DIVA TAUNIA'S BACKSTAGE PASS

I'VE MOVED!

2009-01-27T11:31:00.001-08:00

It's inevitable. I get bored, and then I move. You can now find me on my new blog here: http://divataunia.typepad.com/. Don't mind the mess, I'm still working out the design. Thanks!

WEEK # 34 WEIGH-IN RESULTS + PCOS DRAMA!

2008-11-24T06:27:00.000-08:00

WEEK # 32 WEIGH-IN RESULTS + MEASUREMENTS AND SIZES, ETC

2008-11-18T08:10:00.000-08:00

WEEK # 32 WEIGH-IN RESULTS

2008-11-11T08:12:00.001-08:00

WEEK # 31 WEIGH-IN RESULTS

2008-11-03T07:45:00.001-08:00

WEEK # 30 WEIGH-IN RESULTS

2008-10-26T19:45:00.001-07:00

CATCHING UP...IN WRITING

2008-10-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Do I still remember how to write/type? I can't even remember the last time I actually wrote something and didn't just post a video. (Yes, I could stop being so lazy and go back and look, but it's enough effort for me to just type this...so gimme a break, eh?)

Ok, so LOTS to update on....

SUSY!

First, a shout out to my Facebook pal Susy, who gave me a really nice award on her blog here: Shrinking Susy. She and her fabulous sister Barbara (A Phoenix Rising) friended me on Facebook and we've been WLS pals ever since. Plus, they both whoop my arse in Scrabble. lol Two really awesome gals - please check out their blogs!

KIDNEYS!

My left kidney has been out of control. I was back in the hospital a couple weeks ago with another kidney infection and more stones. The whole thing is just a gigantic pain in the arse because NO ONE seems to know how to fix me. That's the first problem. The second problem is that everyone thinks I'm a junkie because I keep asking for more pain medication because, you know, I'M IN PAIN.

My stomach can't handle traditional painkillers like Advil or Excedrin because it causes me to be sick to my stomach and doesn't really stop the pain anyhow. The only thing that seems to work is liquid Roxicet. It's nice and cozy in my belly and removes all traces of pain. And it doesn't make me vomit, which is a super-plus. Now granted, this is a narcotic and they pretty much do everything short of strip search you to administer it, but IT WORKS. And I have to beg like a junkie to get it. It's pretty humiliating.

Right now, I have about a teaspoon left, and I've called every medical person I know to get more...because I KNOW there's going to be more pain, and no one will help me. It's frustrating, because it makes me resort to downing medication that I KNOW will make me sick, but I'll pretty much do anything to get rid of the pain - which is much like someone taking a samurai sword and shoving it into my abdomen.

The other issue is that I have a kidney infection that refuses to go away. No one seems to know why, except me. I have this theory: because I absorb things differently in my post-op tummy, the medication is not being absorbed and distributed the way it should. My theory is that I need to remain hooked up to an IV of the fluid antibiotic until it's gone. Of course, this is with my vast medical training and knowledge. But still, I think I'm right. Especially since all the doctors have been WRONG up until now.

So there you have it - fun with kidneys!

SERENA!

My poor baby just had ANOTHER surgery where all of her teeth needed to be removed. She had 25 teeth taken out and it breaks my heart. She had some periodontal disease where bacteria from her stomach was coming up and residing in her teeth, thereby causing bleeding ulcers all throughout her mouth. We tried lots of medications and waxes, etc, and nothing worked. The teeth had to go.

I went to pick her up yesterday and was handed a bill for $2400.00. I'm not joking: TWENTY-FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS. TWO THOUSAND, FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS. I started to cry. If you saw the stack of unpaid medical bills on my desk from my own surgeries (one for $7000, which MUST be a mistake and reminds me I need to call those lunatics), you'd understand why.

Thankfully, my vet and the animal hospital totally rock. They know that I'm self-employed and they know that I've been in and out of the hospital, so they let me set up a payment plan of $500 a month until it's paid off. I hugged them both and thanked them for their kindness. I have a good track record with them (over $5000 has been paid to them in the last year - just from me), so they know me pretty well and know they can trust me. No credit run, nothing....just gave me a payment plan in good faith. Old school, and I love them for it.

MY LOVAH! (aka my new boyfriend)

What can I say about this man? Well, EVERYTHING. I totally adore him. He's everything that I wanted, but more importantly, everything I've needed. He's kind, considerate and thoughtful, HILARIOUS, and just an all-around wonderful person.

He's also not the type of guy I ever expected myself falling for. For a long time, I imposed these rules on myself: no dating divorced men or men with kids (most especially the last part as I have never wanted kids). But there was something that made me think that I should ignore those rules for him, and I'm so glad that I did because I found out that he's learned from his last marriage (and the dating he did since then) about what he wants/needs, and I also found out that he's an AMAZING father. He's so present in his kids lives, and cares deeply about them and raising them. But he's also present in MY life. And he cares deeply about me and this relationship. That's just who he is.

AND, I love his kids. Truly. And not just because they're HIS kids, but because they're GREAT kids. Huge personalities, lots of manners (proof of how they were raised), and really sweet and funny. And it suddenly struck me what an amazing opportunity this was for me: to have kids in my life and for me to be in theirs, skipping over the parts I don't want for myself (the screaming, the puking, the pooping and diapers, becoming the "soccer mom" stereotype, etc). I get to experience them and be part of their lives (obviously in a limited capacity) and maybe make a small impact on them in some way too. It's kind of amazing and I really view it as a gift.

But Rob - he just makes me happy. He treats me the way I should be treated. And he makes me laugh ALL THE TIME. He's affectionate, loyal, funny, and I trust him 100% - which is something that has been lacking from my previous relationship(s). He is completely supportive of my weight loss goals, but not in a way that makes me self-conscious. In fact, we've decided to live a healthier lifestyle together - which is exactly what I need from someone.

I'll just admit it...he makes me swoon. Even when he's parodying me, as seen below:

How much do I love his Boston accent? lol I heart him. :)

So that's it, peeps. A long-winded, fully typed blog entry which took entirely too much time to write. lol I'll type again in another 6 months. Peace out!

WEEK # 29 WEIGH-IN RESULTS

2008-10-20T13:26:00.001-07:00

WEEK # 28 WEIGH-IN RESULTS + GOSSIP!

2008-10-12T20:04:00.001-07:00

WEEK # 27 WEIGH-IN RESULTS (with secret news!)

2008-10-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

SUCK IT, KIDNEY

2008-09-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

My left kidney hates me. This I know. Either that, or God does. One or the other because it's happening all over again.

For the past few days, I have been in tremendous pain with tremendous nausea, and a tremendous amount of vomiting. Lovely. Nothing says "healthy" like bending over the toilet every 10 mins barfing your brains out. Now I'm back on my chemotherapy nausea medication to try and keep it under control. Thankfully I can take pills now, so it's all a heck of a lot easier to manage this time around and I don't have to beg the doctors like a strung-out junkie for some liquid painkiller.

Now lest you think this has something to do with my gastric bypass surgery: wrong. I've had issues with this bitchy kidney since I got the Ecoli virus (yes, THAT was a good time) back in my late 20s and almost died*. The doctor told me then that I had some kidney damage and I'd likely be dealing with suck-ass** kidneys for the rest of my life. I suppose there's worse things I could be dealing with, but with this kind of pain, it's hard to imagine what.

And in the wake of all this, I'm getting bills for my summer surgeries that the insurance companies haven't covered. I just got a $7100*** bill from the hospital for my first kidney surgery this summer. I still have to call them and yell at them, but what the F was I supposed to do? My kidney was septic and if they hadn't operated, I would have DIED. I'm pretty sure my options were kind of limited there. Of course, if I had this $7100 bill in hand, I may have made another choice.

Now can we PLEASE have some serious discussion about socialized health care? Pretty please?!?!?

P.S. My kidney thanks you in advance.

*I was 27 and had I waited one more day to come in, I would have died. Not exactly the chipper kind of news you want to hear when lying on a table IN YOUR 20s trying to not go into the light.

**Not his words, but might as well have been.

***I shit you not.

WEEK # 25 WEIGH-IN RESULTS

2008-09-21T16:07:00.001-07:00

WEEK # 24 WEIGH-IN RESULTS & I MET BARACK OBAMA!!!!

2008-09-15T06:33:00.001-07:00

TURNING BACK THE CLOCK

2008-09-06T10:29:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest fears with losing weight (besides the inevitable plastic surgery) was looking OLDER. For most of my life, I looked much younger than I was, but as soon as I hit 30 - WHAM! I was looking like a seriously old hag. After watching a lot of post-op videos and looking at post-op pics, I realized that I could be potentially setting myself up for early admittance into the old-folks home. That scared me, because if my fat was good for anything, it was good for plumping up wrinkles and acting as Mother Nature's botox. I saw too many photos and videos of people looking older, and I *so* don't want that to be me. Vain? Yes. I admit it.

This week has proven to be a huge ego boost for me. I've been mistaken for much younger than I am no fewer than three times. I had two auditions this week where I had to reveal my age. At the first one, the 30-ish woman standing next to me joked about the age section of the audition form and then watched me write "36." She literally gasped and said, "You're 36!?!?" I told her yes and she said, "I would have guessed 28." I told her she was my new best friend.

The next audition, I was joking with one of the younger girls in the dance audition that the young people had to be in the front. She said that I was not much older than her, and then I laughed out loud when she said she was 26. I told her I was 10 years older than her and she said, "Huh. I would have guessed 30."

After that, I was a Target talking with the cashier about something age-related, and she said something like, "you're far too young for that anyway." I told her I was 36 and she said, "Wow - I would not have guessed over 30."

