Christmas Eve: Muppets

I haven't really felt much like celebrating Christmas but, for some reason, the Muppets always put me a bit more in the mood. So, today, I share Muppets.

and who doesn't love the chicken choir?

Oh, this may have something to do with why the Muppets can help put me in the Christmas spirit:

Enjoy some time with the people who love you this Christmas!

It's Ok to Not Be Ok

There are days when I really struggle; trying to do what I've been wanting to do since I was 7 and being convinced I'm doing it wrong. I'm not. I know that. But sometimes, sometimes...

I struggle.

I decided that I didn't want to put anything out that wasn't positive or uplifting in some way. Then I let life get to me and I didn't put any thing out at all for months. If I couldn't say something nice, I wouldn't say anything at all.

But I realized something the last few days and weeks; life isn't nice and this blog was supposed to be about my creative journey. My life had been a while pile of not nice lately and I know it's affecting my writing.

It affects my sleep, too, which is why I find myself blogging from my smart phone at 2am Christmas Eve.

I don't know that I could tell you why I'm not ok right now, except to say there's been another death in the family and I'm worried about how my son is handling it. I want him to cry so I can comfort him and I feel so selfish for wanting that. I want it to be ok for me to cry but she and I rarely got along and I don't do the wailing that seems to be so in vogue around here.

I'm not ok right now but I will be soon and I want that to be ok.

Spoiler....

I was browsing Pinterest instead of going to sleep tonight and I saw this picture:

The first thing I thought was "Spoilers". Thus, I bring to you spoilers about The Dreaming Tower.

NaNoWriMo: Aftermath

Well, to say November mostly sucked for me would be a bit of an understatement. With deaths of friends and family, multiple financial crises, an illness that kicked my ass, a disappointing election and Thanksgiving, this was not the month to try and write a novel.

But I did it.

Holy Freaking Crap, I did it!

So, what's next?

Well, the series of short stories I was going to write is still on, despite the fact that the first short story I was going to include in it is a little more than 40,000 words . . . and not quite finished yet. The first thing on the list is to finish The Dreaming Tower. The second is to send it off to my editor and start working with my graphic designer on the cover. He's got some great ideas and I'm very excited to see what they are.

I'm also looking for work . . . kind of. There's more there but that's going to be saved for a bit later.

I've heard wonderful things about Scrivener and, since I won Nano I get a discount on it. So, I'm gonna give that a try, now that I'm not trying to write with my hair on fire.

I'm finally going to download a copy of Write or Die because 2 weeks without it (because no internet) was awful. .

I'm updating my wardrobe. Seriously, it's been a while and I feel like sewing.

Tubachristmas is coming up. I really need to start practicing.

Mostly, I'm just going to keep on doing what I do, which is write, sew, play with my kids and just be me. I've proven to myself that I am fully capable of writing during a crisis and that makes me proud.

Nanowrimo day . . . Whatever

And the hits just keep on coming. I've gotten nothing done in the last 2 days because of drama and I have no idea when it's all going to stop. I'm getting migraines and having trouble sitting still because of an overwhelming urge to hit things.
I'm updating this from my phone. Never done that before so we'll see how it works. Now, to bed, hopefully to be more productive tomorrow.

Nanowrimo Day 13

Today, the stress of the last few days caught up with me. I have been laid out with a cold. I did manage to get a little bit of writing done but not nearly as much as I'd hoped to.

Words written today: 1015
Total words written: 17126

Yes, I'm still way behind. I have plans to get caught up tomorrow. I'm hoping some good sleep will help me feel better.

Nanowrimo Day 12

Today has been better. I'm in no way ready to be social (though that's not as unusual as it may seem) but I think I've gotten past the worst of the grieving. I still get a gut-punch feeling when I think about the fact that I lost my favorite uncle this summer, and I still end up crying, and I expect that to go on with the people I've lost in the last few days. I'm still processing the fact that people I loved aren't at the other end of a phone anymore. I know they're in a much better place and away from the pain they were in these last few years.

Everybody processes grief differently and I'm not still if I'm sure I've gotten the whole grieving thing down. I've been told, when you start to do it often enough, you get used to it. Well, no thank you, I don't want to get used to this yet.

