I haven’t dropped off the face of the earth
But I am about to take a short sabbatical … we’re driving to AL/TN for Thanksgiving. Hope yours is good!
Your guide to preschooler-speak
Possible answers to the question “what are you doing?” – and their meanings:
“I don’t know.” : come running.
“Um …. nothing.” : come running fast.
“Cleaning my room.” : walk out of the front door; you have somehow found yourself in the wrong house.
Feels like a raise!
Along with the economy, the price of oil – and therefore, gasoline – has tanked. (yes, pun intended.)
Look at how much it’s fallen here in TX just in the last 6 months:
For how much we drive – and especially Jay, who drives about 500 miles a week – this has made a HUGE difference. A full tank of gas for him has gone from about $54 to about $26.
I hate that the economy is doing bad – but the silver lining for us is that the gas price drop is really helping us out. Is it wrong to be happy about that?
Let me rephrase
Gabriel and I were sitting down yesterday, going through my photos. I pulled out an old one of me holding two kittens, I think in 2003. He asked where they were, and I told him “we had to get rid of them back in Tennessee.”
He looked startled and said, “You can’t leave those cats in the sea! They be scared!”
While we’re on the subject of fashion
Plus-sized clothes shopping is a major drag. Your choices many times are between outrageously expensive or garish – or just plain frumpy. Mumu anyone?
But I’ve found some cute and fairly affordable things lately (not that I’ve bought most of them, but I’ve seen them). Read the rest of this entry »
Shoe Angst
So the last few winters I’ve been limping by on almost nothing shoe-wise. A pair of out-of-season-looking white tennis shoes was really the only close-toed shoes I had that still fit. I have some black loafers but my foot has widened, apparently, so they no longer fit.
So needless to say, it was time for some shoe shopping. If I had money running out of my ears, I would adore shoe shopping. But since I don’t, I obsess about finding the “perfect” shoe that will serve a versatile purpose. For instance, yesterday I set out looking for Black Mary Janes, with a low heel – something I could dress up or dress down.
I found this Mudd shoe that I really loved:
… but alas, it didn’t fit right. Perhaps if they had it in a wide (apparently Mudd doesn’t make wide shoes).
I looked at many similar shoes, but none of them worked either, either for aesthetics or fit.
So, I spent all day today trying on many, many shoes, finding that I have gone from a 7 1/2 to an 8 wide. Ugh. I mean, I’ve been schlepping around in flip flops pretty much ever since we landed in TX, so I just haven’t noticed. And let me tell you, like larger womens’ sizes, it’s not always easy to find cute shoes in wide widths.
I reluctantly settled for two different pairs – based much more on comfort than looks. I’m still not really satisfied, though. I really want a shoe exactly like the one pictured above, but haven’t found one in my size yet. Let me know if you run across one. 
Anyway, the shoes I wound up with:
Two Thumbs Up: Chick-Fil-a Chargrilled & Fruit Salad
I had the Chick-Fil-a Chargrilled & Fruit Salad yesterday. It comes with a packet of granola, a packet of sunflower seeds, and has its own Reduced-Fat Berry Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. It was heavenly.
Can I whine a little bit? Just for a minute?
I need somebody to whine to. My husband and my mom, my go-to people to whine to – are asleep.
I am feeling really wretched. I can’t tell if it’s from the bronchitis/pneumonia or the low-carb diet I’m on. Good news is I’m down 11 lbs.
I don’t want to stay on the low-carb diet for much longer, because I don’t think they’re really good for you (I have planned to transition to a low-fat diet) … but I’m afraid to quit. I lose so fast on them, and it’s so much harder sticking to a low-fat and/or low-calorie diet. At least it is for me.
I did find a low-carb, high-protein shake/drink that I like … EAS brand, chocolate flavor. I’m putting it and about 8 ice cubes into the blender and mixing them up. Good stuff. I mean, it’s not exactly a Frosty, but for someone eating nothing but meat and eggs and occasionally cheese – it’s a really nice change.
