Open Diary - Not Herself

Open Diary - Not Herself http://www.opendiary.com/entrylist.asp?authorcode=D234783 Put Up or Shut Up http://www.opendiary.com/entryview.asp?authorcode=D234783&entry=10387 http://www.opendiary.com/entryview.asp?authorcode=D234783&entry=10387 Long time readers know that I grip about my weight A LOT. Ya'll will be happy to know that I'm, once again, attempting to correct it. This time it's through Weight Watchers. I have the calculator and the books, borrowed from my sister. And I've never heard anything bad about it, from doctor or otherwise. At some point, it'll be a bit hard to follow, but it's gradual, and I like the new system better than the old. It makes more sense to me. The old system had an awful lot to keep track of, one of the reasons I didn't stick to it. But the also means that I've become a bit obsessed with food and the amount of points it'll cost me. I currently weight 304lbs and am allowed 49pts a day, plus the 49 weekly pts. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about: the weekly is kinda like smudging room. If I use more than my daily, it comes out of my weekly. Weekly points do not roll over, use them or lose them, but they will remain the same. I have 49 now, I will have 49 when I've reached my target goal and go into the second stage. The daily points lessen as you lose weight, with 29 being the minimum. The idea is to gradually teach you to budget what you eat, but eat what you like. I like this idea. So far it hasn't been hard. I'm never hungry because of the diet. (I have trouble recognising when I'm hungry, so I do occasionally wait too long between meals.) The hardest part has been not comfort eating. That and portion sizes. But, I knew my portions were out of control anyway. There will be posts about food and the diet. As I've said, I've become a bit obsessed. I suppose that's a good thing, as this is one of those life style diets. You never come off of it. Wish me luck. (EDITED FOR SPELLING AND BECAUSE&nbsp;I WANTED TO ADD A &quot;BEFORE&quot; PIC.) <img style="width: 370px; height: 276px" alt="" src="http://us.mg1.mail.yahoo.com/ya/download?mid=2_0_0_24_642_AKGzo0IAARCGT44vCwRvFX6ByH0&amp;pid=2&amp;fid=Pictures&amp;inline=1" /> Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT Computers: Male or Female? http://www.opendiary.com/entryview.asp?authorcode=D234783&entry=10386 http://www.opendiary.com/entryview.asp?authorcode=D234783&entry=10386 <div class="m10 linespace print-area"> <div class="m10 linespace print-area"> A pastor of one church who was previously a sailor was very aware of the fact that that ships are addressed as &lsquo;she&rsquo; and &lsquo;her&rsquo;. He often wondered what gender computers should be addressed. To answer that question, he set up two groups of computer experts. The first was comprised of women, and the second of men. Each group was asked to recommend whether computers should be referred to in the feminine gender, or the masculine gender. They were asked to give 4 reasons for their recommendation. The group of women reported that the computers should be referred to in the masculine gender because: 1. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on. 2. They have a lot of data, but are still clueless. 3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they are the problem. 4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that, if you had waited a little longer, you could have had a better model. The men, on the other hand concluded that computers should be referred to in the feminine gender because: 1. No one but the Creator understands their internal logic. 2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else. 3. Even your smallest mistakes are stored in long-term memory for later retrieval. 4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it. 5. The message, &ldquo;Bad command or filename&rdquo; , is about as informative as &ldquo;If you don&rsquo;t know why I&rsquo;m mad at you, then I&rsquo;m certainly not going to tell you.&rdquo; Hope I made you laugh. </div> </div> Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Vacation Time http://www.opendiary.com/entryview.asp?authorcode=D234783&entry=10385 http://www.opendiary.com/entryview.asp?authorcode=D234783&entry=10385 And its vacation time again for me. I haven't had a proper vacation in eight very long years. This &quot;staycation&quot; stuff gets old quick. But something has always come up. Someone needed me, something needed repairs, or I was just plain broke. This year, I've been invited to go with Sister and some of her friends to Savannah for St. Patricks Day. We have plans to do this cheaply as possible, given that the entire city is a tourist trap.