I do know that my uncle was very proud of me and he would think what I'm doing now was very cool. He was always the person who thought I was cool, even when I didn't. My grandfather would approve of me going my own way, I think, and I like to think of him watching me while I write. He might not have gotten what I'm writing but he would have been proud of me for doing it.

So, writing! Did I do it today?

Yes, I did! I know, I'm proud of me, too.

I started the day needing 6000 words to catch up to where I should be to complete Nanowrimo on time. I did not write enough to be "caught up" to my goal but dang it, I'm a lot closer than I was yesterday.

Words written today: 2875
Total words written: 16111

I will likely do a bit more writing before I go to bed but it's very nearly midnight so any additional words will count towards tomorrow.

Nanowrimo Day 11

Sometimes, things just happen that knock you on your ass. I've had a series of events over the last couple of days that, while I could have taken each of them ok if it had been just that one thing, the combination has just done a number on me. Quite frankly, I've spent most of today crying and I expect that to continue through tomorrow, as well.

That kid? That's me. The asshole dog? That's life. See? It's like it's a metaphor

If writing was a day job, I'd be taking time off for this. Now, I don't plan to take all that much time off and I'm looking forward to immersing myself in the worlds I've created and spending time tormenting my characters. However, sometimes, we just need to grieve and that's the point I'm at.

Words written today stands at 0 and I am officially way behind on Nanowrimo. I have plans to catch up but it's going to be a long, hard slog for a while.

This just makes me laugh.

Nanowrimo Days 9 & 10

Trying desperately to accomplish something for the last couple of days has been like pulling teeth. I can't focus on anything. So, I finally sat down today and got some editing done. I did 2 read-thru's, a light edit and now I'm going in line by line to clean up punctuation and tenses. It looks like I bled on it. Actually, it would probably have looked better if I'd just opened a vein on it. But its a great story! And one that I will be very proud of once it's finished... and it's not even mine!

So what does that mean for my Nano word count? Um, well, it means that I've put up 0 words for today and yesterday. Supposedly, I'll have all day tomorrow to finish editing and to get caught up on my words but we'll see what happens. I think I need to eat more bacon.



Oh! I also hit 100,000 page views! Woot!

Nanowrimo Day 8

I was productive today!  No, seriously, that's not sarcasm. I was ready to smack myself today before my productivity began and, when I think about it, I still kinda want to smack past me for being a moron.

I'm supposed to take vitamins every day. Most women should, but mine are very, very important. I'm anemic so I take an iron supplement every day and a couple other vitamins that make functioning like a regular human adult possible. I got really sick for a few days this summer and forgot to take my vitamins. And then I continued forgetting until I got out of the habit and I couldn't figure out why I was so tired. Uh, duh! Anemic who doesn't take their iron supplements is the definition of tired . . . and stupid.

So, I got 10 hours of sleep tonight and took my vitamins and wow, I can function again! Seriously, night and day difference.

On to the writing recap!

Last night, I added more to the story I'm doing for Nanowrimo. When I woke up this morning, I hated it. Absolutely hated it. It was a victim puke and emotion dump for me. It had no place in my story so, I did something most Nano veterans tell you not to do. I deleted it. 900 words went bye bye because I just couldn't stand to have them in my story. With those 900 words, I would have been beyond what I needed to be at today to make my goal of 50,000 words by November 30. Oh well, such is life and it was a conscious decision to put myself behind to be a little happier with my writing.

The words below are going to be the official count from the Nano website and won't reflect the 900 words that I wrote and deleted. I could do another 97 words tonight but, quite frankly, I'm exhausted and just want to go to bed at this point. So, I'll catch up the rest of the way tomorrow.

Today's words: 2306
Total words written: 13236

Nanowrimo Day 7

Today . . . today was better. I have to admit to being very, very overwhelmed lately and it all hit me in the last 24 hours. I did get some writing done but it was like pulling teeth. I kept crying. And, no, it wasn't because of the election. Well, not entirely because of the election. The recession has hit us pretty hard, to the point that we're not sure when/if we're going to be homeless before the end of the year.  I think we're going to be ok but the stress has been killer and I don't see an end in sight.

