Wait, wait, wait! 100 freaking lbs? Because I also know this one really amazing lady and she didn't have 100 lbs. to lose. Is there anything left of her? Now I'm picturing a big velvet hammer being carried around by one of those little cartoon fleas.

First concert: either REM or B52s. I saw them both the same month and can't remember which was first.

Best concert: I couldn't possibly choose, but I still try to catch Billy Bragg, Elvis Costello & Sting each time they come to town, so they're doing something right.

Worst concert: Dead or Alive, Malibu nightclub, Lido Beach Long Island, late 1980s. Pete Burns was a total asshole who went on nearly an hour late, lip synched every song, then chastised the audience for not being enthusiastic enough. Needless to say he did not Spin Me Right Round Baby that night.

Bwah ha ha ha ha!


And also, that really amazing lady has some really amazing essays on that site.

The first essay on that site changed my life. I have never been more grateful for something I have read, on the web, on the net, anywhere. I'm tearing up just thinking about it.

Oh! contraire mon frere-girl! That's only true if the Yuckees are getting beat up during those 23 hours of coverage. With bats. Made of steel. And rabbit. Lots of rabbit.

I'm in Austin - about a 2 & a half to 3 hour drive away. (Texas is big, damn it!) Be prepared for horrid heat, humidity and smelly air if you are going to Houston!

I've been fat most of my life and I just take the first convenient parking space I find. It's just silly to roam around forever hunting for the closest parking space. Well, unless it's pooring rain or something.

From one of the Amazing Lady's essays:



I do not have enough WORD in my arsenal to cover that right now. I've recently lost over 40 lbs, and when people ask how, I always have to say "diet and exercise." Which no one ever wants to hear. Sometimes I almost want to pretend I DON'T eat carbs or fat, just so I can stop having to see their "No, really... What did you do?" faces. But Miss A's right-- just because it's simple doesn't mean it's easy-- there's just no complicated method or magical trick to it.

ETA to SkaPainInMyAss:

And rabbit. Lots of rabbit.

Shut it, jerkie.

Miss Rachel:

You are a dear, hee.

But FYI, I look not THAT different from the last time you saw me. That's 100 since I was in law school, in 1997. Had you seen pictures of me then? You'd get it much more easily. About . . . mm, probably 60 or 70 of it was already off when I started writing for TWoP. Since then?

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Boring and slooooooow.

That site may actually inspire me to get back on a diet. I went to Curves for about a year which was really helpful for someone who had never exercised a day in her life. Unfortunately, I then decided to try their diet.

I lost 4 pounds the first week, felt great, and then went to the meeting where the leader told me off. I was one of five who admitted to cheating the first week. She decided to start with me, asked me how I had cheated, and told me off for FIFTEEN FRIGGIN MINUTES for having ONE Werther's candy. I never went back to Curves again.

The other four people who had admitted to cheating? They were so "motivated" that when she was finished with me and asked who else had cheated, all sat on their hands and looked at the floor. What a bitch that woman was!

I'd try WW, but it's held in my town in the Legion hall which smells of smoke and I'm very allergic to smoke. I may try the program online.

Loraxe, he's still got it! And his voice is actually better- more control, I guess.
But, yeah, I have to say that I would kill for a time machine that would drop me off somewhere in the middle of the Diamond Dogs tour.

Perhaps we could form a TWOPpers Weight Watchers chapter? Since heaven knows I need it, too. I've managed to hold my weight steady for the past eight years, but it's steady at about 60 pounds higher than it should be. And frankly, I'm tired of looking at a fat person every time I pass a mirror.

To a very rude skinny lady, I say, "Tush." Also, "Shay."

Great account, Miss A. It hurt my neck to keep nodding in agreement during the thing, and the doctor part hit home so very well.

No, no, no, no no. Liberace absolutely CANNOT count. It's not my fault my parents were in Las Vegas for New Year's the year I was 12. I was too little to stay in the hotel room by myself.

And Zron too?? Things you learn about your husband on the Internet...