NICE.

I also got a lot of comments about how much younger I look on my youtube videos, which is so nice. (Important to note: my video camera is pretty awesome at hiding wrinkles and signs of aging, though.) So I'm feeling much, much better about the aging thing. It seems like time might be going slightly backwards for me now, and I dig it.

Now, am I hearing what I want to hear? Probably, but I don't care. Youth is energy and outlook too, so I'm sticking with it. I refuse to look the part. Hair dye, boas, and all things sparkly for me, please.

Now if you'll excuse me, Hannah Montana is on TV right now.

I AM AN EXPLORER/NEGOTIATOR!

2008-08-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I decided that since I'm feeling more comfortable with my outward appearance AND because I work from home, that I'd put myself out there on a few dating sites. (More precious stories from that to follow!) I signed up for chemistry.com today, and had to take a little mini Myers-Briggs type test. This is what they say about me, and I kind of dig it!

You are an EXPLORER/NEGOTIATOR

You are a highly spontaneous person who always likes to try new things. Novel and unpredictable situations don't bother you; instead you find them challenging and exciting.

You tend to be focused and resourceful and you are able to juggle a lot of projects at the same time; as a result you are sometimes a whirlwind of activity. [read: I am CHAOS, my friends.]

You have a firm grip on reality [arguable] and enjoy living in the present tense. But you have a keen imagination that enables you to lift off from time and space to be remarkably creative. [read: write about all of my gay boyfriends, who I won't find on this site]

You are humorous. You are able to laugh at yourself [indeed], and you like entertaining others. [I think the word 'entertaining' is used loosely here.]

You have a deep sense of compassion. You can show genuine insight into the needs of others; you are good at listening and talking; and you express a genuine desire to be helpful. [read: I am bossy.]

Yet you are easy-going. [Back up, read last comment.] Your tolerance[questionable] for others and their beliefs, your lack of prejudice [indeed, I love all peeps], your ability to compromise and your occasional [occasional=permanent] antics make you popular with others and a great companion.

[Right on. Right on.]

WOODY GUTHRIE & JONATHA BROOKE

2008-08-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how a lyric that's so simple can be so moving:

"I will never dread the day that I die, because my sunset is somebody's morning sky."

That is just so beautiful.

Go out and buy The Works, NOW. Seriously, it's so gorgeous...I cannot stop listening to it.

WEEK # 20 WEIGH-IN RESULTS: ONEDERLAND!

2008-08-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

WEEK # 19 WEIGH-IN RESULTS

2008-08-10T14:19:00.001-07:00

JUST LIKE BREAKFAST AT GRANDMA'S HOUSE

2008-08-07T21:13:00.000-07:00

YOU MUST READ THIS AND MUCH LAUGHTER WILL BE HAD.

WEEK # 18 WEIGH-IN RESULTS

2008-08-05T20:52:00.001-07:00

AAA - I'M SHOCKED

2008-07-30T06:43:00.000-07:00

Any time I've ever had to call AAA, it's been with complete frustration because I know that I'm going to wait a MINIMUM of 1 hour, but more likely 2 or 3. In fact, the last time I had to call AAA, I waited FOUR HOURS. I'm not even joking.

This morning, I had to call them because I have a flat tire. Luckily for me, the tire blew out AFTER I had come home and parked the car in my driveway, so there was no waiting on a road somewhere. Still, I braced myself for an all-day wait.

I called at 9:30. In literally ONE MINUTE, the dude was in my driveway. SAY WHAT? Somehow, I had incredible timing and called just as the AAA truck was already in my neighborhood towing another car. Not only that, but the guy was young and super-friendly and talkative.

He changed my tire in about 2 mins and I gave him a $5.00 tip. The whole thing from beginnging to end - phone call to him jumping back in the truck - took FIVE MINUTES.

I figured I bitch enough about them when they take forever, I should certainly give them kudos when they do it right. :)

WEEK # 17 , MY STRAPLESS DRESS, & MY DATE!

2008-07-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

WEEK # 16 (4 MONTHS!) WEIGH-IN RESULTS

2008-07-20T20:12:00.001-07:00

YOU MUST READ THIS. ALL OF YOU!

2008-07-15T07:52:00.001-07:00

FAT IS SEXIER THAN YOU THINK

Thank you to Miss Aimee for sending me this!

WEEK # 15 WEIGH-IN RESULTS

2008-07-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

Normally I post my youtube update for the weigh-in results, but I had my gang of friends over while I was recording it, and the audio quality is much like nails on a chalkboard, so I will spare you that. Instead, I'll just give you a handy-dandy little chart:

Start Weight: 303.4
Last Week: 218.8
This Week: 215.6
Loss this Week: -3.2 (NICE!)
Total Loss Overall: -87.8 (NICER!)

Things are plugging along with my weight, and I couldn't be happier. This Thursday, I get the stent yanked out of my va-jay-jay, so hopefully that will be the end of my two-month long kidney nightmare. And hello to a possible date with my hottie doctor!

And here's an update and a little story about that:

My hottie surgeon doctor did not end up operating on me - he got a much cooler kidney transplant operation that morning. That works out great for me as technically he has not ever been my doctor and he can now go out with me when I ask him (assuming he has even the slightest bit of interest). I'll go with my usual "leave him a note with my number" routine and hope for the best.

Also on that same topic, I got a nasty note from someone (who was particular obsessed with me asking out my doctor) while I was sick. It really bothered and upset me (because it attacked my character - which always hurts your feelings), until I traced the phony email and realized it's from an insane person that I no longer speak with. I halted all email conversations after that because I'm all set with crazy, thanks. But it's pretty ridiculous the lengths that some people will go to with their particular brand of insanity.

Speaking of insanity, we celebrated the lovely Miss Cyn's 30th birthday yesterday! She's hella tough to surprise, but somehow we pulled it off. We surprised her at my house, then took her to Border Cafe for lunch and many a margarita. After that, we lounged poolside for a good chunk of the afternoon and had a nice little ice cream cake. The evening was topped off by dinner outside in downtown Lowell, which always makes me happy because it's just such a nice, social area to be dining and hanging out.

I've got tons more to talk about, but I'll save that for another entry. Hope y'all are having a super-fantastic summer. Rock on.

WEEK # 14 WEIGH-IN RESULTS

2008-07-07T20:38:00.001-07:00

Sorry I look so high! I'm still on some heavy-duty meds from my surgery here. :)

WEEK # 13 WEIGH-IN RESULTS

2008-06-29T10:29:00.001-07:00

SORRY ABOUT THE CRAZY MUSIC IN THE BEGINNING! LOL

I FOUND HIM

2008-06-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I met the man I am going to marry.

I had my pre-op appt at the hospital, and when my name was called, I looked up to find the most handsome and lovely man I have ever seen. He was the Resident and his face lit up with a big smile when I said hello. He shook my hand and introduced himself and I swear to you, it was love at first sight.

The funny thing is, he was SO cordial. He stopped and motioned for me to walk first through every doorway - very "datelike." It was really cute. He also seemed just slightly nervous to talk with me, and not in an "I'm just an awkward person" kind of way. It was more of a "I think she's cute and I'm nervous" kind of way.

He explained the procedure and I kept cracking jokes and making him laugh. After a little while, he did the flirty "touching the arm" thing when he was talking to me! I was thinking to myself "you are SO not supposed to be doing that, but I don't care!" lol He also asked me about my gastric bypass, and I told him I was down 75 lbs now. He then said, "Well, I have to tell you, you look great." Awwww, *SWOON*!

Then he dropped a bomb, "I'm going to be doing the surgery with Dr. B (the chief of surgery).

OH.

MY.

GOD.

NOOOOOOOOOOO!

That means he's going to see my vagina before we ever go on a date! The surgery we decided on has them taking out the old stent I have now (thank GOD) and going up with a laser to destroy those little bastard stones. And of course, they have to go in through the vagina. Not a great way to start our romance, eh?

Anyhow, I decided that after the surgery is over I'm going to give him a little card and ask him out to dinner and give him my number. That's my usual way of approaching things....kind of fraidy-cat way of doing it, but at least I'll get an answer either way. :)

But mark my words, this is the man I am going to marry!

WEEK # 12 WEIGH-IN RESULTS & A CONFESSION

2008-06-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

WEEK # 11 WEIGH-IN RESULTS + HEALTH UPDATE

2008-06-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW

2008-06-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I was back in the hospital again on Friday. I was having massive pain in my abdomen and I had this wacky situation where I may not have had insurance for the month of June (more on that later), so I got myself in there pronto. I started having serious pain again on Wednesday, and all through Thursday. I was trying like hell to ignore it, but Thursday night and Friday morning had me vomiting, and I hadn't eaten in three days, so I knew at the very least I was getting dehydrated and that I should go to the ER.

First, let me be clear: this is NOT a complication of the gastric bypass surgery. This is a pre-existing condition that I've had for a long, long while now that's just come to fruition. In fact, from the two CT scans that I've had, my whole gastro-intestinal system is looking super-good. Unfortunately, my kidneys: not so much.

This time, one of the ginormous kidney stones blocking my kidney broke off, thereby causing MORE pain and bleeding. The pain was so intense it was making me vomit. I seriously wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. It's so horrible. The next step is kidney surgery. They'll go in from my back into the kidney and take out all of the junk. They can't let it pass because 1) it's too big 2) it's too much 3) it would be too much stress on my body and something bad would happen to me. So, under the knife I go again. I'm racking up some serious frequent flyer miles here, and pretty soon I should be due for a free surgery! (my breasts will thank me for it later when they're being reconstructed)

So the insurance debacle: my Commonwealth Care program cut me off at 6 months because I make too much money now. Fine, whatever, I'll pay a chunk of money. The issue was, I didn't think I would get the new insurance in time. I got the paperwork and check off at the very last second, and I thought for sure that the month of June would be spent uninsured. But YAY! I got a letter on Saturday saying that I was approved and that my coverage started on June 1st. For the lovely price of $339 a month. Fabulous!