I haven't gotten as much done as I've wanted to for a while. I may try to write a bit more before I go to bed but, to be honest, I'm exhausted. I just want to curl up with a pillow and go to sleep.

Today's words: 919
Total word count: 10930

Steampunk Midweek Motivation

I've posted this one before but it's still a good one.

Nanowrimo Day 6

Right now, I hate everything and everyone. I might change my mind tomorrow.

Today's words: 78
Total words written: 10,012

Nanowrimo Day 5

I know I did stuff today. I really, really did. It just doesn't feel like it.

I finished typing in the stuff I did this weekend. I added a tab to the top of the blog that has the books I've written and where they're currently offered for sale. I tracked down my final drafts of everything so I can re-format them and get them up for Kobo.

What didn't I do? I didn't write anything new today. I didn't get the family drama handled to my satisfaction. I didn't work out the way I wanted to.

I think it's time for some lavender tea and a bath. Maybe I'll feel better and in less of a funk. And maybe I can get some more of the story written before bed.

Words written today: 7892
Total words written: 9934

NaNoWriMo Days 2,3 and 4

Ya know, as my kids get older, the busier they get which means I get turned into a taxi service on the weekends. I've spent the last 3 days driving around like a mad person from church events to school events to appointments for head shots (my son is acting) to football parties. We actually were able to stay home for long enough to make some homemade mozzarella cheese. My writing was done in notebooks with a pen this weekend and I'm actually in the middle of transcribing the notebooks onto the computer. Alas, it's almost 3am and I'm having difficulty reading what I've written.

So, it's time to call it a night and get some work done tomorrow. Provided, that is, that I don't get a call back from my "day job" and get sent out to New York to help our clients recover from Hurricane Sandy. And sometime this week, I have to get the spices so I can make pumpkin pie cheesecake.

Today's word count (typed): 972
Total word count (typed) 2042

Nanowrimo: Day 1

I have to say, it's harder getting started this year than it was last year. I can't say exactly why, just that I'm not feeling the enthusiasm I was last year. Of course, last year, I was coming off a very successful writing convention and doing it with my best friend. I missed the convention this year and my best friend is currently shivering on Long Island, hoping they get her power back on soon.

So, I don't know, getting back into the swing of writing regularly (which I got out of over the summer) is going to take some time.


Words written today: 1,070
Total words written: 1,070

Nanowrimo - The Beginning

Boy, have I been busy! I have 4 blog posts half-written about what's been going on in my life but I haven't had much of a chance to work on them recently.

However, I am making time for something that was awesome and fun that I did last year; NaNoWriMo.

At one point in the last month, as I was jotting down ideas for what I wanted to do for NaNo this year, I was informed that serious writers don't do NaNoWriMo. Well, excuse me, but I think they do. In fact, some of the more serious authors I've met do NaNoWriMo every month. In November, they're just doing it with everybody else.

So, what's my plan for this years NaNoWriMo? I'm doing a collection of short stories based on different fairy tales. The first one is based on Sleeping Beauty and is called The Dreaming Tower. This is, in fact, a sequel to Stained Glass Forest (which is currently available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble in ebook format).

I plan to update my blog as close to daily on my progress and share snippets of the really good stuff.

Testing, Testing, Anybody There?

Wow, it's been . . . a while since I've posted here. I'd apologize for my absence but it hasn't been unproductive and I'm here to update and get back into the whole swing of updating things.

First, the weight loss/fitness challenge. I hit a stumbling block and I hit it hard. I have hypothyroidism, have had it for years, and my dosage on my medication has been steady for that entire time. A couple months ago, the dosage needed to be increased. It took 3 years to get a diagnosis of hypothyroidism in the first place and a little over a month to convince the doctor to check my levels again (I had them checked in February and everything was fine). I finally showed him the handfuls of hair that were falling out and he ordered some new tests. My dosage was increased, I'm not sure it was increased enough, and I went back in today to get everything checked again. I've stayed between 297 and 293 pounds  since May and it's very frustrating. However, all of my clothes are a size too big, even without the weight loss, and that is definitely a positive sign.

Second, the writing. Oh, have I been writing! I've got 3 new short stories in various stages of editing and a couple more that are almost finished. I've also gotten another 20 or so pages finished on the novel. It's so close to being completed, I can taste it. All writing that wasn't done on the blog was done on the short stories and novels.

Third, the book reviews. I have admit that I've been slacking on these and for that I really, sincerely apologize. I've intended to tell the world about some of the amazing gems I've read for the last year and I just haven't taken the time to sit down and write about them.

What else have I been doing with my time? Well, I got a job! Yay and boo. Yay for money but boo for being so freaking busy again. Add to that the fact that I still haven't figured out how to pack a lunch that will still be edible by the time I get to it and that will allow me to continue on my health/weight loss journey and you'll see a very frustrated worker bee.

So, I may not be posting as regularly as I once was but I am going to do my utmost to keep writing about my creative journey. I'm feeling the need to pull the sewing machine out again and I'm on a story telling roll. I may also share things I find out about health and wellness that I find interesting.

Thanks for sticking around and enjoy the posts that are to come!

Steampunk Sunday: Flowers

Something pretty for this Mother's Day

Honestly, I'm not entirely certain what this is supposed to be but it looks like a bouquet made out of metal and enamel flowers. So lovely. There are several more lovely pieces at the link.

I have a real weakness for Steampunk jewelry. This one is no exception. It's so delicate and lovely. Sigh. 

I love this polymer clay pendant. And I think I've found another blog to read. I nearly got lost looking at all her craft tutorials!

Steampunk necklace with scissors. I love these!

This reminds me so much of Alice in Wonderland! It's so cute!

Steampunk Midweek Motivation

Flash Fiction Friday: Black Vengeance

Black Vengeance

          

  Adalind had been waiting for this moment for years. It had taken that long to perfect the ritual and she knew she wouldn’t have a second chance at it. Part of her mourned what she’d given up to come to this pass. It would take all the power she had to complete the spell and it would sever the connection she had with her goddess. What she was about to do was against everything her goddess stood for, a perversion of the power she’d been granted with her vows on the day she’d become a woman.

            She considered the last five years of her life a perversion of creation. The inevitable conclusion of the abuse and shame was resting in her belly and it would fuel the ritual she was preparing. Generations would pay for what had been done to her.

            Slowly and with exquisite care, she started drawing the symbols on the floor of the room she’d been locked in since her condition had become known. All the hate and pain she’d experienced in this room coalesced and poured into each line drawn in blood and called to all the powers she’d possessed.

            The spell was time perfectly to end exactly at midnight. As the sun went down, Adalind spared a passing thought for her ability to complete the ritual. It had required fasting for the last week, meditating on everything that had happened and focusing her mind on exactly she wanted to happen.

            At full dark, the door to her tower opened and a cloaked figure entered. Adalind’s hand shook as she continued pouring her power into the symbols she was drawing on the floor. The cloaked figure sat across from her and started drawing her own symbols. The circles joined and the power from the new comer joined Adalind’s. Her hand stopped shaking and she finished her ritual strong, at exactly midnight.

            She could feel every person in the castle who shared blood with the creature in her belly. Her first target was its father. He woke in his bed, gasping for air and clutching at his heart as he felt it stop. His skin shriveled as all of his bodily fluids evaporated. The same thing happened to every male of his line in the castle, with one exception. The life forces coalesced around her, almost solid. There had been a lot more men of this line in the castle than she had suspected; more than a few bastards had been hidden among the servants and guardsmen.

            Adalind added a blood condition for the exception she had left. He would have to feed the men of his line from his own body. She worked the blood into the conditions for breaking the curse, too. Every curse had to have a way to break it to truly take hold. This curse was meant to last for generations.

            As she released the power into the castle, Adalind waited for the change to come over her. 

Quick update

Quick update and an explanation, kind of, for why not a whole lot of posting lately.

There was no Health Journey post this week. Partially because I've been in the middle of a pity party (which I'm trying to get out of) and partially because I have no freaking idea what's going on. I have some health issues outside of the weight I'm trying to lose that I thought I had a handle on. Turns out, maybe not so much. 2 weeks of insomnia, weight gain and mood swings have done a number on what I was working on. Trying to get it back under control but it's been a struggle.