In terms of stupid things people say to the disabled, my all time favourite episode happened in O'Hare Airport. We were flying to Australia with the kids, our nanny and my Mom. She has Parkinson's, walks with a walker and in most ways is much more disabled than me. Anyway, I went up to the counter to see about getting one of those carts so that she didn't have to walk all the way to the other terminal. When I asked from my wheelchair if getting a cart would be possible, the woman behind the counter explained that the carts were only for "the disabled". I said "Excuse me??" to which she respoded, "Well it's not something I can help you with anyway", closed the wicket and walked away. At that point I got Zron involved as he projects menace much better than I do. I'm not sure what he said, but we eventually got the cart.

Strangely, this sort of thing no longer makes me angry. It's not worth the effort and it leads to entertaining stories.

They have special parking spots here for expectant mothers and those with very young children (we're talking weeks old). Is it wrong that I park in them when all the wheelchair spots are full? I base my decision on the fact that the further I have to walk throught the parking lot the higher my odds of getting hit by a car that doesn't see me.

The mind truly boggles. It truly does.

I've had my share of "stupid comments to the disabled" experiences. I had a blind friend who was one of the most self-reliant and independent women I've ever met. But when we'd go out to dinner, the restaurant people would almost invariably ask me, "Does she read Braille?" To which my standard reply was, "Why don't you ask her? She's blind, not deaf!"

The one that torments my daughter the most is typified by this one: She was sitting around her college one day visiting with friends between classes, when out of nowhere a sweet grandfatherly type walks up and, all well-meaning, proceeds to heap syrup on her about how "brave" she is and how "inspiring" she is. Being at least moderately well brought up, she managed to bite her tongue and say a polite "Thank you" in dismissal. But really -- she's "brave" for living her life? It's almost easier when people are rude to her, at least then she can flip them off and keep going!

ITA. It took me a year to lose 30 lbs that I really needed to lose. And today? A year and a half later? I am right about in the same place...with 15-20 lbs to go. I've been 5 lbs lower at one point, but I like ice cream. And cereal. I lost those 5 lbs by not eating cereal. And it sucked.

I even teach fitness classes 1-3 times per week. Yet, I still see myself as the "little fat girl". My students always want to know "How long did it take?" and "How much did you lose?". If I was honest, I'd say "all my life" and "I'm tired of caring" because it's a lot of pressure to keep weight off simply because that's where I've allowed my significance to come from. It's a really sucky cycle I'm going through.

I was thinking of moving to Houston one day, but I have an aversion to
Ew.

JudyZ, personally, I have no problem with you parking wherever you like.

True, and sadly I also thought this applied to Colin's assinine remark to Christie, that 'Yes, is it that easy.' Me I'm in the 40+ club right now and have been having a great deal of difficulty shedding any of it. I recently stopped taking depo as at least 25 lbs of that weight has been since I started depo 7 years ago and eating/exercising doesn't seem to be working. Noticably the weight gain has stopped this year as a result of the eating/exercising as I am the same weight I was on Jan 1st. I figure I need to give my system at least 3-6 months for the hormones to straighten out and then with continued exercise/eating things will start moving in the right direction. Sucks though, because I love me my depo.

I actually came for a small wimper because I just realized with the 7pm broadcast in NY I'll have to abandon my computer at 4pm here on the West Coast to avoid reading anything by accident. This also means I have to skip the gym since I would in advertently see something on tv no doubt. Nice day for a walk, and I think the refrigerator needs cleaning. :D

JudyZ, I cannot for the life of me see anyone having a problem with you taking a spot 'reserved' for expectant/newborns.

JudyZ, I'm with suga (naturally, as I'm stalking her on this board) for parking wherever. My mom had both knees replaced a few years ago, and has had good luck at O'Hare for a wheelchair/buggy since inevitably her flight will either take off from C (and involve the Puff Daddy People Mover) or K - did you know there are K's in O'Hare? I actually think that section is in Indiana, but I digress.


I felt that when I was at my thinnest, and fattest (now), and everything in between. It's like my mantra. My favorite was a night when I flipped out and started screaming all the names I was called as a kid when someone made a comment that was not about me & I was tiny & it all came rushing back.

Oh, crap, she found the pictures.

I know what you mean, but this still cracked me up.

We had our staff meeting for all employees today (I work for a food company), and one of our oh-so-tactful employees said "Well, Mrs. Katherine, you got right fat over the summer. You ate too many cookies."