Anyhow, I've been pretty depressed about all of this lately. Not a day goes by where I'm NOT in pain, NOT nauseous, NOT tried and lethargic due to lack of food and water. It's seriously sucking the life out of me, and I've been crying for a week now. I do my very, very best to be positive and upbeat, but this is just too much to handle. Thank GOD that my insurance has kicked in and I can schedule this surgery ASAP.

Anyhow, a friend of mine sent me THIS VIDEO. It's amazing what the power of music can do. I mean, my situation still sucks and this doesn't change it at all, but listening to Johnny Nash sing, and REALLY listening to the lyrics gives me a feeling of hope and happiness:

Oh yes I can make it now, the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is the rainbow I've been prayin' for
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day

As soon as this operation is over, this is going to be my theme song, I tell ya. And I'll be singing this myself until then....

WEEK # 9 WEIGH-IN RESULTS

2008-06-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

WEEK # 8 - WEIGH IN RESULTS

2008-05-25T14:58:00.001-07:00

IN LIEU OF ACTUAL FUN

2008-05-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

F-YOU, KIDNEYS!

2008-05-19T09:17:00.000-07:00

More specifically, left kidney.

Ok, here's the scoop: last week, I started feeling not so great. I lost my appetite completely, and was having trouble just drinking water. I thought I had done something to my stomach and messed up the surgery - so I started freaking out. On Friday, when I could barely get water down in the morning, I knew it was time to go to the ER.

I got there, they took all my info, and ended up admitting me until last night. Turns out, it wasn't my stomach at all, but my left kidney. Apparently, I had a raging UTI (AGAIN) and also a ginormous kidney stone blocking the entrance/exit to my kidney, thereby trapping the infection inside. There's several large kidney stones and many smaller ones as well. My kidney is not in good shape.

The doctor told me that it was good that I went in when I did, or I could have easily developed septic shock and died. That's how serious the blockage was - yikes! The pain from that was what was making me naseous and unable to keep anything down. And the solution for this type of situation? Surgery. CRIPES.

In fact, I have to get TWO surgeries. Yesterday, they inserted a stent into my kidney so that it could drain the infection and any trapped urine (pretty!) in my kidney. The downside? I have horrible pain and urgency to pee at all times now, and still can't really eat or drink.

The second surgery happens in about a month. They will go in from my back and into the kidney and remove all the stones. They said trying to break them down so that my body could pass them would be too taxing on my system, so surgery is the only option. The stent I have will keep me from getting too sick in the meantime.

I got to go home last night and have been vomiting ever since. Yay.

I'll do an update when I'm on the mend and not feeling so craptastic like I do right now.

F-in' kidney.

AND YOU WANT TO DATE ME?

2008-05-13T05:20:00.000-07:00

So I have a bunch of personals online, and I was very upfront and mentioned my surgery right away so I could avoid the awkwardness of it later. Anyhow, I just got this today:

Hi my name is XX, and you are very beautiful, just wanted to say im not a big fan of gastric bypass, my cousin had gastric bypass years ago and has had nothing but problems to this day, she will never be the same, she can't even get out of bed. she was 400 lbs, hope for things go better for you then her. XX.

Uh, what the hell?? Does he think that this is going to make me swoon? Nothing like being the grim reaper of death for a total stranger, huh? Way to court the ladies!

WEEK 7 WEIGH-IN RESULTS

2008-05-12T05:14:00.001-07:00

QUICK! GRAB THE AQUANET!

2008-05-04T21:16:00.000-07:00

My surgeon told me that he would like my goal weight to be 185. That's exactly how much I weighed when I was 17 and a junior in high school. (Of course, it just kept going up and up after that) Can you imagine? Back to my high school weight? Nuts.

So for a visual reference, I pulled out a picture of what that looks like. And people, my humiliation is your entertainment:

Granted, I probably *really* weighed 165, because that hair has GOT to weight at least 20lbs. And cripes, look at my skinny little legs! It's kind of funny to look at this and think that will be me again in several months. Weird. And exciting.

The funniest thing about this picture? Even though that was an architectural wonder, my hair is even more high maintenance now. But at least it doesn't add numbers to the scale.

So there you have it: me at 17, and hopefully at 36!

WEEK 6 WEIGH-IN RESULTS

2008-05-04T08:19:00.001-07:00

NEW REVIEW : OMEGA 3 PRODUCT

2008-05-03T23:02:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to let you know there's a new review posted on my product bloggy-blog. If you're worried about hair loss after surgery, definitely check this product out!

THE 40 LB DIFFERENCE

2008-04-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've been feeling a little blue about the slower weight loss the past couple weeks, so I thought I'd give myself a little visual of the difference 40 lbs has made.

The first picture is me at 303.2 - taken from a video on youtube (no, not my most flattering shot):

The second was taken today, wearing the same shirt, at 263:

I'm feeling a lot more positive about my loss now. :)

WEEK 5 WEIGH-IN RESULTS

2008-04-27T13:05:00.001-07:00

DEAR NEIGHBORS, PART II

2008-04-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Neighbors,

I was too quick to judge!

The construction lasted only 2 days, with the second day being MUCH quieter than the first. (although, the dumpster is still there - which makes me a bit nervous)

In any case, I still think you're awesome and peace has been restored in our 15 foot space. Much gracias.

Your happy neighbor,
Taunia

LOUD NOISE BOTHERS ME

2008-04-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Neighbors,

I really like you folks - you're really nice and friendly! And despite the fact that our houses are only separated by 15 feet and a driveway, we are able to maintain our privacy. It's ok, we've worked together and we're doing well. Up until today.

Now, you know that I work from home, and that I teach private voice lessons from my home. You also know that I have two very loud and yippy dogs who bark relentlessly when provoked. That's why I'm a little upset that there was no mention of what would be happening today.

At 8:00 am today, my grumpy ass was woken up by louds boys, and the sound of very large objects being tossed into a large empty dumpster right outside my window. Do you know what happens when very large and heavy objects get thrown into an empty dumpster? They resonate. Loudly. Very loudly. Especially when it's right outside in the space of 15 feet.

What would have been nice was to know this was coming. You know, so I could makes plans to either cancel lessons or work somewhere else - like the middle of the highway where it would be much less noisy. Instead, I had to work over loud boys, loud things being tossed, loud music, loud ripping, loud everything. And since my surgery, I can't have coffee, so I'm a little more than peeved that instead of a well-brewed java, I woke up to clanging and banging.

Unfortunately, this brings back memories of my old asshole neighbors who did everything they could to annoy the shit out of me at every waking moment. Perhaps I'm transferring some of my anger onto you. But the problem is, just like my old neighbors, I have no idea how long this noise will last. Or how long it will be until I'm so pissed that I have to go over there and ask through gritted teeth.

The thing is, I *know* you're nice folks. I just can't understand why you wouldn't have mentioned this on one of the numerous times we've said hello in the past couple weeks? It makes me want to open all my windows and blast my Barbra Streisand Broadway album at 11. Becuase that's one higher than 10, you know.

Anyhoo, I think I forgive you, unless this goes on all summer, in which case I'll probably hate you. But it looks like they got a lot done today, so I'm hoping for the best.

Your self-employed neighbor who works from home all day,
Taunia

WEEK 4 WEIGH-IN RESULTS : SLOW GOIN' THIS WEEK!

2008-04-20T16:28:00.000-07:00

HUFFINGTON POST COMMENT

2008-04-17T10:25:00.001-07:00

I was reading an article about last night's debate, and saw this (which I loved) in the comment section:

Also, can someone PLEASE explain to me why Clinton's patriotism is not being called into question? Where's her flag? Apparently, if you're white and have a "white" name, you get a free pass.

Last night's "debate" was ridiculously biased, and it disgusted me. Let's hope the voters of PA felt the same way and vote for change.

MAMA NEEDS SOME INTERVENTION

2008-04-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

Lately I've had this urge to garden. I have a nice little plot in my backyard that gets the perfect amount of sun during the day, and apparently the soil is pretty kick-ass. Never mind that I have absolutely NO IDEA HOW TO GARDEN.

Now flashback to TV: remember the show "Mama's Family?" I thought it was ridiculous, but I still liked watching it - it was a guilty pleasure. Anyhow, I very distinctly remember this one episode when "Mama" got a little nutso ordering things from the Home Shopping Network and other infomercials, and her entire living room was filled with shit she ordered. Then she realized she was going broke and had to send stuff back.

Now fast forwarding to present day TV: as you may recall, I wrote an entry about the Aerogarden that I purchased after seeing an informercial on TV. And I have to tell you, my Aerogarden seriously does rock. I've got tasty fresh herbs any time I need them. But the bad thing is that now I'm feeling like I'm getting hooked on two things: 1) growing fresh herbs and produce(good) and 2) buying stuff I see on TV (bad).

Today I saw a new product: the Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter! And you KNOW I'm buying this thing! I already have a plan: two planter stakes on each end of my garden with the two tomato planters, leaving the rest of my garden space for everything else. It grows 30 lbs of tomatoes on each planter....that's NUTS. EVERYONE GETS TOMATOES THIS SUMMER!

Do you see? I have a problem. I'm turning into Mama and I'm going to need an intervention. But not until after I get my Topsy Turvy on, ok?

