A Few More Things...

This morning I have a few things that are making me extra happy, even though it's a Sunday (normal world Monday).

1.  The evening Primrose and no Sugar is helping.  This may be TMI, but I started today and I do not have cramps.  That is unheard of!

I guess this means no more sugar even after Lent is over. Which I'm a little sad about since I love ice cream, but I'm really happy about because I'm usually not good for anything for at least 2 days a month.  Sometimes to the point that I'm unable to go to work.  So to say I'm excited about not having cramps is an understatement.

2.  I got my new suit yesterday - and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!  I feel so put together!

3.  The weight that I gained - 1.5lbs is most likely water weight since I swell like a balloon every month so that means I didn't magically gain fat over night.  That made me happy.

4.  I look pretty in my new suit.

5.  I love my new purse (yes baby, if you're reading this I did buy a purse yesterday!).

6.  I also bought a pretty necklace, he, he, he...

7.  I feel pretty in my new suit.

8.  I made pumpkin muffins, with walnuts, for breakfast this week and even though I altered the recipe they turned out great and are super yummy!  In case you were dying of curiosity - I doubled the amount of pumpkin and halved the amount of sugar.


This is a great start to the week!  Let's hope the rest goes as well as the weekend.

Candy Anyone?

I admit it...

I'm probably on the internet too much.

But I found this little guy:

He looks average right?

Well who knew that average could look like this...

Or this?

And this!

I mean really?!  Look at him!

These photos make me want to lose 50 pounds and spend 3 hours a day in the gym.  Maybe I should print them out and use them as incentive.

Although considering the website I found them one:  

http://www.queerty.com

He may bat only for the home team.  

But that's o.k. with me - after all it's not like I'm available.  

And even if I were, and he was interested, let's face it I'm pretty high maintenance.

And he looks like he's high maintenance.  And two high maintenance people really don't do well together.  

But I can look - and man THIS, THIS is some eye candy.  

So I had to share it.  

Enjoy - 

I'm obsessed.

With Coffee.

With Wallowing.

With my comfortable American King Bed.

With my Down Pillows, from America, on my American King Bed.

With my Husband.

My poor husband, he came last on the list. 

He may be last on that short list, but he's not least, and he understands. 

He knows I love him most of all...

He knows I'm obsessed with wallowing on Friday mornings and coffee.

And he loves me.  So he indulges me.

It also gives him a chance to work, surf the net, and watch TV programs I don't like...

Guess What?!

Noooo not Chicken Butt!

It's almost Friday.

I didn't get to wallow last Friday because we took our housemaid to the airport.

But I did wallow on Saturday - but it's not the same.

And I felt guilty because my husband was going out of town. 

But this Friday, THIS Friday I'm going to wallow.

Wallow, Wallow, Wallow!

Ahhhh.....

I just had to share this...

My Grandfather fought in WWII in the Battle of the Bulge. 

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1753.html

It was cold and miserable and he use to tell me that Americans had no idea how close we came to losing this battle.  I was about 16 or 17 when he told me about it.  Still in High School, I was writing a paper on WWII and Pop Pop was my source.   My only source.

I got an 'A'.

He had been in WWII for a few years and during the Battle he captured a couple of Germans.  I remember he told me that the only reason why he captured them was because he got his gun up before they got theirs up.

He had literally stumbled upon them in the woods while he was on patrol.  He said they didn't give him any problems because they were starving and freezing to death in the cold winter air.

Basically my Grandfather said they were young and miserable and happy to surrender because the Americans made sure they had warm clothes and were fed.  And Germans couldn't get supplies to their soldiers so they were starving and freezing to death.

My Grandfather brought home spoils of war - a German saber, a few rings, and one of those 3-D photograph things where you put the slide in front of the glasses to see the photo in 3-D.  Too bad everything was lost over the years. 

I actually think my history teacher kept the 3-D photo thing when I brought it in to show along with my paper.  There were a ton of photos of Hitler - my Grandfather had "liberated" them from a German schoolhouse.

Anyway until the day he died he held a grudge against the Germans - nothing he ever owned came from Germany - or from Japan for that matter.  I guess some things you never get over.

My Grandmother told me that one of his spoils of war was a big Swaskia flag. 

Yep he brought one of those home with him from the war.

She told me he put it on the floor of his work shed so that he could walk on it everyday. 

Every. Single. Day. 

Until it disintegrated.  

Into teeny tiny pieces.

She told me it took years for it to disintegrate. 

The story / joke below reminded me of him when I read it.  I'm not sure if it's true or a joke, to be quite honest French customs officers have never been this nasty to me.  But it could be.

Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane.  At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.

"You have been to France before, monsieur?" the customs officer asked sarcastically.

Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously.

"Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.."

The American said, ''The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it."

"Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France !"

The American gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained, ''Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to."


You could have heard a pin drop.

I miss my Grandfather - and now that I'm older there are so many questions I'd ask him. But I am thankful that I was somewhat wise as a 16 year old because I use to sit and hang out with him at least 2 or 3 times a week.

I'll always treasure those memories.

COFFEE, I must have COFFEE

My housemaid is on vacation.

Yes, I have a housemaid.

No, we're not rich.

A housemaid is about the only cheap thing here in Dubai.

And we have a housemaid to take care of the animals when we are out of town because there are no good kennels.  Ones that we trust anyway.

She actually saves us money because we don't eat out nearly as much when she's home.

Anyway I totally digress.

She's on vacation for a month and therefore I have no coffee.

Yes I know I can fix it myself - after all I'm the one who taught her how to make coffee.

But if you remember...I'm so not a morning person.

And even though coffee from home is better than coffee out (unless you're in Italy of course) I just can't seem to get up the extra 20 minutes earlier to make it.

Soooo I have to go and get it from Starbucks. 

And I have to say, as much as it pains me, my housemaid makes coffee way better than the little guy at Starbucks.  And I do mean little - he's about an inch or so shorter than me.

So I'm sitting here, no coffee, psyching myself up to walk down to get me one.

I really need my coffee.  We all know how I get when I don't have one.

Grumpy.

So here goes.

Coffee...

Here I am, and there you are...

I'm sitting here with the Toot and the Crank sipping on a nice tumbler of 12 year Auchentoshan single malt.

I do so like my single malt. It's right up there with my daily coffee.

Gives me a warm and fuzzy...

The only thing that would be better is if my husband was home, or my bbf SP were here (or I was in Houston with her).

I've given up all sweets, chips (potato and corn), and fries for Lent. So the only other thing I'd like right now is a big huge hunk of chocolate cake, or a cupcake, or some home made chocolate chip cookies....

Yum.

But I'm not going to do it, I'm going to be strong. I can give them up for 40 days, have given them up for 40 days before, sometimes even longer.

I always try to see how long I can go - I usually make it until May, once I stayed off the sugar until almost August.

And staying off sugar would be really good for me right now. My endometriosis is getting worse - my fibroids are out of control and sugar makes both conditions worse.

So I'm off the sugar, I'm taking the Evening Primrose, the Vitamin C, and I'm going to add the multi-vitamin next.

And I need to lose the weight - but that's another blog - one that I'm not as good at keeping up with. Most likely because I'm having issues committing to weight loss right now.

I could go into the endo/fibroid issues - but that's not this blog either...

But I can say this...there is NO WAY I'm going to have surgery here!

Anyhoo - I need to do the dishes...and I think I'm going to go to bed early tonight.

Not Again...

Someone needs to fire the protocol officer at the White House.

Can you see anything wrong with this photo?

I mean seriously they sent the Dali Lama out the side door with the GARBAGE?! 

No one checked to make sure the pathway was clear?!

Would they have sent the Pope out the same way?

Really? Really?

There are so many things wrong with this White House and this just highlights the complete lack of care given to the details.  If you're going to be a President who thinks everything can be solved by "opening a dialogue" you really should surround yourself with people that have half a brain.

The protocol officer's job is to make sure these things don't happen.  What was she doing prior to the Dali Lama's visit?  Getting lunch?