I simply replied "I don't think it counts as fat when you're six months pregnant." But, sheesh! Who says that? This isn't someone I have a close work relationship with, even.

As someone who went from a size 20/22 to a size 10/12 over the course of about 6 months 2 years ago and have always been (even at my skinniest) "that little fat girl", this really hurt me, even though I realize how stupid that is. Grr.

And I was wearing a maternity dress. I think I look pregnant. I'm not super pregnant. Most people don't believe I'm already into my 6th month. But, sheesh.

OK, and this light is turning me crazy again. I think I'm leaving now. Happy TARs-day, all!

*Snort* Zron.



I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, pinkgodzilla, but what is "depo"? Because I'm guessing it's no relation to legal depositions...

(I actually lost the 40+ lbs in about 4 months, pg, which I think is one of the reasons people think/hope there was some kind of magic to it. Which, of course, there was... if by "magic" you mean "getting up at the ass-crack of dawn every morning to go to the gym and cooking most of my own food, including making my lunch every day to bring to work.")

I lost 20 pounds when I had major surgery 4 years ago. Post recovery I joined a gym and lost about another 20 pounds. Even with that, I was (and still am) about 40 pounds from my "ideal" weight. I may get there, I may not, but in my thinking as long as I exercise--period--that is the important thing. My doctor was always so focused on what the scale said, that even after I would tell him that I was working out for 60-90 minutes 4-5 times a week, all he could say was you still need to lose more weight. So after he said that one time too many, I told him to stuff it and found another doctor.

The last few months I've been in setback mode. I'm working longer hours at the office so I can have Fridays off, and along with the additional travel (including dinners with the clients) I've been doing since my promotion, my gym time has really suffered. I was in denial of how bad the situation was, but I finally faced up that I didn't feel as good as I used to...not to mention I'm flirting with going back to size 18. So it's been two weeks since the big realization, and I've gotten back into 4 times a week at the gym. Because of my office hours I can now only devote 45 minutes per session, but it's better than nothing. The key for me is trying to find a balance, but I suppose if I want it bad enough I can do it.

That was a great thing about Weight Watchers - at least the group I was in. The woman never said anything mean to anyone - even if you gained some weight or stayed the same, she always said it was wonderful and an accomplishment that we came to the meeting.

I am typing this on my brand new computer at the office. Finally, I have a computer that works!

No kidding! I've lost 15 lbs. in the past few months which seemed to just melt away but now I'm stuck in that annoying stage where the drips are getting slower and slower. Eh, I guess as long as the dripping continues, it's all good.

Wow. Hard to believe anyone could possibly be as rude as karatekate's co-worker, or as moronic as the person in JudyZ's story. People keep surprising you.

I don't understand those parking spaces for people with children, either. But hey -- I also don't get "single supplements" or any of the million ways that single people are discriminated against, either. So there you go.

Not that I have any authority in the matter but I say go right ahead. I'm against special parking for anyone other than handicapped folks or women who are in the process of recovering from episiotomies or c-section incisions in their immediate past, which is really just another form of handicap.
For those moms and dads with little babies but no physical incapacity - get one of those sling things, stick the baby in it and forget wrangling some giant stroller monstrosity. Just because someone chooses to have children and chooses to wheel them around in a contraption bigger than your typical Hyundai doesn't mean they are entitled to the choice parking spots. And pregnant women have been walking more than 20 feet at a time for literally eons, it won't kill pregnant women to walk across the parking lot. Hell, it's probably good for them.
And, as someone who hasn't been pregnant and doesn't have children, I realize that I have absolutely no standing to make these sorts of comments, and you can go ahead and pelt me with rotten cyber-vegetables, I probably deserve it.

Pinkgodzilla, I tried telling my doctor that the 15lbs I've put on in the last year is related to the Orthro Evra that I am now on. The doc insists that BC does not cause weight gain and its obviously a combination of getting older and the more sedintary lifestyle I now live. I think she's full of s&*$. This is the first time in my life I've taken any hormones and I CAN SEE THE EFFECTS on my body, I don't care what the studies say.