WEEK 3 WEIGH-IN RESULTS

2008-04-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

THE "OFFICIAL" WEIGH-IN

2008-04-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

I think I'm going to track my weight loss on Mondays from now on. Therefore, today is my first official weigh-in!

TOTAL LOSS: 31 lbs

YEE-HAW! Tomorrow is 2 weeks out of the surgery, so that's 31 lbs in less than two weeks. Granted, most of it was water weight, but I don't care!

Just a quick update for ya! :)

DO YOU MISS BREAD? THEN READ THIS!

2008-04-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

I have always loved watching cooking shows. Yes, partly because I'm a food addict, but also because I think cooking can be a real art...one that I've never had a knack for.

Anyhow, I was flipping around the TV last night and found this channel called FitTv, which is part of the Discovery Channel. There was a program on called Blaine's Low Carb Kitchen. The host/chef is a guy on a diet, cutting carbs out of his eating and finding really unique ways to be satisfied. He made low-carb Monte-Cristo sandwiches that looked amazing, but more amazing was the bread he used : hardly any carbs to it at all!

Since having gastric bypass surgery, I know soft bread (toasted is ok) is out of my diet for a while. This sweetbread he made is the perfect alternative, and I went a little nuts over it. I obviously can't have the sandwich, but the bread is something I'm going to try toasted as some point. Here's the recipe for the sandwich starting with the bread..moving it's way into low-carb high-fat heaven. Enjoy!

Simple Syrup: equal parts water and Splenda

Low Carb Sweet Bread:
6 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. wheat flour - sifted
2 tbsp. soy flour - sifted

Raspberry Jam:
1/4 cup simple syrup (equal parts Splenda and Water)
6 oz. fresh raspberries
1/4 tsp. pectin

Sandwich Filling:
6 egg yolks and 1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 lb. sliced deli ham - very thin
1/2 lb. sliced deli turkey - very thin
2 oz. sliced Swiss cheese - very thin
2 oz. sliced American cheese

Sweet bread preparation: 3.3 net carbs per slice, makes 4 slices
In mixer beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract and continue to mix until hard peaks form. Fold in both flours gently to keep volume. Spray bottom of metal loaf pan and place egg white mixture in pan. Bake for 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Remove pan from oven and let cool by inverting pan on cooling rack. Slice loaf of bread horizontally first then in half to make 4 - 6 slices. (NOTE: he also mentions that this freezes well and you can make this in advance and freeze it for later!)

Raspberry Jam Preparation: makes 6 servings -2.5 net carbs per serving
In heated sauce pan add simple syrup and raspberries. Mash raspberries with bean masher and add pectin then stir. Pour raspberry mixture into small bowl and let chill in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator and serve with Monte Cristo.

Sandwich preparation:
Preheat non-stick pan over medium heat. In a bowl, beat eggs and cream with fork. Dip two slices of bread at a time and fry in pan with canola spray. Flip bread and top with one slice of cheese on each side of bread. Take 3 oz. of sliced turkey and 3 oz. of sliced ham and heat in pan while cheese melts on bread. Top one slice of bread with turkey and ham then one slice of cheese. Remove from pan slice in half and serve with raspberry jam.

Yields 2 large sandwiches - 14 net carbs per sandwich

BLAH, BLAH. MORE NEW ABOUT MY BELLY.

2008-04-03T13:03:00.000-07:00

Since this blog isn't devoted totally to my weight loss surgery, but to all things in my life, I feel a bit guilty that this seems to be the only topic that I talk about lately. Perhaps after I get off my meds, eat real food again, and leave the cocoon of my home, I'll have more to talk about.

So here are some things that have changed for me post-surgery. Some AWESOME, some not great, some weird. Ready? Here we go:

GOOD STUFF:

-As of today, I have lost 26.8 lbs. That's right. TWENTY-SIX POINT EIGHT LBS in 1 week and 2 days. Holy mother! I still can't believe it.

-Because of above mentioned weight loss, it is suspected by my doctors that when I go in for my first follow-up appt this Monday on 4/7, I will told that I no longer need to take my blood pressure medication. People! That means that I will no longer be on any of my previous medications that I've taken FOR YEARS! It changes a bit: now I take a multivitamin (thank you, Fred Flintstone!), a calcium supplement that taste like cinnamon and melts in my mouth, a B complex, and an antacid (for now). Mostly vitamins as opposed to my mostly life-saving meds before.

-I have zero acid reflux right now. I was dealing with it a lot in the past 6 months, but now - no symptoms. My throat feels great!

-My clothes (well, let's say pajamas since I've only gotten dressed once since I've been home) are fitting LOTS better now. Some are even loose!

-I only have to take my pain meds at night now**, but during the day, I can pretty much deal with it. It's still there, but much much less now.

-I finally got my puppies back yesterday! :)

WEIRD THINGS:

-I have gotten the hiccups twice in the past two weeks. Both times, I hiccuped three times in a row, then it was gone. POOF!

-My steri-strips are still on my incisions after a week and two days and multiple showers. I also still have two massive bruises on my arms. It's not bothersome at all, I just guessed both would be gone by now. Maybe it's normal, who knows?

BAD THINGS:

-Steal dealing with night pain**. Last night, I tried to be a hero and sleep without any pain meds...and at 3:00am, I woke up in screeching pain. I took the pain meds, went back to bed, and woke up still in pain. I toss and turn a lot during sleep, so I should have known better. But still, OUCH. Go away.

-I get winded pretty easily now. I know that it takes a bit for the diaphragm and abdominal muscles to get back to normal, and since I breathe mostly from my diaphgram, that presents a problem when...uh...walking. I took a very short walk yesterday and was breathing pretty heavy. I think the change in diet takes a little getting used to as well, so I have less energy. All of this should improve over time, just weird getting used to the feeling.

Overall, I'm feeling much more like my sarcastic and cranky self. I'm not having any tolerance issues, and other than occassionally feeling winded and the night pain (sans meds), I feel pretty great - especially seeing the scale drop so drastically.

So there you have it. And update from the coccoon!

OW. MY ABDOMEN!

2008-03-30T18:06:00.000-07:00

HOME FROM SURGERY, MY YOUTUBE UPDATE:

SURGERY TOMORROW! (a lot can change in a week)

2008-03-24T07:27:00.000-07:00

Of course, right after I wrote last week's journal entry - everything changed.

I got a call on Tuesday stating that they had some surgery cancellations, and would I like to be scheduled for surgery on 3/25/08? I said yes. And that's tomorrow.

HOLY CRAP.

I went in on Thursday for my pre-op meeting and testing and I spent 5 HOURS at the hospital (a lot of it was waiting around) and then another 2 hours driving in. UGH. Then, that evening, I got a telephone call saying that they might have to postpone my surgery because my white blood cell count was high. Meaning that I had infection - somewhere.

Friday, I get the call to come back into the hospital for MORE testing, MORE bloodwork, and to pee in a cup. Turns out that I had a urinary tract infection - although I had NO IDEA because I had no real symptoms. Crazy. So they put my on antibiotics. I also had a bad case of gout, and since they couldn't give me anti-anflammatories, they put me on VICODIN. Ooooh yeah. Good stuff. I've been sleeping for about 3 days straight now.

So the surgery is back on - no problems. I have to show up at the hospital tomorrow at 9:30 am, and my surgery is sometime around noonish, I think. I'll be in the hospital until Friday, if everything goes as planned.

I'm feeling relatively calm, which is kind of amazing. I mean, there's a little nerves, but more than anything, I'm just excited to finally do this. I mean, my entire life is changing tomorrow. Crazy.

Anyhow, if you pray or are into putting good thoughts out there, I'd really appreciate it. :)

See you on the healthy side!

WHEN THE STARS ALIGN : A SURGERY DATE

2008-03-17T11:08:00.000-07:00

My friend A keeps reminding me that everything happens the way it's supposed to, and things always work out for the best.

Right after my post last Friday, I got a phone call from the hospital. I had been waiting in anticipation to hear about my insurance. They're pretty infamous for delaying and outright denying surgery requests, but somehow all the stars aligned and they approved me - no questions asked. Hallelujah! Tony, the nurse coordinator who I just love, love, love, scheduled me for surgery for Wednesday, April 2nd. That gives me about two weeks to get myself prepared mentally and physically.

Part of me wishes it was RIGHT NOW so I don't have to think about it. As positive as I am about this surgery and the outcome it's going to have on my health, I can't help but have negative thoughts trouncing through there as well: "Am I going to die?" "Am I going to get a blood clot?" "Am I going to get a stricture?" "Am I going to be vomiting for the rest of my life?" All of those things are possible, but unlikely. What's more likely is that the quality of my life is going to dramatically improve in every way. I have to just keep my eye on the prize and try to block out the nerves.

What's also amazing is the level of support that I'm getting. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE is so, so supportive. For instance, J, one of my poker buddies sent me an email saying he was going to send a card and flowers and that if I was up for it, he'd stop by and see me. I mean, we're friends, but really just through poker, and he's so supportive. Everyone is supporting me the same way - I know everyone's rooting for me and wishing me the best, and everyone let's me talk through it anytime I want. (Especially A, C, and S and my parents, of course - thanks guys!)

It's so much easier getting through this with that kind of support, friendship, and love. I don't have a significant other to really bond with over this, but I do have the most amazing support system anyone could ever ask for.

So look out, y'all. I am going to be FIERCE. I'm going to ride my bike all over town, I'm going to dance, I'm going to run, I'm going to be FREE of this weight. And I CAN. NOT. WAIT!

THINGS THAT ARE (AND ARE NOT) HAPPENING

2008-03-14T08:29:00.001-07:00

*STILL WAITING for my surgery date. This is seriously nervewracking. All my paperwork is at insurance right now, and if they don't approve it, then months and months of doctor's appts, bloodwork, testing, etc, has all been a complete waste. The crappiest thing about this, though, is that I basically have to drop everything and go to the hospital when they tell me too (assuming that I get approved). I have to go in for pre-op testing (bloodwork, etc) and then a pre-op visit with my surgeon (who I sadly found out is a taken man - dang!), then the surgery of course. I expect that all of this will happen somewhere within the next two weeks. BUT I HATE THE WAITING!!!!!

*I recently purchased two new makeup items which I LOVE:

I heard all the hoopla about the magic of Bare Escentuals, and I finally bought into it. Considering it's just foundation, $60 was a little pricy. BUT, you get free shipping and free samples of other cool stuff when you buy it at Sephora.com. Here's what you get: 2 vials of foundation, 1 vial of "warmth" (which gives you definition), 1 vial of "mineral veil" (which gives you brightess), 3 brushes, a vitamin moisturizer, and an instructional DVD.

When I looked at the stuff, I thought there was NO WAY that this would give me adequate coverage. I gotta tell you, though, it looked great. I hate foundation because I can't put it on right and always get "ring around the face," but this was fool-proof and looked pretty fantastic. My only gripe is that they tell you you can use it as concealer too, but for gals like me who wake up with circles so dark that it looks like two black eyes, this doesn't make the grade as concealer. And that brings me to the next thing I bought:

This is Benefit's Boi-ing! Concealer...and I swear to you it is the nectar of the makeup Gods. I have never, ever found a concealer that works as well as this stuff does. It's like spackle for my undereyes! The description on sephora.com said: An industrial strength under eye concealer that eliminates darkness and imperfections without creasing or looking heavy. This stuff really works! Holy smokes, they weren't kidding. I adore this concealer.

*My dog Serena is FINALLY better...only $2000 to get her healthy after adopting her. The last trip to the vet was a "check-up" on her ear infection. I had paid over $100 for her medication that she took for two weeks, and the vet swabbed her ear and found all this gooey green stuff - which nearly made me lose my liquid diet shakes. She put her on MORE medication, did a culture, and $305 later sent us on our way. She looks like she's feeling much better now, but of course we have to do a final check-up to make sure. Thankfully, Julip's been keeping herself out of trouble so I don't have double financial duty with them. Having a dog is EXPENSIVE. Having two? Priceless.

*My girls A,C, and S are putting together a website devoted to us living life and living healthier! We're all approaching weight loss and health in a different way, and hoping to use the website as motivation and keep a record of all the things we want to accomplish. I'm just really excited about it. It's really easy to get swept up in the "let's go out to eat" thing for entertainment - because it's easy and social, but now we're going to focus on activities that get us outside, moving, and LIVING. I'll keep you posted on that when I finish the site!

*I've also been writing, writing, writing. Working on lots of original material. Some good, some awful. I've got this whole "comeback" thing planned for when I lose all of my weight. It involves a complete overhaul of my website, new photos (obviously) and a music video to promote the new show I'm writing. I'm really excited about getting onstage as a thinner gal - and just having a whole "new me" package. Of course, the "new me" won't be debuting until like 2009, but still...

That's about it. I'll let you all know when I FINALLY get the surgery date scheduled! Fingers crossed!

I HEART PAULA

2008-03-07T21:08:00.000-08:00

Ok, I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I absolutely LOVE Paula Abdul's new song, and I love it even more after seeing her peform (read: dance) it live here:

If only it weren't ruined by the creepy Ryan Seacrest talking in the beginning. I just think she's cute as a button and this song is super-catchy...I totally dig it!

THE MAGIC POTION

2008-03-06T07:36:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up with swollen glands, a really sore throat and a cough. At first I thought I had forgotten to put on my humidifier, but then quickly realized that I was getting sick. NOOOOOOOOOO! Not now! I CANNOT get sick before surgery or they'll push it back even more. So I did what I always do: grabbed the magic potion:

Now I don't know if it's a mental thing or what, but EVERY time I take this stuff, I avoid getting a flown blown sickness. I took this at 9:00 am today, and already I'm feeling better at 10:30. I swear, this is some voodoo magic spell or something, but my body totally reacts to it. I never end up getting sick when I take it.

You want the sickness hocus pocus too? Go on out and grab yourself some at your local pharmacy: Airbone Website. Keep them in business, because I don't ever want to have to go without this concoction!

"NOT TO BE ALL ABOUT ME." HA! THAT'S A GOOD ONE.

2008-03-05T13:46:00.001-08:00

SOME UPDATES

2008-03-02T11:09:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd check in with some updates. Nothing earth-shattering, just what's happening:

LIQUID DIET: I've lost 12.6 lbs in 9 days. I have 5 more days left before I check in with my dietician. I'd like to lose 1 more lb per day, but we'll see if my body cooperates. At any rate, I feel great despite being hungry. Have a lot more energy and happy to have my clothes fit a bit better.

DATE/CRUSHY BOY: No email, no phone call. Last I spoke to him was Wednesday and it's now Sunday. Sadly, I'm pretty sure that means it ain't happening. This is why I hate dating. I'm SO emotional that when I like someone, I get so hopeful and crushy and emotionally invested that when it doesn't happen, I just feel totally and completely crushed. I probably shouldn't have initiated anything considering how much other emotional stuff I'm dealing with because of the surgery, but what's life without taking chances? I told him how I feel, and I never regret doing that because at least I'm honest.

TV: Jen, I swear to God, I'm working on it. lol

YOUTUBE: I am in love with youtube. I know it's a bit narcissitic and self-indulgent, but I absolutely love being on there. It's connected me with so many other people who are going through what I'm going through, or have already gone through it. You don't realize how important it is to have that kind of support and understanding. My friends and family support and love me, but no one REALLY gets it like these total strangers who have become my friends on youtube. I'm really glad I made the decision to document my stuff there and get involved with that community.

That's really it for now. I check in with the dietician on Thursday, and from there I schedule the surgery, so I'll know pretty soon. My whole life is changing this month. Really overwhelming, but amazing.

FELL IN LIKE WITH A BOY

2008-02-28T13:52:00.000-08:00

The other night, I had a date of sorts with a fellow that I've been crushing on for a long time. I met him through my regular poker game, I think he's pretty special. I'm really hoping that he's liking me too.

I made it really clear how I felt about him, and now I just have to play the waiting game. I made a new rule for myself: no calling or emailing - they can contact me. This protects my dignity and sanity, and I'm just too old to be a silly, crushy impatient girl. But man, do I HATE the waiting game. And the not knowing.

I haven't felt like this about someone since Bob, and he really is something special. I think I'll be kind of crushed if he doesn't call, but I'd like to stay positive and think he found me to be kind of cool too.

But even if he doesn't, it was nice to do the date-ish thing again and feel like an attractive woman. Good for the ego! (oh shut it...I know I have plenty of ego, but even Divas like me have self-esteem issues sometimes...)

SURGERY UPDATE: My youtube post

2008-02-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

SURGERY IS HAPPENING .....NOW!

2008-02-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

The last time I spoke with someone, they estimated my surgery would be scheduled sometime at the end of March or early April. That was until yesterday, when my phone rang and I got some exciting and scary news: they want me in the first week of March, mostly likely either 3/4 or 3/5. That's about 2 weeks from today. HOLY CRAP.

My pysch evaluation came back with flyings colors - I'm sane, so you can all rest easy. The last steps are for me to go into the hospital tomorrow to meet with my dietician, who basically gives me the run down for my post-operative diet. After that, they send my forms off to the insurance company and wait for approval. I have the lousiest insurance EVER, so it's a very high probability that I'll have some problems with it, but my fingers are crossed.

If all goes well, I'll be having surgery in two weeks. TWO WEEKS. Good lord. I cannot believe it. My life is going to dramatically change in two weeks. I'm terrified, of course, but more than anything, I'm excited to lose weight and get healthy. I've been feeling so lousy and old for so long, it's going to be amazing to be able to breath better, walk better, and live life better.

I'll keep you posted!

SODERFEST!

2008-02-17T11:28:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year again: when I obnoxiously announce that all things I say and do must be forgiven because "IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!" Also, it's a weekend full o' festivities that make me happy:

Friday night: went to see chick-flick 27 dresses with Aimee and Cynthia and then went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Aimee and I are both celebrating our February birthdays!

Saturday: got a delivery of these absolutely gorgeous flowers from Shah and Brian (thank you!!)

Saturday night: The whole lot of us gathered at Rock Bottom in Boston for dinner, and then we headed over to The Encore, where we broke out into drunken song. Good times but....

Sunday: recovering from Saturday night's good times.

Monday: My birthday proper, and having lunch with Aimee and Cynthia!

Turning 35 all over again could not have been more fun!

I'M A SUCKER FOR FRESH HERBS

2008-02-13T15:30:00.001-08:00

Ok,I almost NEVER get sucked into informercial products. As much as I love shopping, I've never really been tempted by those late night "ass seen on tv" products (although I do love to watch them being touted for their wonderful powers). I just know that 99% of the time, I'm going to end up having a piece of crap delivered to my door. So, it is with great embarassment that I share with you what I just had delivered:

I couldn't help it! This one got me because man, I love to cook with some fresh herbs. And you know the fresh ones you buy at the store last 2 days tops before getting wilty. I have a garden in my backyard, but I have big vegetable plans for that this year and was planning on having a separate herb garden. Now I get to just have one in my house, thanks to the AEROGARDEN!

