Life is... full at the moment. It's not particularly what I would call busy, but it is full.
I have an incubator full of eggs waiting to hatch- 5 button quail, 2 silver pheasants, around 14 chicken, 2 goose, and the rest I think are ringneck pheasants. They all have different hatching times and I have to find a way to get them back to the west side of the state the weekend they are done hatching (which will be in about 4 weeks). The old batch of 12 blue andalusian chicks went to Andrea's and the 4 that hatched as junk test eggs shortly after have gone home with Moon after her visit this past weekend.
Speaking of Moon, we just had the first bird swap of the year, at which I acquired a female muscovy duck for Ping and three more peafowl. I finally, finally got my grubby little paws on a pied female (I've been to dozens of swaps now and I've only seen a pied female once, the first year I went... the rest have all been males), and I struck great luck with a guy who just wanted to get out of the rain and wasn't allowed to go home with any of the birds he took to the swap. He gifted me a blackshoulder male and an India blue female that had just about beat her own head in trying to jump out of the cramped wire cage he had stashed them in for transport. The male had ripped a claw and was bleeding all over the place, but they both survived to the Farm and are doing well in with Osiris and Blu and Octavian. The females will need names, as soon as I have had some time to sit and think carefully. I am going to be keeping the blackshoulder, but he will be Moon's in spirit so I told her she could name him.
I am still slowly feeding the free mice I seem to have acquired to my snake now that he is FINALLY eating again. He is getting old and I think he's got a lump under his skin that probably means an illness I'm not going to treat. He's almost a decade old (he might even be older... I stopped trying to figure it out, but I think he's 10 now), which is mid to late life for him. For the time being, he's enjoying basking in the heat lamp's rays and hamming it up when I take him out for visits.
I am still on the hunt for a house, but I think today I decided that I will sit back and allow myself to just save money. I'm 2-3 paychecks from paying off my credit card completely and then I can start tucking away a good chunk of change. I don't know if I'll be able to sort myself before the summer is out and I don't want to jump into housing mid winter. I'm tossing about the idea of asking for help from a man I spoke to today, and seeing what he can offer to me.
Things are also going well with Milyardo. We spend a lot of our time together during the week, and it seems there is always something to do. Visiting the farm, driving out west for visits, attending weight watchers every wednesday (followed by our typical inventing-something wednesday dinners... last week was a creamy-tomato sauce tossed with bowties and italian-spiced chopped chicken.... omg delicious), Friday night dinners with the guys, and a weekend of sneaking lounging opportunities when the rest of it isn't keeping us on our toes. It is thoroughly enjoyable, and I'm very glad to have found such peace.
Amongst the adventures above, I have also decided to attempt to finish Malik's story, to see it published. I don't expect I will find anyone else willing to publish it, so I intend to find a way to self-publish it. I have a good enough grasp on the storyline at this point that I think I can finish out the story with enough determination. It helps to have someone holding my hand through the ropes.
As if I even have time for anything else, I'm sure there are other things I'll be caught doing in the next few months. Summer is exciting and I already have some plans made. The beginning of May will be full of time off of work and a mini-vacation spent babysitting the Farm while Liz and Becky are on a cruise. This will mean quality time with my 'kids' and a chance to get a feel for farm life a little better than a single weekend provides. The end of May will launch my birthday and I will be attending a wedding amongst Milyardo's relatives with any luck. The beginning of June brings with it a trip to Mackinac Island during the Lilac Festival. The isle has had every single species of lilac in the world transplanted to it and they all bloom at the same time during a two week span in June. I have always wanted to visit during that time, if only to smell the amazing aroma of so many lilacs in bloom at once in the same place. The end of June brings about Chris and Carla's wedding party, a celebration of the wedding they had in Mexico this past December. Maybe I can get my sand from them then.
Well, I think that's about as much updating on life as I'm feeling up to doing at the moment. I should try to post more regularly or something, but let's face it. I have issues with my memory and I forget this thing exists some days.
~Ked
Monday, April 18, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
I just want to say that today, I crossed a turning point. There have been other turning points. Some smaller than others. All of them Important in ways I can't explain to someone that hasn't faced it.
The best way to describe this one is how I described it today. Imagine standing at the edge of a cliff, and knowing what is at the bottom is what you want. Imagine that you KNOW the ground is a long way down- a looooong way down. But what is at the bottom, it's what you want, what you need, and you know you have to jump to get there, no matter how scary it is. No matter how far down. The turning point is that moment, the one where you are standing on the edge and you go from being terrified of the fall to deciding to do it because you either do it or you walk away from it, but either way you can't keep standing there being afraid of it.
I decided I'm done standing there being afraid of it, and it's time to jump.
