Week 1(ish): Down 6.2 lbs!

Week 1(ish): -6.2 lbs!

Pretty good start for a first week, though that is usually the biggest (shocking your system and all). I did really well on my gym commitment, too!

Keys to this week:

1. Going to the gym three times. I want to go more, but it's a very solid start.
2. Resisting the booze damage during Birthday Season kickoff weekend. I only had two drinks on Friday and two on Saturday. Less beer = less beer bellies.
3. Thinking before eating. "Do I really want a hamburger - or will a turger burger be just as good for less calories?" "If I order a side salad, I can always steal one or two of Nick's fries to satisfy my craving without eating a whole pile."
4. Competition. Made a bet with Steve. Loser buys dinner in June.

New things to try this week:

1. Vinyasa Yoga class at BSC.
2. Recipes from Fitness magazine (will post on how it goes!).
3. Minimizing booze damage during Birthday Season

"Everyone who got where he is has had to begin where he was."
[Robert Louis Stevenson]

Halloween 2009: The Idea

Without a predetermined Halloween theme in July (oh, who are we kidding, more like January) this year, I've been putting off figuring out what I want to be/do for a costume. Last year by the start of October I already had my costume pieces together and was just working out the details of my hair.

I wanted to do something really fun this year and pick something that would be easily recognizable. We toyed with the idea of doing Marc Antony & Cleopatra, Batman & Robin or Catwoman or Superwoman, and Bonnie & Clyde (the boy wanted to be a gangster... SURPRISE). After looking at a few pictures of Bonnie & Clyde - the boy's clear favorite - I was unimpressed. But it helped me think up the perfect idea: gangsters & flappers!

Now the boy gets to be a Prohibition Era, John Dillinger-esque gangster and I get to be a Louise Brooks inspired flapper.

"I like to drink and fuck."

"Most beautiful dumb girls think they are smart and get away with it, because other people, on the whole, aren't much smarter."

"A well dressed woman, even though her purse is painfully empty, can conquer the world."

Let the costuming begin!

One-Sentence Commencement Speeches

Northeastern graduated two weeks ago and BU graduates this weekend (along with a plethora of other schools). Our speaker was Dr. Kenneth Cole (and yes, he is now a doctor) - who was surprisingly good - and if anyone has a copy of his speech I would love it.

PostSecret's Frank Warren delivered a commencement speech at St. Mary's College in Maryland this week and asked students to submit "one sentence speeches."

I did not know what to expect by tapping into your collective wisdom, but I was soon thrilled by the insight, humor, and inspiration I felt in your earnest one-sentence commencement speeches. Here are just a few.

Be wise enough not to be reckless, but brave enough to take great risks.

It’s okay to fail – learn from it and you will succeed.

It’s better to be pissed-off than pissed-on.

These next three all offer solid advice about making the transition from St Mary’s to the real world.

With the increased prevalence of multi-drug resistant bacteria and the increasingly epidemic worldwide outbreak of swine flu, WASH YOUR HANDS . . . RELIGIOUSLY.

In the real world, you must wear shoes.

I know some of us are going to walk off this stage today with no idea about what comes next – embrace it, find something that makes you happy, and follow it wherever it leads.

The comments section of PostSecret also has thousands of others. Some of my favorites:

You can do anything. But not everything.

No matter how low you consider yourself, there is always someone looking up at you wishing they were that high.

It''s okay to be afraid, but don't let that fear hold you back. Instead, have it push you forward, breaking through the barrier you thought was there.

It's ok to be scared and it's even ok to fail; you don't have to be perfect.

"to do is to be" - nietzsche
"to be is to do" - kant
"do be do be do" - sinatra
only your song matters in the end

Girl Scouts v. Boy Scouts

Dan Kennedy posted a 'no-class comment' that was made by a Boy Scouts of America spokeswoman on Saturday in the Boston Globe:

The Girl Scouts, pretty much they're known for the Girl Scout cookies. When people think of Boy Scouts, they think of Eagle awards. They think of service.

His post has garnered tons of responses - from those defending Boy Scouts and their spokeswoman to those who say that scouting in general has gone the way of the dinosaur. I, of course, had to weigh in:

I have been a Girl Scout for 18 years - from kindergarten through college and I am now training to be a trainer for GS Eatern Mass. It's frustrating that just because Girl Scouts isn't organized like Boy Scouts - that you have to earn Eagle, etc like levels - makes people think that it's any less legitimate.

