Tale of a true fortune cookie

Last week, we went out for sushi one evening and as usual, we got fortune cookies at the conclusion of our meal. I've always enjoyed fortune cookies and I know that they are much like horoscopes: so generalized that the probability of them NOT coming true is slim. Mine said, "Something wonderful will happen to you this week." I laughed it off and didn't think about it again until two things happened:

1. I did my weekly weigh-in at the gym and was VERY happy with the outcome. I am now two pounds away from my pre-Sydney weight. I never did lose all of the baby weight with her.

2. Liam slept through the night!! Officially, sleeping through the night is six hours and last night he slept from 9 pm until 3 am. I still had to get up to feed him at 3 am, but didn't really mind considering I got a five hour block of sleep. It's amazing how precious sleep becomes when you go three months without it.

Losing weight and getting sleep may not constitute "something wonderful" to most people, but to me, both are fabulous occurrences. I guess there is something to fortune cookies after all.

Interesting Bumper Stickers

On our way home from New Orleans last week, Ryan and I saw a trailer covered with bumper stickers. Many of them were amusing and I started thinking about some of the best bumper stickers I've seen over the years. Not all of them are politically correct, just funny or interesting to me.

1. "Visualize Whirled Peas"
2. "My other transport is the Millenium Falcon"
3. "My other car is a broom."
4. "I speak Parsel tongue"
5. "I'm not mean; you're just a sissy"
6. "If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a vet."
7. "What if the Hokey Pokey IS what it's all about?"
8. "Save a cow. Eat a vegetarian."
9. "God is too big to fit into one religion"
10. "Too bad closed minds don't come with closed mouths"

What's your favorite bumper sticker?

A Diet That Works

Ryan and I have found that the "You on a Diet" plan actually works. I was skeptical, despite having seen the success stories on Oprah.

I have to admit that I'm really only following the diet portion of the book at this point. Between having a horrible cold (or was it the flu?) and not wanting to leave Liam in the nursery at the Y during cold and flu season, I really haven't been exercising as much as the book suggests.

However, just following the diet recommendations, I have lost an inch off my waist in the last two weeks and my weight is actually lower than it was before I got pregnant with Liam. Of course, my clothes still aren't fitting all that well thanks to my little post-partum belly. I guess I will have to get started on those crunches to get rid of it. Ryan has had some success with the plan as well. I won't reveal how many inches and pounds he's lost, but it's obvious that the plan, however tough it may be to implement, actually works.

In the meantime, I'm going to focus on the diet portion of the book and continue to avoid the five forbidden foods: high fructose corn syrup, sugar, enriched flour, partially hydrogenated oils and saturated fat. I guess that means that the only M&M's I'll be seeing in the near future are these:

http://us.mms.com/us/fungames/games/

At least they're entertaining and keep my mind off of eating them!

Odd things that intimidate me

As Liam and I were strolling through Central Market this morning, I thought back to when I didn't want to go there alone because I was intimidated by it and the people who shop there. Sydney and I call it the "fancy store" because it carries lots of fru-fru items and everyone who shops there looks like they get $80 haircuts and weekly manicures. Obviously, that is not me.

Sadly, Central Market is not the only thing that intimidates me. Here's a list of some seemingly normal things that make me feel inferior:

1. Ordering meat at the butcher counter (probably because I know nothing about cuts of meat)
2. Hummers (they're three times bigger than my car)
3. French and German foreign films (but oddly, not Chinese or Italian ones)
4. Starbucks (what's wrong with small, medium & large sizes?)
5. Sommaliers (not that I know any personally)
6. Skinny moms out walking with their newborns (I think that's due to my jealousy)
7. Fancy shoes and the people who wear them
8. Fancy purses and the people who carry them
9. Makeup counters in department stores (Mary Kay, anyone?)
10. La Leche League moms

I'm sure I can overcome some of these, but some will always intimidate me. What intimidates you?

New Year's Resolutions (Revisited and Rewritten)

I was looking back at my New Year's Resolutions from last year. I failed miserably. I'm sure most people failed miserably. And like everyone else I have excuses for them.

1. Lose 10 pounds. Well, I had good intentions. I even lost 6 pounds. But then I got pregnant and I didn't think losing weight was the right way to go.

2. Read a book a week. I started off really well on this one. I kept it up for a good 2.5 months. I even kept a list going hoping that I could post it today and brag. Oh well. My excuse for this one is that I started cross-stitching Liam's Christmas stocking and that took most of my free (reading) time. By the way, I did finish the stocking and it looks great, if I say so myself.

3. Get the yard looking nice. I kept this one for a while, at least. But then, I was put on "restriction" by the obstetrician so that one fell by the wayside. Plus, I have a brown, rather than green thumb. That certainly didn't help.

So.....here's my list for this year. I've revamped last year's to make them more realistic.

1. Eat healthier and exercise more. Ryan and I are starting the "You, on a Diet" plan by Drs. Roizen and Oz. It's not necessarily a diet, but a lifestyle change. Hopefully, you'll see changes in both of us in the coming months.

2. Read better books. With two children under the age of four, reading a book a week is not possible. But, I can vow that the books I do read are good books, as opposed to the Nora Roberts/Danielle Steele ones I can knock out in a day or two. I've already started this one: right now I'm reading "Lord of the Rings." Ryan thinks I'm a dork.

3. Attempt to get the yard looking better. Between the lack of light and thin soil, our yard is not going to win awards for its beauty anytime soon. But, we can TRY to get it looking better. I've just got to find the time to do it.

Happy New Year's!!! I hope everyone has a happy, healthy 2007.