However, I never, ever, ever weighed more than 160lbs. Including the point in college where I used to eat a pint of Frusen Gladje ice cream every day (it was part of a balanced diet, really it was). Last time I was at the doctor 165lbs. Its the hormones. I know it its...

As someone who has been pregnant and does have children, I have to say that I am 100% in agreement with you, Peanutbuttercup. (Yumm, peanut butter cups.....er, I digress.) For maybe the last month or two of pregnancy, and the first two weeks after giving birth, a little special treatment is nice, especially with your first. But heck, when my son was 7 days old, I took him out for a day touristing around San Antonio with nary an ill effect on either one of us (and no behemoth stroller the size of a Hyundai, either). If there's a medical problem, that's one thing; but healthy young women having healthy babies, I say walk!

RLB birth control causes weight gain in MANY women. I'm the only person I know who, when she began it many moons ago, actually kept dropping weight. Everyone else I know gained weight in the middle and/or boobs.

Ah, yes. I remember fondly my one year of being a C-cup. However the attractiveness was tempered by the hysterical crying jags. I do not respond well to hormone adjustments.

I had a C-section and I would have given a lot of money for a handicap/maternity spot the first four weeks. After that, I was out with my kidlet on public transportation. *shrug* During my actual pregnancy, I rode public transit until I couldn't wait that long between restroom breaks. (Which is a great argument for those parking spaces for heavily pregnant women, BTW. Sometimes, across the parking lot isn't a matter of weight/ability so much as it is basic biological functions being too pressing!)

I'd be game for a TWoP WW group. I think I need the support. I'm in the 100+ club, assuming you buy cultural stereotypes.

Not a dumb question whereverthefk, depo is short for Depo Provera, an injectible birthcontrol taken every 3 months which has the added benefit of no periods. (I should have capitalized it.)

40lbs in 4 months, damn girl

rlb8031 - Your doc is smoking something. All hormonal methods of birth control have the potential side effect of weight gain. Many women are not affected, for some the reaction can be immediate, for others it occurs over time. I noticed how much the Depo affected me after I started it as I had a job which involved backpacking 4 days a week and cutting up trees in the wilderness. I carried extra weight that I started putting on after beginning to take Depo and failed to lose any of it that entire summer even though the caloric expenditure was high and caloric intake was relatively low given that I had to carry all my food with me. I sure as hell did not suddenly have a sedentary lifestyle change between the two summers I hauled my ass up and down the Rockies. We could cover anywhere from 15-30 miles in the four days depending on the trails, trees, bridge building, trail construction etc. The only difference was the Depo. (Worst of all this is abdominal fat.)

Hee, skagirl, my boobs seem to have grown over this past year or two.

Once my dr got the correct formulation, being on bc actually seemed to help (or at least didn't hinder). Getting said formulation figured out was the tricky part...the first brand er, um...increased my breast size. Yeah, as a FULL d-cup; that is not so much an acceptable side effect.

Like wtf (sorry I shortened so as not to botch the spelling) I lost about 40 pounds over 4-5 months several years ago. How? By dragging my chubby ass to the gym 5-6 times a week for an hour workout and eating lots of lean protein and veggies. But I didn't cut out carbs or really anything other than unnecessary sweets.

Add me the chorus that gets extraordinarily pissed off when able-bodied folks park in handicap spots. The Target near my house had those new/expectant mother spots for a while but they seem to have gotten rid of those. And word to Hildy on people having kids out late. Grrrr! The reason your child is whining and acting like a brat is because you are dragging a 3yr old around Target at 9 pm.

Ok, I need some help/suggestions from some of you that are more technologically adept than I am. My fiance is totally a gadget guy and I know that he would LOVE an iPod for Christmas (yes, I'm one of those annoying people who starts shopping now). But I'm all confused. It seems the iPod 15MB is actually slightly cheaper than the iPod mini and would clearly hold more files (music, photos, etc). My primary reason for getting him one is to store the approximately 6 bajillion digital photos (in retrospect maybe getting him that digital camera for his b-day wasn't the wisest move) and also have all his music files in one place. So what would ya'll recommend.

MissAlli Count me in as one of those that is profoundly moved and in complete agreement with your blog even if I don't ever comment.

30 pounds in 3 months. Easy as pie. I went from 309 to 281 just by cutting off soda. I drink nothing but water, now. And I'm still losing weight, although lots slower (I'm down to 274). I don't miss it hardly at all; I was afraid I'd get caffeine withdrawal.

Next up: exercise.

On the iPod question, Suzikins, and speaking as a fellow gadget-oriented husband: if my wife got me either iPod I would be delighted. If he likes tiny little cellphones, he'd probably like the Mini better; otherwise go for the cheaper option.

One note of caution: Apple is stupid about batteries. Lithium-Ion batteries (like the ones in the iPod) seldom last more than 18 months, regardless of usage; after that, they need to be replaced. Apple made it extremely difficult to replace the batteries in their iPods; eventually they succumbed to public pressure with a $100 battery-replacement program. When third parties started making "battery replacement kits", Apple responded by sealing the iPods even tighter than before.

If your husband is technically capable (besides just gadget-crazy), you might consider some other MP3 player, or even an MP3-capable CD player. My car stereo does MP3s; love it, love it.

Edited because I can't tell a 9 from a 4, and I ought to preview before posting.

I seem to be the opposite of many of you. I was always thin and bony as a child and through college. Through most of high school and college, I ran cross country and track and was running 6-8 miles Monday through Friday. (I took Saturdays and Sundays off when there was no meet. I'm lazy.) I could eat anything and not gain weight and I did. I ate constantly because I was hungry constantly.

Unfortunately, I no longer run, partly because of a knee injury in college and largely because I'm lazy. It took a long time for me to quit eating all the time, and it's still hard. I never trained myself in denial, so if I want a candy bar and Coke, I get one most of the time. And I don't exercise because who has the time or the energy? (I know -- I'd have more energy if I'd exercise.)

As a result, I'm about 30 pounds heavier than when I graduated from college and at least 20 more than my ideal weight. People say I'm not fat, but I feel fat when I look in the mirror. Inside, though, I forget what I weigh now and think I'm still that young, thin girl, which just makes it harder to not have the Coke and candy bar.

I've never tried WW, but I did lose about 10 pounds (all I needed to lose then) on a plan called First Place at my church. It's based on the food pyramid thing and is much like WW in that no food is strictly forbidden, but you have to watch portions. It also included a meeting, where everyone was always very supportive (which you'd hope for from a church, but I've heard stories about some people claiming to be Christian).

For those of you who are exercising and eating right and seem to be stuck on a plateau, my mother (who lost a lot with WW and is now the First Place leader at her church) told me to add a 10-minute brisk walk in the middle of the day. It's supposed to jump-start your metabolism. I didn't try it, so I don't know if it works, but the woman has kept weight off for at least 10 years, so she might know something. (It pains me to write that.)

Miss Alli I can see a best seller in your "cow" articles. "The No Bullshit Diet Guide, or How I Lost Weight in Spite of All the Crappy Advice". I'd line up for a copy. Great articles, but then I've always appreciated your way with words. Maybe they'll have enough of an impact to cause me to dump the cheetos and switch to triscuits.

New to this thread....so I'll try to hit on the most recent topics.
First concert? The Who (Tommy tour) when I was 10ish. Went with my sunday school class because the couple teaching it thought it was a religious show. Hee!
Best concert? Any concert by Richard Thompson (yeah, I know....Richard who?)
Worst concert? Sadly, it was Koko Taylor....great blues singer, but boy was she having an off night.

Handicap parking story: We were riding with friends to dinner (a married couple). His mom is pretty frail so he keeps a handicap sticker in his car in case he has to haul her around. That's fine. But when we got to the restaurant, he pulls into a handicap space and puts the sticker in the window. His wife argues....Mike and I argue....but the guy can't see why we're upset with him. His theory was that he had the sticker....why not use it? He finally relented when we refused to get out of the car until he moved to a regular spot. And this is a well educated man. A doctor, no less!

Trains dumping poop on the tracks? Do you know how many years as a kid I spent walking on railroad tracks? I think I'll go boil my feet now.

Depo is DepoProvera, which is this AWESOME shot you take once every three months and you have no hormonal swings, weight gain, or periods. And I had no headaches or migraines of any kind, for a year. And I gained 25 pounds. That's more than a large sack of dogfood. My doc says: headache or weight gain, take your choice. That's a choice??

My disabled story is kind of funny. My mom's best friend was blind with this outstanding guide dog named Suzie. We went into this lovely rustic-chic restaurant and a woman at a table snots, "They let dogs in here?!?!" in this faux whisper. Her husband, mortified, darn near whapped her with his napkin and hissed, "She's blind...". She was gratifyingly chagrined.

Did they enjoy the Acid Queen?

Just want to echo the appreciation for Miss Alli's weight loss blog. Some damn good writing (as always), and some interesting takes on what are, by all accounts, common problems (if the studies on American dietary habits have any truth to them).

Can't say I've considered Weight Watchers or another similar program, but I have been slightly overweight most of my life. I lost a good deal of it in the latter half of college thanks to fencing and some other factors, but I've gained that back since graduation, where I've stopped fencing and continued drinking beer. Even so, I do try to keep an eye on what I'm eating and at the very least, the nutritional information.

The metaphor of playing tug-of-war is a great one, and applicable to life in general, just not those with weight problems.

So, thanks again for the thought-provoking writing, and good luck to everyone with their weight loss plans.

I don’t know how many people remember the old Off Topic Blather section of TWoP, but it’s cancellation spawned several alternate boards. Several people from the old Looking Good thread went here. I believe they have a thread with people supporting each other through WW and other diets. I lurk a lot- excellent makeup advice/reviews to be found there as well.

Chiming in a little late here . . .

First concert: New Kids on the Block in Dallas. I still remember wearing my black jeans, white t-shirt with yellow smiley face, and black hat. When my mom woke me up the next morning to ask me how it had been, I told her it was the best night of my life.

Best concert: Dar Williams at Town Hall (of "Best in Show" fame) in NYC. Fanfuckingtastic.

And this



totally made my day. Word to the wordest power. I hate all the catering to parents with children. Your choice people. Deal. I remember when that woman in Iowa popped out the septuplets, I decided to boycott any company that gave them free stuff. Don't encourage these people!

Amen. And wtf looks awesome by the way.

and...After my mom ended up in a wheelchair (as I mentioned a few pages upthread) I gained a newfound appreciation for just how doltish others can be. We could never figure out which was worse - the people who pretended you didn't exist or the people who stared at you like you were from another planet. My mother took to staring back and sticking her tongue out at people who would stare at her.

My favorite were the people who were so intent on pretending not to see her that they would let doors slam in her face. People, it's actually not rude or chauvinistic to hold a door open for anyone who is walking/rolling in directly behind you. Seriously.

I should also point out that my mom also looked very "sickly". She was dying of cancer, and had shrunk down to about 90 pounds at this point, so it was always necessary for either myself or my dad to push her around, and witness all the rudeness.

Check, did that about 4 months ago. I decided to drop the diet sodas starting last week. Hopefully that will help. This is the part I don't get, I dropped the sodas which having had several a day in the past should have lead to some weight loss, but nada. I'm not compensating by eating other things either. That is part of the reason I decided to drop the Depo. If dropping sodas, eliminating 400 calories a day from my diet isn't going to enable me to lose weight I have to look at the hormones.

When everyone here at work was trying the low carb stuff I joined in, nothing again. Apparently my system doesn't seem to care what the makeup of the calories is, just what my exercise is. I was always active growing up and 5 lbs over 'ideal' weight growing up, but I told the docs to stick it since I swam 3 hours a day, rode my horse and generally was always on the go. I have broad shoulders and big boobs, hell the boobs alone are probably at least 5 lbs or more. I have never actually tried to watch what I eat until this past year when I began to be concerned about the long term effects of the spare tire.

Hee to the snotty woman about the guide dog.

Poo on trains, I figure if it's moving that's gotta smear it right? Flies and other insects are pretty efficient cleaners. Side note: above I think 9,000(?) feet there aren't any bees so the flowers smell like dung to get the flies to act as pollenators.

ETA: Good on you for losing the 30 lbs.

Reconfirming once again my complete conviction, Sparky that people are STOOPID. *Sigh*



Thanks, lady! And you last saw me about 20 lbs ago, too!!

