The Sweet Escape

Gwen. Tonight.

Guilt

I just had Taco Time for lunch. I'm going to Training Table for dinner. It appears that the diet is out the window today...

Diet, Subway and Lunch Meat

I've finally buckled down and put myself on a "diet". It's not so much a full-on diet as it is me being more conscious of what I eat, counting calories and pretty much coming to terms with the fact that I will never be full again.

It's only been 7 days, but this is the longest I've ever been able to commit to eating healthy (yes, very sad). I usually can't withstand the temptation of a Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard or fast food meal, but not this time! I've turned down three invitations to go out to lunch (and given in to two invitations to go to dinner...but it wasn't too bad), filled my freezer full of frozen dinners and my desk drawers full of 100 calorie packs. I'm on my way to not giving up on this!

I haven't quite been able to get myself back to the gym, but we won't talk about that right now. Baby steps.

Unfortunately, I forgot to grab my lunch out of the freezer this morning. I decided to hit up Subway for a calorie-counted sandwich. In an attempt to make my sandwich a little more filling (because those who know me, know that I put very little on my sandwiches) I added cheese to the ham/turkey. American cheese to be precise. I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised. It added a little touch of delicious to my lunch. Who knew I would like I white cheese on a sandwich?

As I was taking the last bite, I got a whiff of the lunch meat and decided that while I can eat it, I don't ever want to smell it. It reminded me of the lemon bars at the DM monthly employee meetings. I had tried Tiffany's lemon bars and loved them so I thought it would be a good option at the meeting. False. When it got close to my mouth I realized it smelled like lunch meat. It shouldn't need to be said that a lemon bar should never smell like meat. So, like any sensible person would do, I proceeded to make everyone around me smell it.

I Heart Jim Halpert

Get ready for The Office tonight! This is why I heart Jim.
I almost forgot how much I love this show. Freaking hilarious!

Best Medicine

Yesterday Ellen did a monologue about laughing (which included several demonstrations that were spot on) and it reminded me of how much I LOVE to laugh.

I come from a family of loud laughers so I was doomed from the start. My mother has a very recognizable laugh and once she gets going it's hard to put on the brakes. I love it.

Others may disagree, but I feel like my laugh is fairly normal most of the time. It's only when something catches me off guard or is extra funny that I pull out the big guns. It usually starts out silent, a gush of air with no sound behind it, and then an explosion of sound often accompanied by a wide open mouth and thrown back head. I can't tell you how many times I've hit my head on the wall, back of the couch, back of a chair, etc. because I've thrown my head back in laughter. I can't control the head movements or the volume. It just comes out and I kind of like it.

I also have a tendency to laugh even when something isn't funny. I didn't realize I did this until late one summer night in Michigan, between semesters at BYU, I was sitting in my living room with three friends from high school. Josh was asleep on the couch and Brandi and Jenny and I were chatting away about nothing. Brandi made a joke about the way Josh was sleeping, comparing it to something that I don't really remember (I know that doesn't help the story much) and I laughed. Here's the conversation that followed:

Jen: No, that's not how it would look if he were ____(Fill in the blank with whatever you'd like.)
Brandi: Well, not exactly...but kind of.
J: No, not at all.
(Tension in the room is rising and voices grow louder.)
B: It doesn't matter - it was a joke.
J: Well, it wasn't funny!
(Now they're full on yelling.)
B: Stephanie thought it was funny.
J: Stephanie laughs at everything!

She may be right, but I think we could all use a little more laughter.

Sincerest Apologies

I've been the absolute worst blogger lately. I apologize.

I guess I'm making the assumption that someone out there actually cares that I haven't been updating on a regular basis, which is more than likely not the case.

Either way, guilt has overcome me and I'm resolving to be better.

A Little Hope

One of my co-workers was wounded in the Trolley Square shootings on February 12th and left paralyzed from the waist down. After spending two months recovering in the hospital, he was able to return home yesterday.

We are living in a scary world and are told things are going to get worse. But every time I read an article about how the community rallied around Stacy and helped renovate his home, I get a little emotional. Like he said in the article above, there are still good people in the world and that gives me a little hope.

You can see the video of his homecoming here and here.

Guilty Pleasure

One night last week, as I settled into bed for the night, I turned on the TV and was pleasantly surprised by what I found on the DVR...Road Rules/Real World Inferno 3! The setting to record all new episodes must have carried over from Fresh Meat and it made my night. (Have I ever mentioned how the DVR is the greatest invention? I think maybe once or twice.)

Did you see it? Have you seen the previews? This season looks pretty intense. Full of the drama and scandal that I love. In case you missed it, the first episode featured CT punching new-comer, Davis, in the face for absolutely no reason and getting sent home (on the first night!). If that is any indication of what's to come, we're all in for a treat!

Speaking of delightful shows on MTV, I miss Rob & Big. Do I need to remind everyone of the "manpon" episode? Quite possibly the funniest (and most disturbing) thing I've ever seen on television.

Bring on "reality"--I can't get enough!

Uncanny Resemblence

I know he's not going to go home tonight and I'm going to curse AI yet again.

Counting Sheep

There have been several nights over the course of the last week or two when sleep has refused to come to me. I'm not one of those people who can function on four hours of sleep night after night. I like sleep. My body requires lots of it. So when I find myself in situations where my brain won't slow down and I just lay in bed staring at the ceiling, I get frustrated.

My first course of action is Benadryl. Pop two of those bad boys and I'm set for the night. In fact, that usually works so well that I've never had a second course of action.

Until recently.

My second course of action? Counting sheep. That's right...1, 2, 3, 4...50...125...

One night I remember getting to 165. Another night 210. I'm not sure if I fell asleep at that point or if my mind just wandered off. Either way, it seemed to work.

You may think that is the strange part of my story. A 24 year old counting sheep. It's not. What I find odd is that I'm imagining the sheep in my head--not just lined up (or however you would imagine them)--but they are jumping over a fence. One by one. In kind of a "cow jumped over the moon" sort of way, but over a fence not the moon.

Even weirder is that they are not real sheep I'm imagining, but cartoon sheep. Or maybe paper cut out sheep that abruptly jump over the fence. (Like back in the day when they would take a still shot of it, move it a little, take another shot, move it again, take another shot, etc. Then piece it all together. Have I lost you?)

My question is this: Where is this coming from? Cartoon sheep jumping over a fence? Did I see this somewhere before--maybe Sesame Street as a child?

When you think of counting sheep, what do you think of?

What would we do, baby?

For the last two nights Lindsay and I have been watching Season 1 of Family Ties on DVD.

Even though I was born the year it started, I was seven by the time it ended and I can remember watching it with my family. Chances are I was laying on the floor directly under the TV, with two throw pillows under my head, covered by an afghan and my feet on the entertainment center (and probably getting in trouble for it).

It's funny how certain things can take you back and make you think about things you haven't thought about it a long time.

Sha, la, la, la....