Friday, October 29, 2010

Day 107 from France:
The Moulin Rouge


Shaboom
sends us her update from Paris SoCal...







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 4

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Day 106 - Talking with Shaboom

Karen sends her updates from Burbank, CA


"Mommy, look, I did a picture of you!"



My new curtains.

After the art project, it's off for my final day of this madness.

I call Shaboom along the way.

"I can't do 8 miles and 80 flights of stairs anymore. It takes 4 hours out of my day, I'm exhausted, I've gained a pound and a half and really.....I'm not having fun."

"You have to stop it then. The whole point is for you to enjoy your life."

"Exactly. Well...... enjoy my life 35 pounds less. But yes."

"When I went sightseeing, I took the train a lot. Maybe you could plan some day trips, explore and eat at new places."

"That sounds so much better than my last idea."

Once home, I informed Hubby about the new idea.
I choose to believe the shaking of the head while walking away was his way of saying "Wow! You are amazing to keep going! How fun this new phase of your super important experiment will be! Count me in! How can I help?"

Total: 8 days of 8 miles and 80 flights of stairs = 64 miles and 640 flights of stairs.
(THAT'S CRAZY)

The great thing is, I now know I NEVER EVER, EVER have to do that again.
(Thank goodness that wasn't the answer.)

Today I said Au Revoir to The New, New Plan.
Tomorrow, Bon Jour Chinatown.

-----------------------------------------------
FYI
How to build a better Monster Trap if you are a 4 year old boy.


1. Invite your friend over who is 5 years old and a girl.
2. Take EVERYTHING out of your bedroom and move it into the living room.
3. Arange everything in an orderly manner.
4. Set up witnesses.


Bon Chance!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Day 106 from France:
Hôtel de Ville


Shaboom
sends us her update from Paris SoCal...








- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 4

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Weigh In Week 15 - Well.....that didn't work.

Weigh In Week 15
Goal: Lose 35 pounds in 6 months the French Skinny Way.
Gained 1.5 pounds this week.
Total lost so far: 13.5 pounds



Well......that didn't work.

This put me in a funk today. And NO I didn't gain muscle. My pants are tighter and I can't even get my jeans over my enormous calves.

I know I'm missing something.
The answer to this thing.
It's almost there, like that dream that makes sense out of everything but you can't quite remember it when you wake up.

I did my 8 miles and 80 flights of stairs anyway. Why? To be honest, I don't really know what else to do. Shaboom told me she did this for a whole month so that's what I committed to. But I know I can't keep it up. I'm too exhausted. Tomorrow will be my last day. I will call her on my journey and try to figure out a new plan.

I called The Sgt. Major. He said, "Just think of this as war. You make a plan. If the plan doesn't work, you make a new plan." God, I love having him as a big brother. He is very wise and very brave. Solid as a rock. I start to think about what he has sacrificed for his country. How silly all this other stuff seems. But he's behind me in this so I keep going. I know what he's done. That's why I can do day after day of my 8 miles and 80 flights of stairs plan. He's done more and never talked about it. Yes, there are people like that. And I get to know one of them.

4 and I walked to Toys R Us then ended up at Chili John's.
Hubby met us there for dinner.
Chili John's is famous in Burbank.
You want some real chili? Head on down.


I ordered the spiciest chili they have with the works.


It was a fun night.


Mmmmmm.


The sky was so beautiful when we walked out.


I can tell Hubby is relieved that tomorrow will be my last day.
It takes me 4 hours to do 8 miles and 80 flights of stairs.

I'm going to figure this out.



Tomorrow I call Shaboom.


Monday, October 25, 2010

Day 105 from France:
Adverts


Shaboom
sends us her update from Paris SoCal...


Images from the Paris Metro...









- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 4

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Joyeux Dimanche - Boo


Boo.



Happy Sunday.

Now go eat something wonderful!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Karen - Day 104 - Poke Salad Annie

Karen sends her posts from Burbank, CA




Grandma Dee has a mystery plant in her garden.


It shot up so fast and so high, Tammy was calling it The Beanstalk Plant. It doesn't seem like a weed, is kind of pretty and has little berries on it.

My brother, The Sgt. Major, took a branch with some berries over to the Nursery to find out what the heck it is.

It's called Pokeweed but some people call it Poke Salad. It's a bit controversial because the seeds of the berries are poisonous along with other parts of the plant but some people eat the leaves before they mature. I enjoy my salad triple washed and already in a bag so needless to say, we will not be eating any of it. The birds eat the berries but do not digest the seeds so it's safe for them. (Which is how we suspect the ginormous Pokeweed was planted in the first place. If you know what I mean.)

Turns out it's a pretty famous weed. The Sgt. Major found this and we all sat around watching it. Until Tammy and I couldn't take it anymore and had to get up and dance.



Grandma Dee then told us a story about how she went to see Elvis before he was famous. Her friend Willy, a girl from the south, dragged her to a concert. "He was dancing all funny and all the girls were hoopin and hollerin. Willy was jumping up in her seat and screaming and I couldn't figure out what all the hype was about. I figured he would never make it as a singer."

For the record, I love all things Elvis. Not in a 'please don't put your purse on my Elvis shrine because when they find where he's really living I know he'll want to see it' kind of way. In fact I don't have any Elvis stuff. But man oh man he was one sexy, talented, charismatic guy.

Day 6 of the New, New Plan. (8 miles and 80 flights of stairs) Goal accomplished for the day. I'm eating everything and I hurt.

Rock On.