Also, Blogger. This dashboard thing I'm looking at? This is awful. Really. It hurts to use it for any extended amount of time.

I'm working on a Flash Fiction for tomorrow. It should be up around midnight.

Steampunk Midweek Motivation

Love a lady with a big gun . . .

The Health Journey: Week 10

Week 10! Wooho! I was so excited today when I left my weigh-in!

Let me explain: Last week was a week of nutritional hell. I spent several 12-14 hour days sitting at my computer to work and struggling with a sugar addiction that's much worse than I originally thought as I talked about in this post. I ate a lot of crap and a lot of eggs and bacon.

Going in to weigh myself today, I was hoping that I'd only gained back about 2 pounds so I wouldn't be over the 300 pound mark again.

Was I in for a surprise!

The only thing I can think is that I kept a calorie deficit every day and I was eating the "right" kinds of fats. One of my favorite movies these days is a documentary called Fat Head. You can watch it on Netflix or Hulu if you're interested in learning a lot about health and the giant experiment we're all taking part in.

I'm very happy with what I did last week and I am looking forward to this week. I'll actually have time to do stuff!

Also, I went shopping yesterday and got 2 new pairs of shoes on clearance. 90% off for one pair. I'm a very happy camper these days.

This weeks numbers:
Starting Weight: 316.8 lbs
This weeks weight: 296 lbs
Weight lost this week: 2 lbs
Total weight lost: 20.8 lbs

I've averaged 2 pounds a week for a while, even with a few set backs. My goal for the next few weeks is to ramp up the weight loss and to start doing some more cardio. I'm thinking I want to join a Tae Kwan Do class or possibly kick boxing but I don't know if we can fit it in the budget. If all else fails, I'll be walking every day. I'm also going to be working on toning my legs and butt so I can wear the new shoes for longer than an hour at a time because they're gorgeous!

Constantly Growing, Constantly Learning

I finished! Woo! I just finished my first large scale, professional editing project. I've done a bunch of little stuff up to this point but this is the first time I've finished editing an entire book.

Of course, no project is without obstacles and this one seemed to be plagued with them. Between a hardware failure that basically took out my primary computer, an illness that should have been spent in the hospital and a new computer that kept showing the Blue Screen of Death, it just seemed like I couldn't catch a break. Add to that a distinct lack of focus and I learned a lot about how I worked.

I have no problem focusing in short sprints. November, for me, was full of short sprints. This last project had a couple 12-14 hour days where I was doing nothing but editing. That's not a sprint, that's a marathon.

I used to be great at writing marathons. I did them in college all the time. I couldn't figure out this time why I was having so much trouble focusing on the project at hand.

I spent a couple hours thinking about it after I'd turned in the manuscript because it was really bothering me. I came to a very startling conclusion that made me very happy I'd made some changes several years ago.

As people, we can train ourselves to do certain things. One of the reasons I write with music is to get myself into the mood of the piece. If I put on a type of music, it brings to mind a specific type of writing and I can get into it a lot faster. I found that I did this with food, too.

I kept craving sugar as I was editing. Not terribly surprising, since I'd stopped really eating most sugars as part of my health journey, I'd had sugar cravings occasionally. I could usually get past them and move on to something else . . . until I started the editing marathons. The sugar cravings would absolutely wreck my concentration and I couldn't figure out why. I didn't really eat a lot of chocolate while I was writing and I could usually get past a block by getting up and moving around.

It finally occurred to me that the last time I was doing a sustained amount of writing or editing, I had been on the verge of a drinking problem.

I'd sit down with my laptop and a cup of Bailey's on ice and I'd write. If I had a big project coming up, I'd chill the Bailey's in the freezer, pop in a straw and just suck on it for hours while I wrote. I turned in papers that I'd written more than a little drunk and gotten some of the best grades in the class. It wasn't until I was working another job and going out with some of my coworkers that I realized the amount of drinking I was doing was not terribly healthy and I stopped.

Unfortunately, by that time I'd programmed myself to write with a drink in my hand and didn't take the time to reprogram. That has turned out to be a problem that I'm going to have to work on.