Here's the pitch:

The AeroGarden® is the world's first indoor smart garden - It's so easy to use that anyone, with or without gardening experience (huzzah!) can grow lush, beautiful gardens right in your home! The computerized AeroGarden® tells you when to add water and nutrients. The built-in micro-processor automatically adjusts nutrient delivery and water flow and turns grow lights on and off to simulate the sun.

I hooked that bad-boy up today and I'm pretty damn excited to watch herbs grow, which says a lot about my social life.

I'll keep you posted. You know if I throw a dinner party that the herby goodness is in full bloom!

WHEN HAIR EXPERIMENTS GO HORRIBLY AWRY

2008-02-10T14:26:00.000-08:00

Let's state the obvious: this ain't pretty. In an attempt to create a new hair look, I decided to try and do "pin curls." What I did was take small sections of hair and tightly twist them, then I wrapped them into tiny buns and secured them with hairpins. When I woke up the next morning and took them out, this was the result.

I was later informed by my friend Aimee that "pin curls" are actually just chunks of hair bent into loose "S" formations and then secured with a X of bobby pins. I did it totally wrong, obviously.

But luckily for you, I have a good sense of humor about myself, and you get to see this horrific display. And come on, what OTHER face could I have made in this photo??

VOTE FOR CHANGE. YES WE CAN.

2008-02-04T13:08:00.001-08:00

FINALLY! 393 to 367

2008-01-26T14:09:00.000-08:00

Ben and I have played about 1000 games of Scrabulous and that fool beats me every time. Until today. Let it be known that I beat his ass today. Oh yes I did:

I will savor this moment for a long, long time. And lest you think I'm being obnoxious, you should try playing with HIM. He'll put down a word and follow it with his own personal definition of the word:

BenJ: DOOM is what I will wreak upon you!

BenJ: you SUQ

Or he'll mock me:

BenJ: pfff. kana?!? LAME

Don't get me wrong, I'm equally as bad. Made worse by the fact that I can't back up my smack and win. Except for today. Oh joyous day!

BARACKTOBER!

2008-01-24T21:55:00.001-08:00

A PRESSING SOCIAL EXPERIMENT

2008-01-21T20:26:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine and I had a conversation today about a reoccuring phenomena that is happening when she has conversations with people: chin rubbing. She swears that every conversation she gets into with new people ends up with them rubbing and touching their chin. She seemed to take this personally, and I suggested that it's pretty natural for people to touch their face, twirl their hair, etc. when engaging in a conversation with someone new.

So now we need to know: is the chin touching something that she induces in people, or do we all have chin-rubbers in our lives?

Please engage in conversation with 3 people today, preferably one that you don't normally speak to often, and report back with your findings:

How many people rubbed their chin or touched their face in some way during discussion?

more at twiigs.com...

HAVE YOURSELF A NICE BACON-Y WEEKEND

2008-01-18T09:32:00.000-08:00

My love of bacon prompts me to share this dee-liscous receipe from Nigella Lawson. I made it for a brunch once, and also made it for lunch today. So, so, yummy. One tip: for quicker prep, I use small grape tomatoes. That way, you don't have to cut them, and can just put them directly in the pan. Eat up!

HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT!

2008-01-16T19:06:00.000-08:00

Ok, back in the 80s and early 90s, I LOVED me some Pat Benatar. I knew all her songs and thought she kicked some serious vocal ass. I still do. So when I got an email from the Lowell Memorial Auditorium announcing her upcoming concert, I was super-excited. Even more excited that they were having a contest for front row tickets and a pre-show meet and greet with her.

Cyn and I both entered, and on Sat, 2/2, we'll be singing our favorite Pat Benatar karaoke songs in front of a live audience at the Lowell Brewery Exchange. Cyn is in round 1 and I'm in round 2. There's 30 semi-finalists, and from there, they select 7 finalists to go the final round on Sat 2/9 at the Lowell Winterfest.

So, if you're not doing anything, come on out and have some of Lowell's finest brew and cheer me and Miss C on, would ya? ROCK!

MISH MASH O' STUFF

2008-01-09T19:59:00.000-08:00

**Today I had to bring Serena for an ultrasound to make sure she can get the dental surgery she needs. The grand total? $509.64. Granted, they also did blood work, cut her nails, gave her a lyme booster, and I bought some dog food, but still..YIKES.

**In addition to the above mentioned expense, I also need to bring my car into the shop to get the heat shield replaced and probably some other very expensive stuff. Um, where's the rich husband I ordered??

**I put a a new WLS video up on youtube that was recorded on my fancy new web cam! What's amazing to me is that I do tech support, yet I shy away from a lot of technology. I refuse to use an Ipod because I really like CDs, I've never used a webcam before...etc, etc. But I have to tell you, I really dig the webcam! So much better than the video function on my junky digital camera.

**This weekend, I'm going to see Bodies...The Exhibition with friends. I missed it last year when it was at the Museum of Science, so I'm excited to go see this! Real human bodies - we get to see how they function and move...COOL.

That's really it. I don't have anything super exciting to talk about. This was really a post to get you to hop on over to youtube and watch/subscribe to my videos. :) Have a good weekend!

BIBBITY BOBBITY BACON!

2008-01-08T17:40:00.001-08:00

My friends and I love bacon. There is no secret about that. But I do think I am the biggest bacon lover out of all of us. And therefore, Miss Aimee (finder of all good things on the internet) found this and sent it to me. Enjoy, like bacon.

Oh bacon, I will miss you after this spring. Our love affair will be no more. I lvoe you, bacon.

GO BARACK!!

2008-01-03T20:28:00.001-08:00

Are you as excited as I am?! Change is happening people. The revolution has started!

CNN: Obama wins Iowa as candidate for change

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON: OBAMA WINS IOWA

"But, for tonight at least, it holds a mirror up to the face of America, and we can look at ourselves with pride."

REUTERS: Obama wins Iowa's Democratic caucus: NBC

The Nation: Iowa Winners

HAPPY NEW YEAR , HOW DO YOU FEEL?

2008-01-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

Happy 2008!

Did you all do something fun and exciting? Not me. I spent my last fat-girl NYE plopped in my chair with my dogs watching movies, and I was totally fine with that.

My only resolution for 2008 is to stop swearing as much as I do. Oh, and to start a revolution.

I watched Michael Moore's SICKO. While I do agree that Michael Moore's style can be more propagandist than factual/impartial at times, I was profoundly disturbed by this movie. And we all SHOULD be disturbed by our health care system. Disturbed enough that I want to grab a torch and storm Capital Hill.

We're the richest country in the world, and yet we have nearly 50 million Americans without health insurance. And for those who are lucky enough to have it, there's still a hella lot of red tape, rejection, and out of pocket expenses to pay. One of the most powerful quotes of the film was from former British Labour MP and Cabinet Minister Tony Benn. Benn said, "If we can find the money to kill people, we can find the money to help people." AMEN.

Canada, Britain, France, and GASP! CUBA all have universal FREE HEALTH CARE for all their citizens. When Moore interviewed some of the citizens of France, they said, "here, the government is afraid of the people. In the US, the people are afraid of the government." (paraphrasing) In France, they revolt over EVERYTHING. And it gets them what they want. Why is our government not doing the same for us? WE NEED A REVOLUTION.

Grab a torch and come with me, people. No one in this country should be turned away from getting the care they need. It won't happen overnight, but it NEEDS to happen. For ideas on what YOU can do:

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2007-12-30T22:29:00.000-08:00

May you all have a safe and healthy New Year in 2008!

METUBE

2007-12-29T08:14:00.000-08:00

Just in case anyone who's on youtube.com wants to subscribe to my video blogs, here's the linky dink:

http://www.youtube.com/divataunia

If you're on youtube, please stop by and rate and comment on the videos. Muchas gracias, babies!

OH YOU POOR, POOR FAT FATTIE!

2007-12-27T08:26:00.001-08:00

My last fat Christmas. I still can't believe it. I decided to document every event (6 parties, 1 student voice concert) in pictures, and I made damn sure that I looked my best for every photo. I realized that over the past couple years, I've been really lazy about my appearance - just not putting a ton of effort in because I work from home. I hate that I became that way because I've always wanted to be the fat girl that dispelled the notion that fat people are slovenly and dumpy. So my holiday photos show all the effort that I could muster up: holiday attire, lots o' makeup, and a TON of effort on my various hairstyles. Gotta represent for the big girls!

I've also decided to join the WLS (weight loss surgery) youtube bandwagon. There's so many helpful videos on there that are getting me prepared, so I thought it would be a good way for me to document the experience for myself and possibly help someone else going through the same thing. My first video is just the holiday photos, but my next one will be a real video. Feel free to subscribe if you're on youtube!

P.S. The title of this blog entry is from a scene in "Little Britain" that my friends and I love. Just so you don't think I'm beating up on myself. :)

HAVE A VERY DIVA CHRISTMAS!

2007-12-25T19:22:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. My parents got me the Wii, so I probably won't be posting anything for the next month or so while I'm glued to the TV playing that. :)

I'm getting ready to post a little photo movie saying goodbye to my last fat Christmas. Took lots of "before" pics and realized that next year's Christmas pictures are going to look a heck of a lot different! Those will be posted soon. For now, here's a picture a friend took of me at a party, which goes down as one of my favorite pictures EVER - fat OR skinny:

Merry Christmas from your favorite currently-narcissistic Diva. :)

BEATBOX PUPPETS

2007-12-20T14:11:00.000-08:00

Ben, it the law thing doesn't work out, there's always this:

FROM RICE TO RICHES

2007-12-18T09:43:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Miss Aimee, who's always keeping me aware of great ways to help donate to various causes online (the animal care donation on the left panel was also from her)!

She sent me this one today - which helps test and boost your vocabulary while simultaneously helping the United Nations donate rice to end world hunger.