I did, however, accidentally pay tribute to you this Sunday. I was walking through a street fair (yup-- you know where this is going...) and one of those fucking massage guys grabbed my shoulders as I went by. I was so startled that I wheeled around, leading with my raised elbow, and nailed the jackass right in the throat. He was gasping so badly, I almost felt bad.

Almost.

All hail the Sparky! Patron Saint of Don't Fucking Touch Me, ASS.

hee. you're my new hero. Lately I haven't had to resort to actual violence - the "don't fuck with me" look I give them generally makes them back off (and I get hypervigilant at the street fairs anyway).

My latest drama? what happened to my hair on Saturday. I can't repeat the story anymore, so I'm going to link to my blog entry about it. There's crying involved. I've calmed down a bit since then, but I still cringe when I look in the mirror.

I, too, am on the overweight side. I admit I have been quite lazy with exercising and far too active in eating. I haven't regularly exercised in several years. I would often go for walks, but they were more leisure walks. A month and a half ago I bought mysef a bike and have been riding every night. I have also started drinking Slimfast shakes and eating better snacks and meals. I increase the distance of my rides steadily, I am now up to 2.5 miles per day at least. If the weather is cool enough during the day I will ride to pay bills and do other errands around town. I also do almost all of the yard and garden work at home and work out with resistance bands. I have lost about 10 pounds this last month and a half. So, my weight loss has been from diet and exercise. I do feel lots better now and it is not just because of the lost weight, it is from the increased activity.

Oh, sparky1, I am so sorry! I had an experience like that several years ago and I cried for about three weeks everytime I looked in a mirror. And I didn't even get my hair dyed, just cut. And I looked at your picture with the Mounties--your hair is way cute that way. And I don't even know you, so I don't have to be polite.

About the reserved parking spaces for pregnant/new moms...weird! (Of course, here in Utah, with the highest birth rate in the US (I think), they would have to make two-thirds of the parking lot for pregnant/new moms if they were going to do that.) I know that after I gave birth to my son, I was slow but not handicapped. In fact, it actually felt good to walk a little, even if it exhausted me. And it is totally the parent's choice to have a gi-GAN-tic stroller or a reasonable-sized one. So, no, you don't deserve your own personalized parking spot.

Now, parking lots with more places to park your cart when you're done...that is a dream I have. I hate having to choose between leaving my kid in the car so I can take the cart back, leaving the cart in the wrong place (HATE!), or lugging my boy with me to the cart-park-spot, if the spot is far away. That's how I choose my parking spots--not how close to the store but how close to the cart place.

Sparky1 - My sincerest commiserations. Mega suckitude.

Oh, poor sparky1! I too feel your pain. A few years ago I got a perm that was supposed to be a body perm that turned out to be a nearly-burned-the-hair-off-my-head poodle perm; I had to get my hair cut to about 1/2 inch long to get rid of it (it was chin length), and still get sick every time I think about it!

I assume you're going to find a new salon?

Oh Sparky1 That sucks! I am EXTREMELY particular about about who I allow to touch my hair. Thus, I have only had about 4 different stylists in my entire adult life and only changed in most cases because I had moved out of state. I LURVE my current stylist and it makes me so sad/angry, etc to hear about things that have happened to you. Clearly you are a much better person than I because I would be telling everyone I knew plus folks on the street about your shitty treatment from that salon. UN.ACCEPT.ABLE!

Thanksjudebert I think I might just go with another portable mp3 player. I know he would love it for those runs on the treadmill and he has approximately a spillion mp3 on his laptop. The battery situation with the iPod just sounds like a PITA. Yeah, he totally gives me kudos for getting him gadget/electronic toys.

It has been a totally craptastic day at my office. So I'm off to the liquor store and then TAR.

Sparky1, that sucks. A couple of years ago I wanted to get my hair cut before going to a field camp for a couple of months. I told the stylist that I wanted my hair cut to just above my ears, and she gave me a really short spiky hair style. I looked like a boy and I'm already really tall, so it just added to the problem. I cried when I got home and my grandma just kept saying "It'll grow back", which is true but it took about two years. Combined with a couple of other bad hair cutting experiences, I dread getting my hair done.