&nbsp;Also, for the last three years, vacation time has meant that it's time to catch up on whatever maintenance I can do about the house. Last time it was doing what still seems like a major overhaul/cleaning out&nbsp;of the living room and bathroom. This time, its the outside. I got to rake up as much as I can, burn off the yard wastes (like pine straw, leaves, and fallen tree limbs), and sand and repaint all the outside wooden trim. I'm not sure that it'll get done by the end of the week, but it'll look a little less abandoned. The truth is that I don't make enough money to keep up the place I inherited&nbsp;the way it really needs and it always has an air of neglect about it. But I'm trying. I'm not looking forward to the cost paint and sandpaper. But I hope to do the burning by Fri. I'd also like to straighten out the flower bed on the side of the house, add two bits of flowers to the end of the driveway. I'd like to use old tires and annual bulbs that can take the heat. I want &quot;home&quot; to look that way again. Just finished reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dating-Up-Dump-Schlump-Quality/dp/0446697605/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1331678044&amp;sr=1-1">Dating Up by J. Courtney Sullivan</a>. Okay, go ahead and laugh at me for reading&nbsp;a self help book like that. Done now? It was a waste of my time. Its targeted to professional women living in New York City. And it seems to be entirely about how to land a rich husband. How does this apply to me, who works in fast&nbsp;service and who would be perfectly happy is her future husband were a mechanic as long as he were a decent fella? And where on earth does this woman get her info on what Southern rich is like? Someone watches too many movies. Southern rich has gotten very WASPy since the 50s. It looks an awful lot like Northern rich, but usually the money in the South doesn't go as many generations back. (Actually, I think I'm just offended.) The whole book seems like&nbsp;some inside joke you aren't a part of. Don't recommend it. Cosmo magazine is more helpful and we all know its full of it. Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT Sign humor http://www.opendiary.com/entryview.asp?authorcode=D234783&entry=10384 http://www.opendiary.com/entryview.asp?authorcode=D234783&entry=10384 Local: A sign seen on a restroom dryer at O'Hare Field in Chicago: Do not activate with wet hands. At A Laundry Shop: How about we refund your money, send you a new one at no charge, close the store and have the manager shot. Would that be satisfactory? At a Towing Company: We don't charge an arm and a leg. We want tows. At a Used Car Lot: Second Hand cars in first crash condition. At an optometrist's office: If you don't see what you're looking for, you've come to the right place. At the electric company: We would be delighted if you send in your bill. However, if you don't, you will be. At the entrance of the large machinery plant: Warning to young ladies: If you wear loose clothes, beware of the machinery. If you wear tight clothes, beware of the machinist. In a Beauty Shop: Dye now! In a cafeteria: Shoes are required to eat in the cafeteria. Socks can eat any place they want. In a farmer&rsquo;s field: The farmer allows walkers to cross the field for free, but be aware that the bull charges. In a hotel during a conference: For anyone who has children and doesn&rsquo;t know it, there is day care on the first floor. In a New York medical building: Mental Health Prevention Center In a non-smoking area: If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action. In the vestry of a New England church: Will the last person to leave please see that the perpetual light is extinguished. On a church door: This is the gate of Heaven. Enter ye all by this door. (This door is kept locked because of the draft. Please use side entrance) On a desk in a reception room: We shoot every 3rd salesman, and the 2nd one just left. On a plumber's truck: We repair what your husband fixed. On a repair shop door: We can repair anything. (Please knock hard &mdash; bell out of order.) Outside a farm: Horse manure, pre-packed bags, $10. Or, do-it-yourself, $1. Outside a muffler shop: No appointment necessary. We heard you coming. Outside a photographer&rsquo;s studio: Out to lunch; if not back by five, out for dinner. Outside a second-hand store: We exchange anything - bicycles, washing machines etc. Why not bring your wife along and get a wonderful bargain. Quicksand warning: Quicksand. Any person passing this point will be drowned. By order of the District Council. And, of course, translated: Athens