Honestly, I'm not sure how to go about doing that. I've started by keeping a full glass of ice water on my desk at all times so I'll have something to drink when I get the urge. The sugar addiction, though, is going to be harder to break. Of course, the first step is recognizing that there is a problem and the second is understanding what the problem actually is. Now, I have to go and do some research.

Happy writing!

Steampunk Midweek Motivation

A little motivation for you today:

The Health Journey: Week 9

Another update? Already? Sheesh, where does the time go.

To start, I pretty much expected this last week to kind of suck. I was bloated and gross for at least a portion of it and I'm kicking major ass on a deadline that's basically kept me chained to my computer. When said computer decides it wants to Blue Screen of Death for NO FRAKKING REASON!!!! *pant pant pant* and I end up spending the last week before the deadline trying to get to the file that I'm editing and bring the brand new freaking computer back to life, I can honestly say that I didn't pay much attention to what I was eating.

That's the bad news. I'll add to it that one of the habits I'm finding it very difficult to break is having something in my mouth as I work. In the past, that was a cigarette or a handful of M&M's. There was leftover Easter candy around this weekend. The last few days, it's been my headphone cord, to the point where I might be wearing through at certain parts. I may be taking a trip to the grocery store to pick up some gum soon if I can't stop it.

I'm gonna have to break a habit I didn't even really know I had and I'm gonna have to do it a week late for a deadline. If I was any less dedicated to this health journey, I'd call it off for a few days and just eat the freaking chocolate. As it was, I got much less exercise than I had planned, though I did get some, and I ate a lot more sugar than I should have. I've got until Thursday to get the book I'm working on back to the publisher, let's see if I can make it and stick to my food plan.

This weeks numbers:

Starting weight: 316.8 lbs
This weeks weight: 298 lbs
Weight lost this week: 0 lbs

That's right. I didn't lose anything. I also didn't gain anything. Since I've lost about 18 lbs so far, I'm pretty happy with the results. I've got a lot more to go so a couple of slip ups aren't going to put me all the way back at the beginning. I'm in it for the long haul and I'm working very hard to take the long view of things.

Steampunk Sunday: Clocks

Steampunk always seems to be very concerned with time. Therefore, this week, we bring you clocks.

The first two are actually computer wallpapers from WallpaperVortex.com. They have many lovely steampunk wallpapers and are definitely worth a look.

This next one is a mixed media art piece from Rafa Maya

This next is a watch/cuff bracelet from Deviator Aranwen

Of course, I have to include something from Dracula Clothing. They have multiple pocket watches, this one just happens to be my current favorite.

And another art piece, this one featured on the Super Punch blog.

Steampunk Midweek Motivation

Hmm, there definitely is some danger in using wood . . .

The Health Journey: Week 8

There are good weeks and there are bad weeks. This last week was an awful one. After last Monday's results, I was devastated. I broke down during this last week, wondering why I was bothering, convinced I was going to be a fat ass forever. It didn't help that I was dreaming about donuts and cake every time I went to sleep. This resulted in several bad nights of sleep and the belief that I was a bad person for craving food that I used to eat regularly.

This is when a support system becomes invaluable. They held me while I cried, reminded me that I'm beautiful and that I deserved to look the way that I feel. They reminded me that back sliding happens and to go back to the basics

Get Up
Eat Breakfast
Be Fabulous
Do Yoga/Pilates
Shower
Go to Bed

It was a one foot in front of the other, if you can get through the next hour you'll be fine, kind of support and I needed it. By Friday, I was back on my own bandwagon and feeling much more optimistic.

Saturday was my birthday and I spent it mostly in seclusion. I couldn't handle temptation as fragile as I still felt so I avoided it. Honestly, it made for the most relaxed birthday I've ever had. Easter brunch was good, I watched my portions and stuck mostly to meat-type proteins. Going in to my weigh-in today, I was cautiously optimistic that I had regained the ground I'd lost.

I had.
And then some!

I broke through a barrier I'd been flirting with for weeks and it feels so great!

This weeks numbers:

Starting weight: 316.8 lbs
Today's weight: 298 lbs
total weight lost: 18.8 lbs

current pant size: 24

I've set milestones for myself for all this weight loss. I'm doing it by percentages. 10% at a time, to be precise. Losing 10% of my original weight will put me at 285.12 lbs. That number startled me when I first looked at it because it's one I've known well. It was the heaviest I'd ever been until this last year. I wasn't there long and I plan on waving as I breeze on past it.

Steampunk Sunday: Eggs!

Happy Easter! 

I hope everybody has a great day and enjoys the following Steampunk eggs. 

Polymer Clay Steampunk Egg

Clockwork bird on an egg

Paper egg with a compass inside

Steampunk Egg and Bird - egg detail

Paper mache egg w/ metal foil

Steampunk Egg

The Health Journey: Week 7

I've started and changed this post at least 5 times and, honestly, I don't want to get into how I feel about this weeks weigh-in or about anything that's going to be happening this weekend.

This weeks numbers"

Starting weight: 316.8
This weeks weight: 302

Steampunk Midweek Motivation

Ok, not a motivational as such but definitely cute and seasonally appropriate:

The Health Journey: Week 6

This week was so much better! I'm still having trouble getting back into the routine I was in before I got sick but I've made progress and that is always a good thing.

Having support from people who care about me helps a lot. :-)

I am, of course, still super busy so not a lot of introspection this week, just numbers.

So, this weeks numbers:

Starting weight: 316.8 lbs
Week 6 weight: 300 lbs

total weight lost: 16.8 lbs

Yep, I lost the weight I gained and added a pound to it. I'm setting a goal for this week to break the 20 lbs lost barrier.

Let's do this!

Flash Fiction Friday: Bumming a Cigarette

She sat at the bar drinking faster than she wanted to and cursing the busybodies who had banned smoking in bars and restaurants. She could feel herself getting drunker and she was almost ready to step out into the cold for the nicotine fix she craved.

            Finishing her drink, she turned to find the pack of cigarettes and lighter in her purse. As she turned, a steely hand gripped her face and a strong set of lips set about plundering hers. His skill and her inebriation convinced her to return the increasingly heated kiss.

            When the kiss ended and the hand left her face, she opened her eyes to see the man on the barstool next to her; though not unattractive he wasn’t her usual type. That kiss, though, had taken the edge off her cigarette craving.

            “You looked like you needed something on your lips,” he said and touched them gently. “Wanna go outside and get a smoke?”

            “Yeah,” she grinned. “I was just thinking that.”

            He held the door for her as they stepped outside and cupped the end of the cigarette to keep the flame from going out.

            Inhaling a large drag, she turned to look up at the stars. The sky was clear, the air was cold and her senses were clouded with too much alcohol. When he first bit her, she thought somebody had punched her in the neck. By the time it occurred to her to struggle, darkness was crawling across her vision.

            As her bloodless body fell to the sidewalk, he took a drag from the cigarette he’d rescued from her nerveless fingers and contemplated the night sky through a pleasant buzz.

Steampunk Midweek Motivation

Well, do ya? 

The Health Journey: Week 5

Ah, week 5, you are so not my friend! If I was going to give myself a week off or a week of "fudging" it, it would have been this last week. I spent most of it bloated and icky feeling and craving chocolate. A craving I indulged way too much . . . and it showed.

D'oh!

I could blame the people around me for giving me the chocolate but the honest truth is that it's my fault. I know better and I'm a grown adult who can make her own decisions. And I tried to make it harder to get to. Instead of being on the table, I put it in a cookie jar next to the refrigerator. That actually sort of worked because there's some left lol.

The chocolate wasn't the only cause, either. I spent most of 3 days curled up with a heating pad and did nothing physical if I could help it. While that allowed me to make some pretty big strides in my editing job, it did not help with the weight loss goal I'm working towards.

So, this week, I'm sticking to my shakes for breakfast and lunch and I'm watching my calories for dinner. I don't really count calories, I couldn't tell you exactly how many calories I ate today, but I have a calorie range that I'm shooting for and I'm going to try and stay near the bottom of it this week to see if I can't make up for the monthly curse.

So, the numbers:

Starting weight:   316.8 pounds
Week 5 weight:  303 pounds

total weight lost: 13.8 pounds (yes, I did in fact gain 2 pounds this week)

pant size: 24