Chinese Food, Anyone?

In losing 127 pounds, I have gained a sense of courage I never realized I was missing.  From roller coasters to plummeting fair rides, I've become pretty fearless.  I think I'd go skydiving if the opportunity arose, and I'm DYING to go horseback riding!

And it was this fearlessness that pushed me to apply for a teaching job--in CHINA.  I don't think I really thought it out completely...there's NO WAY I could go to China now.  My mom is 81 years old, and, thankfully, she's in pretty good health.  But I wouldn't forgive myself if I was on the other side of the world when she needed me most!  So I emailed the company and told them I wanted to take my name out of the running for the position. They encouraged me to apply another time--and I may.  In the meantime, a little sesame chicken should do me just fine...

Have a great day, everyone!

All's Fair...STATE Fair, That Is...

I had a great time at the NC State Fair yesterday!  I met Shannon, her grandmother Nina and Nina's significant other, Frank who drove up from Wilmington.  We were later joined by Nina's son, Frankie.  We rode rides and had so much fun!

Shannon and I rode on three rides: the "Tilt-a-Whirl", "Alien Abduction" which was a centrifugal force kind of ride that Shannon didn't like much, and "The Scrambler", which was called the "Merry Mixer" when I was a kid.  Frank and I rode on something called "The Claw" which was scary, but not as scary as the "Drop Zone" or whatever it was called that Frank, Frankie and I went on.  Above is a picture of the three of us before we went up...and up...and up.  And the photo below shows us plummeting back to earth...

I had SO much fun, although my knees are so achy today from all the walking!  But I'm so proud of myself--I walked and walked, and I rode rides I never would have ridden (because 1. I wouldn't have FIT and 2. I was too afraid).  Food-wise, I didn't do badly at all: Frank, Nina and I shared a funnel cake and Nina and I picked at an onion blossom.  The onion was delicious, but I limited myself to a few "petals" and loved it.  Nina bought me a caramel apple, which I brought home and ate some of last night, saving the rest for today.

I was fantastic yesterday--fearless, fun, food-smart and fabulous!  What a great way to be!  Happy Sunday, everyone!

Dinner and a Movie...

Over the weekend, thanks to my friend's generous gift, I saw "Argo".  I highly recommend this "based-on-a-true-story" film.  Ben Affleck is stepping into George Clooney's shoes and becoming the director/writer/actor, areas which seem to be his niche. 

The movie was very tightly directed--and even though I knew the outcome of the film, I still held my breath in places!  It was fantastic.  Funnier than I expected and every bit as dramatic as I hoped it would be.  Go see it!

It felt so good to be able to go to the movies!  I'm going to the NC State Fair this weekend with Shannon (James' ex-wife's granddaughter), and I can't wait.  Of course I can't eat a lot of the food at the fair, but I WILL buy a caramel apple to bring home!  (And stretch it over two meals...or so...depending on how big it is!)

October is more than half over--does that seem possible?  It's going to be holiday time before we know it!  And this year, unlike last year, is going to be great...I'm feeling good about myself, my finances are going to be straightened out, and I will go home for Christmas (if not for Thanksgiving...)

I made a pot of chili over the weekend, and it's so delicious!  I always wonder why I don't cook more often!  A pot of chili provides me with about 10 meals, so it's very inexpensive, hearty and because I buy very lean ground beef, it's also good for me!  (Those kidney beans are just packed with protein!)  I had a little chili for lunch today, and then turned around and had it for dinner, too!  (It just tasted so darned good!!)

It's ALMOST Wednesday, folks!!  Have a great one!

A Reason? A Season? Or a Lifetime?

Have you ever heard that saying, "People come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime"?  We all have people who come into our lives and stay for a short time for whatever reason, but if we're lucky, we have those people who are our friends forever.

My friend, T, is one of those lifetime friends.  I've known him for ten years--which doesn't seem possible--and while we've had our ups and downs, I love him...and I know he loves me.  I've been really down for the past month or so because I've been having a really hard time of it financially.  This new job pays considerably less than I was making--or at least it DID until I heard today that I'm going to get my Master's level pay plus the years' experience that my license hadn't been credited with before now.  It's a difference of nearly NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS.  Yep.  NINE THOUSAND dollars, which is about 750 dollars per month!!!

Anyway, T has been so supportive and has offered to help me financially--which I didn't really want but then he asked me the magic question: was I getting, at least, to the movies?  When I told him that I really haven't been able to afford to go to the movies, he went out and bought me a gift certificate for the movie theatre!  Now THAT is a great friend.  My escape, my coping mechanism, my island is going to the movies.  And T knows that.  What's odd is that most of my friends know how much I love going to the movies, but no one has ever bought me a gift card before now.  Isn't that weird? 

But I digress.  T knows me well enough--and cares enough--to buy me the perfect gift.  And I'll use it, too!  In fact I'll probably go this weekend!  I am so grateful to have this guy in my life...I can't even find the words. I am just so glad I know him...

On the other hand, there's James--my former fiance...you know, the one who said he didn't think he could be attracted to me if I lost the weight.  He was someone who was in my life for a REASON--and that reason was so that I could meet and fall in love with Shannon, his ex-wife's granddaughter.  I love her so much, and we have so much fun together.  I stayed with James much longer than I wanted to because of Shannon.  Truth is, James was--and is--the biggest loser I ever met.  He's a hoarder who lives in a dump of a house.  He's a comic book nerd, but not in a "cool, sexy" way, just in a creepy, yucky way. He's cheap, and anytime we did anything, it was because *I* was paying!  He wouldn't dream of spending any money!!  I ended things with him on August 27, and by Thanksgiving, he had met a new, super-sized woman who's way too good for him as I understand it.  She moved in with him and is now stuck because she lost her job, poor thing. Perhaps she'll find HER reason--and maybe it'll be the same as mine--Shannon.  Everyone who meets her loves her!

Anyway, today is FRIDAY...and homecoming at school, and a week before Shannon and I (and her grandmother and her boyfriend and son) are going to the State Fair!  I can't wait.

Oh, by the way, I've lost 130 pounds, and I seem to be pretty stable.  Not gaining and not losing which is fine with me.  I wear a size medium or a size large in misses, rather than the plus sizes I've worn for the past 30 years...and I feel GREAT.  James would love to see me fail at this, I'm sure, because that's who he is, but I have NO intention of failing.  I'm better than I've ever been--and I have friends who love me enough to send me to the movies.  How lucky am I?