The best way to describe this one is how I described it today. Imagine standing at the edge of a cliff, and knowing what is at the bottom is what you want. Imagine that you KNOW the ground is a long way down- a looooong way down. But what is at the bottom, it's what you want, what you need, and you know you have to jump to get there, no matter how scary it is. No matter how far down. The turning point is that moment, the one where you are standing on the edge and you go from being terrified of the fall to deciding to do it because you either do it or you walk away from it, but either way you can't keep standing there being afraid of it.
I decided I'm done standing there being afraid of it, and it's time to jump.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Saturday and Sunday
Mashing these two together since internet was slow yesterday night.
Saturday March 12th 2011
Points for the day are as follows: 28
Cheesy Biscuits (homemade x3): 9
Smoked Chicken (leg/thigh + 1/3 breast): 6
Cheesy Biscuits (homemade x3): 9
Broccoli and Cheese steamer 1/3: 2
Cherry Coke: 2
Sunday March 13th 2011
Points for the day are as follows: 29
Eggs (x2): 4
Hash Browns (1/2 package): 6
Ketchup: 0
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread: 4
WW smoked string cheese: 1
Smoked Chicken 1.5 breasts: 6
Ruffles Baked Sour Cream and Cheddar chips (damn you eric for leaving them here!): 8
In other news, found the first black copper marans egg in the coop, and the first (probably) seabright egg.
Saturday March 12th 2011
Points for the day are as follows: 28
Cheesy Biscuits (homemade x3): 9
Smoked Chicken (leg/thigh + 1/3 breast): 6
Cheesy Biscuits (homemade x3): 9
Broccoli and Cheese steamer 1/3: 2
Cherry Coke: 2
Sunday March 13th 2011
Points for the day are as follows: 29
Eggs (x2): 4
Hash Browns (1/2 package): 6
Ketchup: 0
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread: 4
WW smoked string cheese: 1
Smoked Chicken 1.5 breasts: 6
Ruffles Baked Sour Cream and Cheddar chips (damn you eric for leaving them here!): 8
In other news, found the first black copper marans egg in the coop, and the first (probably) seabright egg.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Friday March 11th 2011
Points for the day are as follows: 45 total
1 Gala Apple - 0 points
2 eggs - 4 points
Portion of hash browns - 4 points
16 Oz water w/ Crystal Light (x2) - 0 points
Chicken Enchilada Soup (cup) - probably 5 points
Cheese - 2 points
Tortilla strips - 3 points
Spaghetti (3 cups) - 15 points
Sauce (1 cup) - 4 points
Parmesan - 3 points
Garlic Bread - 5 points
Mint - zero points
3 cups water - 0 points
Ok, so here's where things are interesting. I have gone over my 29 points for the day (which I normally do on Fridays because every Friday I go out to a restaurant with the guys). This means I will be dipping into my 49 extra weekly points.
So with 45 total, I can subtract 29, leaving me with 16. So I've used 16 weekly points, leaving me with 33 for the rest of the week. These, I will probably not use on other days, as the rest of the week I tend to try to stay at just my daily points.
On the old program, we used to get... I want to say it was like 25 extra points... somewhere around there. And it was my general habit to cross off the first ten of them on my tracker. These ten I used as my error points, for the times when my measurement of food was off, or reasoned that they accounted for the partial points I ate when I nibbled things (like 1 mini chocolate egg.... it's not actually a point but if I eat one every day I've eaten a couple points worth).
I still like to consider those points as gone, so I will say there are 23 weekly points, and 39 to start with for other weeks... but it's my own personal habit and shouldn't be listened to if you get easily confused.
Points for the day are as follows: 45 total
1 Gala Apple - 0 points
2 eggs - 4 points
Portion of hash browns - 4 points
16 Oz water w/ Crystal Light (x2) - 0 points
Chicken Enchilada Soup (cup) - probably 5 points
Cheese - 2 points
Tortilla strips - 3 points
Spaghetti (3 cups) - 15 points
Sauce (1 cup) - 4 points
Parmesan - 3 points
Garlic Bread - 5 points
Mint - zero points
3 cups water - 0 points
Ok, so here's where things are interesting. I have gone over my 29 points for the day (which I normally do on Fridays because every Friday I go out to a restaurant with the guys). This means I will be dipping into my 49 extra weekly points.
So with 45 total, I can subtract 29, leaving me with 16. So I've used 16 weekly points, leaving me with 33 for the rest of the week. These, I will probably not use on other days, as the rest of the week I tend to try to stay at just my daily points.
On the old program, we used to get... I want to say it was like 25 extra points... somewhere around there. And it was my general habit to cross off the first ten of them on my tracker. These ten I used as my error points, for the times when my measurement of food was off, or reasoned that they accounted for the partial points I ate when I nibbled things (like 1 mini chocolate egg.... it's not actually a point but if I eat one every day I've eaten a couple points worth).
I still like to consider those points as gone, so I will say there are 23 weekly points, and 39 to start with for other weeks... but it's my own personal habit and shouldn't be listened to if you get easily confused.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Thursday March 10th 2011
This is my tracking post for Thursday March 10th 2011.
I expect my friend to post in the comments how he is spending his points for the day.
I will update my points when I get home from work.
EDIT: My points!
1 Cadburry Dark Chocolate Candy-shell egg (blue) - some fraction of a point
1 Gala Apple - 0 points
16 OZ water w/ Crystal Light packet (grape) - 0 points
Hamburger: 11 points total
(Patty (sirloin)w/ onion and garlic folded in - 8 points
Low Fat American Cheese slice - 1 point
Tomato - 0 points
Ketchup - 0 points
Dill pickle slices (Claussen!) - 0 points
Low fat Meijer hamburger bun - 2 points)
1 stick WW smoked string cheese - 1 point
16 Oz water w/ Crystal Light packet (strawberry) - 0 points
Small cube french bread w/ honey-whipped butter - the other fraction of a point
Hamburger: 11 points
Patty (sirloin) w/ onion and garlic folded in - 8 points
Low Fat American Cheese slice - 1 point
Ketchup - 0 points
Dill pickle slices (Claussen again) - 0 points
Low fat Meijer hamburger bun - 2 points
1 stick WW smoked string cheese - 1 point
Total for today (thus far at time of updating): 25
I expect my friend to post in the comments how he is spending his points for the day.
I will update my points when I get home from work.
EDIT: My points!
1 Cadburry Dark Chocolate Candy-shell egg (blue) - some fraction of a point
1 Gala Apple - 0 points
16 OZ water w/ Crystal Light packet (grape) - 0 points
Hamburger: 11 points total
(Patty (sirloin)w/ onion and garlic folded in - 8 points
Low Fat American Cheese slice - 1 point
Tomato - 0 points
Ketchup - 0 points
Dill pickle slices (Claussen!) - 0 points
Low fat Meijer hamburger bun - 2 points)
1 stick WW smoked string cheese - 1 point
16 Oz water w/ Crystal Light packet (strawberry) - 0 points
Small cube french bread w/ honey-whipped butter - the other fraction of a point
Hamburger: 11 points
Patty (sirloin) w/ onion and garlic folded in - 8 points
Low Fat American Cheese slice - 1 point
Ketchup - 0 points
Dill pickle slices (Claussen again) - 0 points
Low fat Meijer hamburger bun - 2 points
1 stick WW smoked string cheese - 1 point
Total for today (thus far at time of updating): 25
I'm going to attempt to be held accountable for my actions through this blog. I joined Weight Watchers for the first time when I was in my teens, and I lost something like 30lbs back then. It was great, and then I spent a few weeks in France, there was delicious food, and going back to the program seemed so... difficult. Plus, it was a lot of money and I didn't want my mom to pay for something my heart was not in.
Years later, after graduating college, moving around a few times and eventually ending up back home, I took a step back and looked at my life. When I'd started WW in high school, I'd weighed somewhere in the 180's. Here and now, I was looking at a me that was over 200lbs. As bad as this may sound, I looked at a friend of mine that I knew was somewhere in the 230's the last I'd heard her quote her weight, and I said oh the hell no. I was NOT going to let myself become that.
On my own, I changed some of my eating habits. I cut out fast food, and I started eating fruits and vegetables where I could. It was disorganized at best. I managed to fumble my way down by about 15lbs, and that was where progress stalled. I knew I wasn't going to be able to do it on my own. So I talked to my mother and together we joined up at WW. She'd kill me if I listed her starting weight, so I'll just say she weighed more than she wanted, and she was willing to change.
So we went. The program was still difficult at times. You get a set number of "points" per day, dependent upon factors like height and age and weight and gender. Every food has a points value. You also get a certain number of extra points for the week, which you can use in bits per day or all at once or however you want to spend them, so that things like birthdays or holidays or restaurants don't have to be totally killer. But the smallest number of points you could have in a day was 18... and let me tell you how that's not a lot of food. A Lean Cuisine runs you anywhere from 4 to 8 points, and those portions are tiny. A 100 calorie pack? 2 points. Forget any fast food except the occasional stop to Taco Bell. Big Mac used to be rated something like 25 points... maybe 35 I forget. Good luck, right?
When I got to 18 points a day, I despaired and pretty much surrendered. I still watched what I ate, but I was not driven like I had been. I'd lost nearly 50lbs total and was feeling pretty good. I had been wearing a womens size 18 and was down to a size 4 in normal clothes.
Then I heard WW changed their program, and that it was easier. I had recently changed jobs, changed boyfriends, changed focuses... I thought heck, why not change my habits again. I informed my friend Eric that I would be joining WW, as he had mentioned wanting to lose some weight as well, and he accompanied me to a meeting to see the new program.
It's.... awesome. Fruits and vegetables (well most of them) are free of points. The way they figure points now has changed, as they've learned much more about how a body processes nutrition. Now, the lowest # of points in a day is 29 instead of 18, and many of my favorite foods have stayed the same in value or even GONE DOWN! That's pretty exciting. I can eat things like bagels again without feeling guilty about the huge point load. Dinner out with the guys on Friday's no longer had to be a guilty pleasure either. In fact, I was able to order my Pad Thai AND have it be within just my daily points, no weekly points needed!
So there's the story that leads to my being responsible here. Every day I am supposed to track what I eat. Most days I'm terrible and I don't. I am within 8 lbs of my goal weight, and if I can make it in the next couple of weeks, I don't have to keep paying for meetings; I will become a lifetime member and can go for free. Having someone in real life to be accountable to is infinitely helpful in staying on goal, so I want to give it an honest shot. So I'm going to track here, and hopefully give and take some ideas if anyone stumbles across this that is doing the same, or wants to do the same.
My tracking week starts on Thursday mornings, so tomorrow when I get home from work will be my first report. Wish me luck!
~Ked
Years later, after graduating college, moving around a few times and eventually ending up back home, I took a step back and looked at my life. When I'd started WW in high school, I'd weighed somewhere in the 180's. Here and now, I was looking at a me that was over 200lbs. As bad as this may sound, I looked at a friend of mine that I knew was somewhere in the 230's the last I'd heard her quote her weight, and I said oh the hell no. I was NOT going to let myself become that.
On my own, I changed some of my eating habits. I cut out fast food, and I started eating fruits and vegetables where I could. It was disorganized at best. I managed to fumble my way down by about 15lbs, and that was where progress stalled. I knew I wasn't going to be able to do it on my own. So I talked to my mother and together we joined up at WW. She'd kill me if I listed her starting weight, so I'll just say she weighed more than she wanted, and she was willing to change.
So we went. The program was still difficult at times. You get a set number of "points" per day, dependent upon factors like height and age and weight and gender. Every food has a points value. You also get a certain number of extra points for the week, which you can use in bits per day or all at once or however you want to spend them, so that things like birthdays or holidays or restaurants don't have to be totally killer. But the smallest number of points you could have in a day was 18... and let me tell you how that's not a lot of food. A Lean Cuisine runs you anywhere from 4 to 8 points, and those portions are tiny. A 100 calorie pack? 2 points. Forget any fast food except the occasional stop to Taco Bell. Big Mac used to be rated something like 25 points... maybe 35 I forget. Good luck, right?
When I got to 18 points a day, I despaired and pretty much surrendered. I still watched what I ate, but I was not driven like I had been. I'd lost nearly 50lbs total and was feeling pretty good. I had been wearing a womens size 18 and was down to a size 4 in normal clothes.
Then I heard WW changed their program, and that it was easier. I had recently changed jobs, changed boyfriends, changed focuses... I thought heck, why not change my habits again. I informed my friend Eric that I would be joining WW, as he had mentioned wanting to lose some weight as well, and he accompanied me to a meeting to see the new program.
It's.... awesome. Fruits and vegetables (well most of them) are free of points. The way they figure points now has changed, as they've learned much more about how a body processes nutrition. Now, the lowest # of points in a day is 29 instead of 18, and many of my favorite foods have stayed the same in value or even GONE DOWN! That's pretty exciting. I can eat things like bagels again without feeling guilty about the huge point load. Dinner out with the guys on Friday's no longer had to be a guilty pleasure either. In fact, I was able to order my Pad Thai AND have it be within just my daily points, no weekly points needed!
So there's the story that leads to my being responsible here. Every day I am supposed to track what I eat. Most days I'm terrible and I don't. I am within 8 lbs of my goal weight, and if I can make it in the next couple of weeks, I don't have to keep paying for meetings; I will become a lifetime member and can go for free. Having someone in real life to be accountable to is infinitely helpful in staying on goal, so I want to give it an honest shot. So I'm going to track here, and hopefully give and take some ideas if anyone stumbles across this that is doing the same, or wants to do the same.
My tracking week starts on Thursday mornings, so tomorrow when I get home from work will be my first report. Wish me luck!
~Ked
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