I volunteered running a troop for 5 years in Roxbury, across the street from Northesatern University. Almost every week for those five years the girls would squeal in delight and the boys would ask, "Can we come? Why don't we have boy scouts??" So where are these Eagle scouts, who have invested all this time in their projects - are they continuing to give back to the community and foster another generation of involved young citizens?

And GS might be most well known for cookies - but that is the major source of income for funding programs and camps, especially for girls who are unable to afford registration fees, etc. So please, buy a box and give it away. But know that your money isn't for the delicious cookies but so that girls like mine can actually participate in events.

I'd love to know what everyone else thinks - former Boy and Girl Scouts, and those who have never been involved.

Resolution Update: Scale Victory #1!!

So, in sticking with Resolution #1 I started this week by making a menu for each day. Then the boy and I headed to the grocery store for a massive healthy-food shopping trip. It was quite the success. I basically chose recipes inspired by Tosca Reno's Eat Clean book mixed with recipes for my new Crock Pot!

This week, following the "just eat a little healthier, eat a little less, and drink more water" plan, I lost 4.2 lbs! Which means I'm only 18.4 away from my goal for graduation on May 1!!

For a little inspiration I wrote a bunch of my favorite quotes on my scale in brightly colored Sharpie.

They say:

• "Don't Stop Believin'" [Journey]
• "It's not that some people have willpower and some don't. It's that some people are ready to change and others are not." [James Gordon]
• "Don't be afraid of changes. Don't be afraid of your life." [Eclectic Collective Changes]
• "Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." [Nelson Mandela]
• "Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal." [Thomas Jefferson]
• "Regret is an appaling waste of energy." [Katherine Mansfield]
• "You can learn new things at any time in your life if you're willing to be a beginner." [Barbara Sher]
• "Did you ever think that maybe if you're not happy it's because of you?" [SK6ERS]
• "The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occure when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers." [M. Scott Peck]

And now off to eat some home-made chicken soup before my first day of work tomorrow!!

A Story of Humanity & Compassion Despite Political Differences

After I voted I walked out to the street to find my mother's friends surrounding our new friend Mike - they were laughing and having a great time. I joined them and soon learned that Mike had changed his mind in the polling booth and ended up voting for Obama. When I asked him why he changed his mind at the last minute, he explained that while he was waiting for his jacket he got into a conversation with one of the ladies who had explained how the Jewish community, and she, had worked side by side with the black community during the civil rights movements of the 60's, and that this vote was the culmination of those personal and community efforts so many years ago. That this election for her was more than just a vote...but a chance at history.

Read the whole story here at Running a Hospital.

I'm ready to get off this emotional roller coaster

Sunday and Monday was a ridiculous experience of going from the highest emotional high to the lowest low. From speaking at Kyle & Laurie's wedding ceremony to finding out about getting robbed of my jewelry (and old laptop). It was emotionally, and thus physically, draining. Once I got back to the city Monday, I napped and laid in my bed for a few hours, unable to find the energy or motivation to go much farther. And also scared that somehow leaving would have dire consequences. Kari and I did manage to be productive in the evening when we started cleaning the front closet and pantry - which was completely beyond words disgusting. I needed the act of packing to excite me and make moving out of this shithole with my slumlord a reality. 24 days and counting.

Tuesday was slightly more energetic and productive, if only because it had to be for the most part. But then, for the first time since the start of January, I didn't close on a Tuesday night. So I was finally able to partake of Ladies 80s Night at Red Sky ($10 of booze gets you a free three course meal). I had the best experience ever with BPD (Office D. Brown) when filing my supplemental report. After Red Sky, and observing the ridiculousness that is Menino's corraling of street performers at Fanieul Hall (see Universal Hub), I went home and watched TV in our peaceful apartment.

Today was a lot of class and reading, and the next week of upcoming finals is going to be crazy. But the power of positive thinking (I'm convinced that's what it was) brought me to the Jack Johnson concert in Mansfield for free, with the decision made about 45 minutes prior to leaving the city. It took an arsenal of calls to BR sales people but it all came together, and I even ran into one of my best friends from NH on Rt 495 on his way to the concert too.

Of course, listening to music you haven't heard in awhile, and truly hearing the lyrics, makes you start thinking. Especially thinking of things that hadn't been thought about in awhile, that get sparked by seeing someone special.

Well I was sitting, waiting, wishing
You believed in superstitions
Then maybe you'd see the signs

The Lord knows that this world is cruel
I ain't the Lord, no I'm just a fool
Learning lovin' somebody don't make them love you

Lately: Bball, DOTC, Bowling, Mac&Cheese

Being back in classes means a lot more running around, a lot more switching gears several times a day, and a lot less reading/blogging in between adventures.

Here's what I've been up to:
Saturday
Basketball tournament for AI kids out in Brookline. Watched some kid slam his face into the side of the pavement. Sports are so interesting because really, what does winning mean? For street games there is no trophy, no prize money. But the way these guys were playing, you'd think it was a battle to the death. Chanting, yelling, pouring sweat, harassing each other, half-court shots, scrapping for every rebound - it was unreal. But to be THAT in the moment with something, it's an intense thing to watch.

That night got eaten alive by mosquitos on my feet (damn flip-flops) at Dancing on the Charles. Definitely not my crowd, music preference, or age demographic, but we still managed to make it fun. (See Adam's post at www.bostonin60.com)

Tuesday
Worked at Banana. Met up with friends at King's Bowling Alley to watch them compete in the championship for the College League. Apparently it's "Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner." They were on fire for awhile, knocking out strikes left and right. But alas, there will be no chicken dinner or pizza party for us. Also - playing pool with intoxicated friends is dangerous.

Wednesday
Had the best homemade from scratch macaroni and cheese ever. Seriously, I can't explain how delicious it was. And made even better by the fact that I didn't have to cook it, or clean up really, just drank white wine on the couch while looking at my lovely flowers.

I'm a Bravo TV addict. I am SO, so excited to watch the new season on Project Runway. And there was a new Sheer Genius on last night too. Seriously, how can you go wrong with clothing design, haircuts, and bitchy queens?

More exciting stuff is on the horizon this weekend, so stay tuned.

Also, really interesting video (Lest We Forget) that we watched yesterday in American Society. Watch it and tell me what you think.

"Those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it."

Writing will rot your brain

I protested to my mother: I did not want to be an engineer. The idea of toiling endlessly on applied calculus problems in Calc 4 is completely unappealing to me. But to be honest, I do miss being able to derive and integrate, or even just play around with trig problems. There's something nice about math in contrast to sociology, journalism, or policy classes -- it has answers. Maybe I should have sprinkled a few math classes into my college career just for the change of pace. Eh, who knows. But for now, to quote my favorite math teacher Mr. Nagy: "Don't drink and derive."

Only boring people get bored.

It's one of my favorite quotes of all time is from my Meme (grandmother for those not familiar with Quebecoise).

So when I saw this at Copley today (part of a Hugo ad campaign), I had to share:

A place for your stuff

Last Monday of co-op. George Carlin died yesterday (NYT article).
And somehow that combination made me want to post his, "A place to put your stuff."

Collar bones, smart asses & the bureaucratic process

Small but significant non-scale related skinny moments:

• My favorite pair of black work pants is now akin to wide-leg trousers. (Thanks to Kate Moss for making them “in” yet again.)
• I have collarbones! I can see them! And they are cute!
• When I suck in my tummy, it actually goes inward instead of simply going flat.
• Rings that used to fit only on my pinky now sit comfortably on my ring finger.

I’m trying really, really hard to learn to bite my tongue. Participating in larger blog communities invites a lot of praise AND criticism. I’m well aware that everyone who reads something I post won’t agree with me, and that is completely fine. However, I’d appreciate that if you do leave a negative comment you say something constructive instead of simply referring to me (and all of my peers) as smart asses.

The sheer amount of detail-oriented things that need to be thought about on a day-to-day as an adult continues to blow me away. To update my car’s registration and get my own insurance required carefully coordinated power-of-attorney forms, which then allowed the title to be changed to my name. And the car was registered in my name, so that I could get my own insurance. This process also apparently required getting new license plates, which meant that I couldn’t apply for my school parking permits until I got the new plate number. And at some point within the next 10 days it needs to be inspected, back in the state it’s registered. Holy shit, what a process! I don’t whether to scream at the sheer bureaucracy of it or call my daddy and cry for him to take care of it like he’s always done. Probably neither, I suppose.

And I leave you with this:

I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity. (Gilda Radner)