Hotel: Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11 daily. Austrian hotel catering to skiers: Not to perambulate the corridors in the hours of repose in the boots of ascension. Belgrade hotel elevator: To move the cabin, push botton for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order. Budapest zoo: Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty. Copenhagen airline ticket office: WE take your bags and send them in all directions. Hong Kong supermarket: For your convenience, we recommend courageous, efficient self-service. Hong Kong tailor shop: Ladies may have a fit upstairs. Istanbul hotel corridor sign: Please to evacuate in hall especially which is accompanied by rude noises. Japanese hotel: You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid. Japanese information booklet about a hotel air conditioner: Cooles and Heates: If you want just condition of war in your room, please control yourself. Kyushi, Japan Detour sign: Stop: Drive Sideways. Majorcan shop entrance: Here speeching American. Norwegian cocktail lounge: Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar. Roman doctor's office: Specialist in women and other diseases. Tokyo hotel: Is forbidden to steal hotel towels please. If you are not person to do such thing is please not to read this notice. Vienna hotel: In case of fire, do your utmost to alarm the hotel porter. Yugoslavia: in the Europa Hotel, in Sarajevo, you will find this message on every door: Guests should announce the abandonment of theirs rooms before 12 o'clock, emptying the room at the latest until 14 o'clock, for the use of the room before 5 at the arrival or after the 16 o'clock at the departure, will be billed as one night more. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT 2012 resolutions! http://www.opendiary.com/entryview.asp?authorcode=D234783&entry=10383 http://www.opendiary.com/entryview.asp?authorcode=D234783&entry=10383 Ok. I'm ready for this. I hate making my resolutions. I try to make the ones I can keep. Anyway. # 1 - Make sure there is money in the bank account for the gym. I want to go. I can afford it...sorta. The issue is that they want to take it directly out of my bank account. I understand that they want to be paid. It takes money to keep the place going. The problem is that I make so little, I'm constantly juggling bills, pushing this one past the deadline so that something else can get paid. I can't always guarantee that the money will be there on the exact day they want it. It wouldn't be a problem if they'd allow me to pay out of pocket. Maybe a dollar-fifty each day. Solution: I'm living on bare basics. I have no house phone, no cable/satellite tv, I don't even get a regular newspaper. But I have a Wal-Mart habit. If I can curb this, it'll easily produce the money for the gym. Besides, I don't need much to exist on. I'm just not very high-upkeep. Maybe I really should seriously consider a second job. # 2 - The house is in need of various things. Termite control. Homeowners insurance. A new roof. (<img alt="" src="http://www.opendiary.com/images/smileys/0083.gif" />) Since I'm claiming it as mine, and the siblings are no longer arguing the point, the house falls to me to take care of. Solution: I have the number for a fairly cheap pest control service, but this will require that I first build my saving back up. One of the brothers has agreed to help me pay for a new roof, my credit is good enough to do it. I'm about to go make a payment on my car insurance. I'm about to see if they'll give me a discount to bundle in homeowners insurance. I need to shop around anyway. # 3 - Healthy Habits. What is something I can honestly give up without seriously missing? Solution: I tried to give up caffeine last year. It sorta worked. For about six months. Maybe I should try giving up sodas at work, with the exception of the coffee and tea that I make at home and take with me. Drink water at work, since that's where I end up drinking most of my sodas. If its a diet, caffeine-free drink, does it count as a soda, if the sugar is what I'm trying to cut? # 4 - Find a stable hair color. My hair is not a mood ring. 'Nuff said. # 5 - Build up my savings account. Times got particularly hard for a little while. I've been having to dip into my saving to make ends meet. Its time I start managing my money better so that I wont have to. If it means trimming my grocery bill to bare basics, so be it. I've lived off of buttered toast for three months, during a very trying time of my life. Not that I'll do that again. But it won't hurt me to eat less. I tend to be a comfort eater. Been trying to curb that for a while, anyway. Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT