fluffy for a human being is NOT a good thing. I don't wear 189 pounds very gracefully. It's doesn't feel comfortable. I&...

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Weight Watchers Tracker Cover

I was an E-Tools Tracker for years and years.  I liked the online convenience and the ability to see charts/graphs of the progress you've made.  I like how you can mark favorite foods and how it automatically remembers what you've tracked previously.   <br /><br />However, I recently switched over to the paper tracker and I've been having more success with it.  When I'm at work, the online tracker is great because I'm always at my computer.  However, when I get home, the last thing I want to do is turn on my computer to log Points+.  I feel the same way on the weekends - I'm not always online.  I have the WW E-Tools App for my phone, but I still find it somewhat cumbersome to log the Points+ that way too. I found that my logging was lacking!<br /><br />The paper tracker has been working out so well for me, but I was finding that it was getting worn out pretty quickly due to the constant toting to/from work or to/from the grocery store (or any other place other than at home).  In my search for buying the paper trackers online, I came upon this <a href="http://myworld.ebay.com/mywhimsicalhearts/">Ebay Store called My Whimsical Hearts</a>.  The lady is a sewing expert and she makes tracker covers that perfectly fit the Points+ trackers!  I thought this was such a genius idea and so I bought one.  I am VERY pleased with this purchase because not only does it protect the tracker, but it's very well made, very cute, and I like the bookmarks that come with it.  They are also available in other patterns.  These covers range in price from either $14 to $26 plus shipping.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tnNPsz4fMh-tXDLMD2ymjIU56Q2Ovpa9rEJgUnuc_Xx0dXVuv_k84mN7p6twrcROAalV78QgKOjftcPjePZGVfQeo7WEgDSFwbM16c7DkrmsMHs2cmPY2VU0tiJFwrLmx3YZdTIRmCM/s1600/Blog+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tnNPsz4fMh-tXDLMD2ymjIU56Q2Ovpa9rEJgUnuc_Xx0dXVuv_k84mN7p6twrcROAalV78QgKOjftcPjePZGVfQeo7WEgDSFwbM16c7DkrmsMHs2cmPY2VU0tiJFwrLmx3YZdTIRmCM/s320/Blog+004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pen not included :)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RKHgTFCJfzTDsp7Ydu5gYBhErw5owoy7M_znXh52GzM3bH_pM7zjGvoW2M_gZXFuRWqRik7OB3aISKbhYywNH7b4r-fyiTxtiWr2EYIE4DlLd1GojgPiO9xNJjO6egdKgL6qCw2KBMw/s1600/Blog+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RKHgTFCJfzTDsp7Ydu5gYBhErw5owoy7M_znXh52GzM3bH_pM7zjGvoW2M_gZXFuRWqRik7OB3aISKbhYywNH7b4r-fyiTxtiWr2EYIE4DlLd1GojgPiO9xNJjO6egdKgL6qCw2KBMw/s320/Blog+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like the elastic strip on the left side that holds your papers down</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqxuwao9-AK-RS1z04Hh0kmPN66ZcWZ2Y4EN6TEu15_mbchLd2Xm4Ft9HrfZApLbEanYHKw6nTcZ-GqciD-rOEaiMst0QutvVf_UBbdNmUYd4qEnN3ACVz8ZExM060Fvvi7UCRO13ZNN4/s1600/Blog+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqxuwao9-AK-RS1z04Hh0kmPN66ZcWZ2Y4EN6TEu15_mbchLd2Xm4Ft9HrfZApLbEanYHKw6nTcZ-GqciD-rOEaiMst0QutvVf_UBbdNmUYd4qEnN3ACVz8ZExM060Fvvi7UCRO13ZNN4/s320/Blog+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cute bookmark - very handy!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7mgTBWaqyM3c1KIXoQA3T7xYqeo0XKgxPDng6EqfLFyp9G2vMwfKP8WgGFrJ5mwAmyWSiz7RxedjIP_AegRY2xytabg3JoOb0id9XnlBX6_yWcGAkuchU0-qvGvsje-iqEeHgwmnvds/s1600/Blog+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7mgTBWaqyM3c1KIXoQA3T7xYqeo0XKgxPDng6EqfLFyp9G2vMwfKP8WgGFrJ5mwAmyWSiz7RxedjIP_AegRY2xytabg3JoOb0id9XnlBX6_yWcGAkuchU0-qvGvsje-iqEeHgwmnvds/s320/Blog+007.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">inside pocket - also very handy!</td></tr></tbody></table>By the way, I do not know the owner of this Ebay store at all, and she has in no way influenced me to market her product to you, other than the fact that I love this thing!  It's just that when I find awesome, functional things that help me out in my weight loss journey, I was to pass them along to you as well!  Please go check her out!

Random Weight Loss Thoughts Weight Loss Products Weight Watchers Tracker Cover

I was an E-Tools Tracker for years and years.  I liked the online convenience and the ability to see charts/graphs of the progress you'v...

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