As Aimee put it:

You knew that perfect verbal SAT score would come in handy one day. Put those language skills to good use at Free Rice — where every word you guess correctly contributes to ending world hunger. What a productive way to spend a few minutes!

AUDIO VISUAL

2007-12-17T12:55:00.000-08:00

Here's a duet with my friend Chuck from Chicago - who has a GORGEOUS voice - on one of my favorite Sinatra tunes ever:

Also, had my 2007 Very Diva Holiday Party this past weekend, otherwise known as "My Last Fat Chrismas." We had a crowded house with lots of fun, the last guests leaving close to 2:00am!! There were raffles and ornaments and karaoke....and lots of holiday cheer. Click on the photo below for a slideshow of pics:

Is it wrong for me to say my hair came out super-cute again? lol

Happy Holidays!

SNOW - BAH HUMBUG! BUT ROB ROCKS!

2007-12-13T19:42:00.000-08:00

Today I had an appt with one of my gazillion doctors. I considered cancelling because of the snow, but I figured it would only be a light flurry (because it's always sensationalized on the news) and that I'd be ok. My appointment was at 1:30. I left at 12:00 - just in case. I got there at 2:00. TWO O'CLOCK!! Luckily, he still took me.

The bad news was that my test results were in. I've got gallstones. I've been feeling nauseous lately and had some stomach issues, and now I know the culprit. Bad news: my gallbladder has to come out. Good news: they'll take it out the same time they do the gastric bypass. I just want to say to them, "when you're in there, just take anything I won't need in the next 40 years or so out. Just check under the hood and clean me up, eh?"

I left the hospital at 3:15. And when I tell you this, I am NOT exaggerating. I did not get home until 8:15pm. It took me FIVE HOURS to get home from Boston. FIVE HOURS. Right now, I'm pretty ripshit at mother nature. Driving a clutch at 5 miles an hour for FIVE HOURS is not my idea of fun. On top of that, I had only eaten at 8:30 am that morning, so I was STARVING and very, very thirsty. That drive sucked ass. But there was a silver lining...

My next door neighbor Rob has a plow. While I was out, he plowed my driveway for me. I gave him a ring when I got home and thanked him a million times and told him about being stuck in traffic and how he could never know how very much I appreciated what he did. And if that wasn't enough, just now...at 10:40pm, I heard something outside. He was out there SHOVELING MY WALKWAYS - FRONT AND BACK, and then he re-plowed my driveway for me again. I opened the door and told him he was WAY too nice and he was just the best neighbor ever. I just couldn't believe how incredibly kind that was...and he never expects anything in return. He's just a nice guy.

What he doesn't know is that in the morning, I go over and plow and shovel my uncle and aunt's (they're older and I don't want them doing it). I would have had to do their house AND my house, so he just saved me a TON of work in the snow tomorrow. God bless him. Seriously.

So now I must bake him a cake or something to thank him for being so awesome. What a change from the loft, huh? I have the best neighbors EVER.

IT'S BUSINESS TIME!

2007-12-12T19:44:00.001-08:00

YOU CANNOT DENY THEIR CUTENESS!

2007-12-12T12:41:00.000-08:00

PIMPIN' MY PEEPS

2007-12-11T19:11:00.000-08:00

I am having a holiday party this Saturday, and I just found out my good friend Jeff (who I haven't seen in several years) will be coming! Jeff and I went to high school together and were in the various bands at school. Many years ago, he left for L.A. and formed his kickass band ALLRISE with his pals from college. Jeff's their drummer and he seriously kicks ass. He's also a vocalist and one of the best musicians I've ever known. I'm just so frickin' excited to see him!

And since I was posting about him and pimpin' out his musical goodness, it reminded me of my VFP boys, and I thought I'd also pimp out some of the things that they are doing outside of VFP:

Most of you who know Ben know that he's currently pursuing his academic interests at this little place called Stanford Law. But what you may not know is that he and his long-time friend Robbie, along with his parents, started this amazing new educational company called Rhythm, Rhyme, Results. They're an educational music company creating and producing educational lessons through seriously cool hip-hop music. It seems that every week they're getting more and more recognition, and I couldn't be happier about that. I think it's an amazing concept and it's no surprise that educators and listeners alike love it.

They've been featured on NPR, American Academy of Audiology, The New York Times, and on prominent Economist Dani Rodrik's Blog. Find out what all the buzz is about and visit their website: www.educationalrap.com. I couldn't be prouder!

Shah has just recently gone into music full-time! He is now teaching in a public school, a private school, and a private lesson studio. Additionally, he's still cranking out new songs and (like me!) is an ASCAP songwriter. Wee! With the love and support of his husband B, Shah finally did all of his certification testing and is crazy excited about his teaching. When he calls me, he's so overjoyed with happiness he can hardly contain himself. lol Even better, all of the schools and students love him. He's doing what he was meant to do, and it makes me so happy to know that kids are going to be influenced by someone as passionate as he is about music. We're working on his website too: www.shahsalmi.com. I won't have time to devote to it until after the holidays, but he'll have all his teaching, performance, and songwriting info up there soon!

Dan recently joined on with the super-cool FIREDRILL. He brings his sassy vocals over to the handsome-boy brigade. I haven't yet seen them live, but I hear amazing things about them and their music. In fact, you can see them singing some of their Michael Jackson goodness in this video clip (Dan is on the left in the navy blue shirt):

There's so many other friends that I need to pimp out as well, but I'm getting sleepy and will have to save that pimpin' for another day. Just thought I'd post about the boys I'm so proud of. It's good to have quality, talented friends, yo!

PARTY GIRL

2007-12-08T23:06:00.001-08:00

Tonight was our friend Charlie's annual holiday party, and we all decided to do it up and dress to the nines. I bought a cute knee-length black dress and wore heels for the first time in about 6 months. (OW! My feet and knees!) I decided to try something a little different with my makeup and hair after I had found this adorable gal on www.youtube.com:

She's a 25 year old singer-songwriter and makeup artist in Australia, and she's just cute as a button. Even better, she has some seriously great videos on how to create different looks with makeup. They're easy to understand and fun! I decided to do the "Pin-Up Girl" makeup and make my hair super curly. Here's the final product:

Of course, I did both my hair and makeup at 7:00, and it's now 2:00am after I've just gotten home from the party. In any case, I didn't use the makeup she used or I would have spent a small fortune at M.A.C. Instead, I bought the cheaper drugstore makeup and I think it really makes a difference. Nothing special about my makeup here. Boo.

But I gotta say, I think my hair looks hella cute....and I did that all on my own! lol And now, I must go to sleep and when I wake up, it should look pretty horrific. You won't get to see that picture. :)

A DAY OF ANNOYANCES

2007-12-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

*Today I had an appointment with one of my doctors - one of the many, many appts I have to go to for this surgery. Except it wasn't today. I don't know how I looked at that confirmation letter they sent (about 3 times) and STILL thought today was 12/13, but I did. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the beginning of my old age. I drove the 50 minutes into Boston, paid for parking, and turned my ass right back around to go back home after it was pointed out to me that I'm an idiot.

*After above-mentioned stupidity, I made my way to Wilmington to pick up my crazy Aunt Evie (Bird and Tire Sale). She called me yesterday and asked me to bring her to the doctors. Here's how the conversation went:

ME: What time is your appointment?
HER: I don't have an appointment. I remember there being a determatologist in Burlington and I want to go and see if they're still there and make and appointment with him.
ME: Aunt Evie, why don't we look them up in the phone book and call them?
HER: (getting flustered and angry) Because I don't know the street name and number. I only know where they were.
ME: Well, why don't we look up "determatologist" in Burlington and figure it out?
HER: NO! (mad now) I want to GO THERE and see if he'll take me.
ME: Aunt Evie, he won't take you if you just walk in there.
HER: I KNOW THAT! I want to make the appointment THERE. AT THE OFFICE.

I realized the old bird wasn't giving up. In her head, it's still 1939 where Ol' Doc Henson brings his black medical bag and administers some castor oil. I mean, CRIPES! So, I drew my horse and buggy and we rolled on over there. And guess what? Yes: THERE WAS NO DERMATOLOGIST OFFICE!!!!! Gah.

*I bit the inside of my lip - hard. And now, EVERY TIME I CHEW ANYTHING, I bite down on it again. Because apparently, much like my ability to remember doctor's appointments,I cannot remember to NOT BITE MY OWN GODDAMNED LIP.

*My vet said that I need to brush my dog's teeth. Am I the only pet owner who finds this to be just about IMPOSSIBLE to do?? I mean, I spent some serious dough on "POULTRY FLAVORED TOOTHPASTE" (mmm, Crest, LOOK OUT), and the dogs won't let me near them. It's like wresting with a midget. Neither one of them want anything to do with me sticking a brush-type instrument in their mouths. I had to put them in a headlock to just get the front teeth brushed, and I could barely get THAT accomplished. Either my dogs are the worst behaved (and hygiened) dogs on the planet (possible) OR , a lot of people are LYING about brushing their pet's teeth. (Admit it, bitches!)

They're just going to have to be on a steady diet of the Dingo dental bones. WHICH, by the way, were $17.99 for a bag of 20. At Petco, the final tally was $107 and change. I cannot even remember the last time I spent that much on MY OWN TEETH. And at least I allow a toothbrush in there, dammit!

I am a crank right now. My pride, lip, wallet, and dog's teeth hurt. And don't y'all come on up here telling me how easy it is to clean your pet's teeth and how they sit like little f'in angels for you....or I MIGHT HURT YOU.

Goodnight.

OW! MY EARS!!

2007-12-04T15:26:00.001-08:00

Ack. I've got "Sounds of the Seasons" on the TV (Comcast On Demand channel), and Charlotte Church is singing "The Christmas Song." It HURTS. MY. EARS. Please God, make it stop.

Mel Torme must be rolling over in his grave.

MY HANDS HAVE BEEN SAVED!

2007-12-04T06:28:00.000-08:00

A little recap of the past few days:

Friday Night: I hung out with the girls at Miss Aimee's pad in Brighton (which I am totally coveting). We ordered pizza and were supposed to watch a movie, but we basically just talked all night. It was a nice relaxing evening, and I even got a free sample (from Aimee) of the moisturizing cream that has saved my poor, dry winter skin:

I cannot explain to you how much I love this product. First, it feels like I'm dipping my hand into a tub of cool, creamy frosting. Next, it's non-greasy and none of the irritants that usually bother my skin are in it. It's just a smooth cream that performs a miracle on my craptastic winter hands. I'm a convert. I will never buy another hand moisturizing product as long as I live!

Saturday Night: The annual "Diva Voice Studio Holiday Concert." I always forget how much organization work it is to put on a student concert. There's the actual TEACHING part, then there's booking the room, putting together the order of the show based on the numerous requests of students, creating the program, buying the decorations and various necessities, booking the room, setting UP the room with tables and tableclothes and candles, hanging the decortions, setting up and checking the sound system, getting the students sound checked, setting up the ticket tables, running sound, etc,etc. There's NO WAY I could have gotten this all done without my friends Aimee and Cynthia - who totally kick ass. They got there early and stayed the entire time to help me with everything. I paid them in a little cash and a chinese food dinner, and I am endlessly appreciative for their help.

And here's a cute little picture of me and one of my students right after the concert:

HAHA. Look how cool I am. Instead of the "ROCK!" symbol, I did "I love you" in sign language. I truly am the coolest teacher ever.

Sunday: I was feeling pretty lousy this day. In a ton o' pain, but I cleaned my house a bit and put up some of the decorations. Including my tacky white tree, which I have decided to tackify even more by adding white feather boas as garland. I went to a craft fair and saw this pink tree with feathers and I've been obsessing over it ever since. So, I'm just going to create an even tackier white tree and that should make me happy. You know, it ain't the holidays without my bad taste. :)

Monday: SNOW. I thought I might die. My body was still in pain, but I went outside and snowplowed for my uncle and neighbor and then took care of my walks. Luckily, my next door neighbor has a plow, and he took care of my mile-long driveway for me. Yay neighbors! Even though I'm in pain, I do love the snow. It's just so PRETTY.

So there's the weekend wrap-up. Nothing really fascinating going on other than the skin healing on my hands. Hope you're all enjoying the snow. :)

WHO HASN'T SEEN EM YET?

2007-11-28T13:41:00.000-08:00

Today was a full day of pre-surgery testing - including an arterial blood draw, pulminary test, regular blood lab work, an EKG, a chest X-ray, and an ultrasound.

I think half of Boston Medical Center saw my boobs and big fat belly today. So many people told me to take my bra and shirt off and then poked at me, I lost count. Not a lot of folks who didn't get a look. I'm just sayin'.

POST-THANKSGIVING

2007-11-25T20:06:00.001-08:00

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

2007-11-19T19:26:00.000-08:00

Today I had my first consult appointment with my surgeon. I already knew what he looked like and that patients really loved his demeanor from www.obesityhelp.com. Last week at my support group meeting, an older lady was talking about him and she said, "I'm in love with him," and we all laughed. But let me tell you something, so am I.

He was sweet and understanding and non-judgemental. He wasn't condescending in any way, and was just really excited FOR me that my life was going to be so different. He was funny and we joked with each other and really hit it off. And he's just so CUTE. I seriously fell for him and although I know I can't say a word about it right now (so I don't jeopardize my surgery!), mark my words that I *will* be asking him out when my surgery is done. I'm sure lots of women go in there and get all ga-gah over this man who's changing their life, but I really did feel like we hit it off. I could be totally wrong, but that's fine. I'm in love with my surgeon. I'm ok with that.

There was one awkward moment when he said he had to look at my stomach and I freaked out! I was NOT prepared for that happening and I told him that. He laughed and said, "Taunia, I'm going to have to see your stomach at SOME point," to which I remarked, "Yes, but I was hoping I would be out cold under anesthesia when that happened." I left out the part about me having an instant crush on him too. That was probably one of my finer moments of judgement. Anyhow, he told me I had nothing to be embarassed about because I was a beautiful girl and I great singer. That helped, but still, I covered my face with my hands like a little girl because I was so embarassed.

And no, he has no wedding ring. I don't know how that's possible because he's a total catch in every way: good looking, sweet, kind, funny, clearly intelligent. PLEASE GOD, let him be straight. For once in my life, please let the good looking, sweet, kind, funny and intelligent man be a STRAIGHT GUY. (Don't get me wrong ladies. You know I love you. But Diva needs some sugar!)

Ok, I need to go back to being all googly about my surgeon. *sigh*

P.S. No surgery date in sight yet, but I have a hella lot of tests to take on 11/28

7:45am Check in
8:00am Arterial Blood Gases and Pulmonary Function test
EKG
BLOODWORK
CHEST X-RAY

I get out of the mammogram because I'm under 40. Yeah, baby! After that, 2 nutritionist appts, then a pysch test, then they schedule the surgery. Looks like *hopefully* it will be late January, early February. Just in time for my 36th birthday. I have a feeling Soderfest will be held at Boston Medical Center this year. :|

SERENA IS HERE

2007-11-18T14:02:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe how quickly this happened. A few days ago, I just started keeping my eyes open for a companion dog for Julip. I never really had the urge to get another dog, but I felt like Julip was depressed sitting around all day while I worked, and that she needed a friend.

So I started looking on Craigslist and through the shelter's and found Serena, a five year old rat terrier:

(Julip is a rat terrier too) I checked with my vet and she said they make good playmates for each other. So I contacted the agency, filled out an application, and BOOM! She was adopted by me - today.

The thing is, I feel GUILTY. Julip is totally confused and I can tell a little upset with me. I just hope that they get more comfortable with each other within the week. I asked the shelter if I could have a week to see how it goes with them and they said that was fine. Right now, they're still feeling each other out, and competing for my attention. It's cute, but awkward, because I want Serena to feel comfortble, but I don't want Julip to get jealous and upset.

But they ARE super cute together:

We'll see how it goes. I don't know why, but I wanted to cry when Serena got here. It just felt weird after 2.5 yrs of just me and Julip to have another dog. But it's all up to the Queen. If Julip likes her, she stays. If not, luckily there's a lot of other folks on a wait list for her. She's really sweet and loving, so I hope they hit it off. We'll see how this week goes.

OK, LAST ONE (for a while), I SWEAR!

2007-11-17T10:05:00.000-08:00

I'm just so happy they have these fun little tunes on www.singsnap.com!

SINGSNAP ROCKS

2007-11-16T18:15:00.001-08:00

Ok, I know it's a karaoke site, but COME ON....there's some kick-ass tunes on this site!

ME IN PICTURES

2007-11-16T07:07:00.000-08:00

On Facebook, someone sent me one of those pictures tests, where you select the photo that most represents how you feel about something. (You can take a similar online test HERE. OR search for PICTURE PERSONALITY on Facebook) Here are my results, which I think are fairly accurate. I never tired of taking ridiculous online tests!! lol

Temperament : Idealist
You are the quintessential dreamer - spending more time thinking about the possibilities that the world holds for you, rather than your reality. You don't settle for anything less than what you truly desire and you work very hard. You tend to live in every place except the present - you are prone to daydreaming about the future and re-thinking the choices you made in the past. Sometimes you get overly caught up in your thoughts.

Interests : Thrill Seeker
You are interested in anything that is exciting and pleasurable. You're not afraid to indulge yourself - you live by your own set of rules and don't allow yourself to get hung on what others think. For the most part, you are independent and do whatever you please to do. Trying to stop you from doing something only makes you want it even more. At the end of the day - you live for life's most thrilling moments.

Amusement : Adventurous
It's a good thing that you are filled with energy and ambitions (that others sometimes find exhausting) because you're continually looking for a new adventure and exciting experience. You struggle with a continual feeling of restlessness which constantly pushes you to the next level of excitement. Once you have accomplished one thing, you are eager to accomplish something more exciting, riskier and distinguishable.

Passion : Emotional
For you passion is less about romance and sex - it's more about friendship and family. Strong emotional bonds and connections are your passion and your pleasure. You always let your loved ones know how much you love, respect and admire them. You do this through kind words, loving actions and simple gestures. You count your blessings each day and express your love openly. You expect the same from others.

WHY, WHY WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY????

2007-11-14T05:57:00.000-08:00

For an hour now, since 8:00am, I have been listening to the most God-awful instrusive and loud landscaping crew working on a lawn two houses down. WHY does your shit need to be THAT LOUD?!?! I'm not joking, I was very honestly scared for my hearing and made two makeshift earplugs out of Puffs Plus tissues.

Oh sweet Jesus, thank you. They're leaving.

Also, my favorite support request/misspelling/misuse of the day:

"I'll get back to you on the IP addresses. I don't understand alot of this stuff, so bare with me."

Lady, unless you want me stand around buck nekkid with ya, you may want to consult a dictionary.

PEEL ME A GRAPE

2007-11-10T11:24:00.000-08:00

JEANNIECRANE.COM

2007-11-10T10:00:00.001-08:00

I just finished the new website for my friend Jeannie's voice studio, and I like it so much, I want to steal it as my own. lol Check her out: