Success!
by Nita on March 28th, 2009
filed under Uncategorized
Finally! No. I’m not reporting anything about writing. LOL I’ve had trouble focusing, and I’ve been struggling to find the desire to write. So nothing is happening on that front. I can’t really expect anything to happen since I haven’t been doing anything to make it happen.
But what I have been doing is trying to lose a few pounds. I’m overweight. Have been for about 20 years. In the last few years, I’ve packed on even more excess baggage. Getting older, Iguess. So one of my New’s Years’ resolutions was to change my diet and try and get more exercise. I set a goal of losing 40 pounds by the end of May.
Yes. For those of you who read my blog regularly, that’s when I’m taking my cruise. LOL And yes, the prospect of being seen in public wearing a bathing suit is some pretty good motivation. It’s also a good reminder that I’m going to want to be in good enough condition to hike around the Mayan ruins at Tulum without getting out of breath. I want to be able to take the stairs on the ship rather than wait, and wait, and wait for the elevators. I want to be able to enjoy every possible activity without sitting out because I just don’t have the energy.
So yes, the cruise has made it much easier to stick by that resolution. Here it is the end of March and unlike years past, I’m still working to keep that resolution. I was doing so well at first. I lost a pound or two a week steadily for the first six or seven weeks. I’d lost about 16 pounds, and then it happened.
The dreaded plateau
.
Ugh. You know the one. The kind that makes you want to quit trying. The kind that makes you wonder if you’ll ever lose another pound. The kind that brings on that little devil who sits on your shoulder and whispers in you ear, “Go ahead, eat that pizza. You ate nothing but rabbit food last week and what did it get you? You didn’t even lose a half a pound.”
It was the kind of plateau that made me look at my exercise bike and think, “What’s the point?” For three weeks I went to the gym at least twice a week and continued to climb 4 flights of stairs at work every day. Twice a week at the gym, I’d get on the scale and see little or no change at all. Once it even showed a 1/4 pound gain!
Talk about discouraging and disappointing. Part of me wanted to give up. I admit it, but I kept telling myself, “It’s just a plateau. Every dieter hits them.”
My daughter and I went to the gym tonight. I went to the scale and held my breath. I moved the weights on the bar to what it registered last time. The little thing wasn’t balanced, so I tapped it down a couple of pounds. Still out of balance. Confused, I tapped it back the other way thinking I’d been too hopeful.
Nope. The unbalanced bar remained in the same place. I’d pushed the weight the wrong way. My brows lifted in surprise as I slid the weight back toward the lower setting. The bar finally balanced in the middle.
I’d lost 4 pounds since last Monday! That was only 5 days! Sure, a pound or so was probably water weight, but still. I was ready to squeal. The blasted plateau is behind me. I’ve finally broken through that invisible barrier where my body has finally stopped fighting the inevitable and turned loose of some fat.
buy Austin Powers in Goldmember
Hallelujah.
It’s been hard — counting every calorie, denying myself so many of the foods I love. But it’s working. I’ve tried to lose weight before. Usually I make it to five or ten pounds before I fall off the wagon. This time I’m doing better. The incentive from the cruise is definitely one of the reasons. But another reason is my family. My husband and daughter are also trying to shed a few pounds this time. Neither have the weight problem I do, but it wouldn’t hurt either of them to lose that little pooch around the middle or their love handles. Having the majority of my family on board with the healthier eating has helped a lot. (My son is a 16 year-old boy with a hollow leg. LOL He can eat anything he wants without worry. We’ve all told him to enjoy it while he can.)
So… I’ve now lost 22 1/2 pounds. Yes, I’m counting that 1/2 pound. I worked hard for it! LOL My original goal was to lose 40 pounds by the time I set sail on May 30th. Since I spent 3 weeks on that plateau, I may not quite reach that lofty target. I have nine weeks left. I’d have to lose 2 pounds a week every week to make that goal. Not likely. But I can still get close. Surely I can reach the 30 pound mark. That would require one pound a week. I may even make it to 35 pounds.
In any case, that long-awaited break-through has renewed my resolve. I’m going to keep counting those calories, and I remind myself that the exercise (however dreaded) is needed.
And I’ll be waiting at least 6 more weeks before I go shopping for that bathing suit. 
Nita
Dogville movie 3:10 to Yuma video
Visit the Author's Studio Blog
by Nita on March 27th, 2009
filed under Uncategorized
I blogged today about social networking sites over at the Author’s Studio. I’d love to hear your opinion about these sites. Stop on over and give us your two cents.
Nita
Midnight Clear buy The Deep End full movie High Noon move Cat Nap Pluto hd
Secret Revealed
by Nita on March 18th, 2009
filed under Uncategorized
You may remember that I posted recently (March 7th) that I’d made a gift for CHRW’s Secret Leprechaun Gift Exchange. It was something I liked so much I decided I needed to make one for myself.
My CHRW sister opened her gift yesterday, so now I can show you what it was.
It’s a Celtic themed book thong. It has three beads with Celtic designs as well as a few other beads. The top and bottom is actually a heart-shaped toggle set like the kind used for jewelry such as bracelets. It’s long enough to wrap around the spine of a mass market paperback and hook so that it doesn’t slip out.
I have the stuff to make more in different colors and styles. I picked some pretty purple beads and lavender ribbon for some, and some pink heart beads to go with some rose colored ribbon. There are flower themed metal beads, too, to replace the Celtic themed beads for a different look.
I’m planning to give these away as gifts and promotional items. I hope everyone likes them as much as I do.
Nita
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
by Nita on March 16th, 2009
filed under Uncategorized
The Gathering Storm movie The Pentagon Papers ipod 
My baby is sick. :(
by Nita on March 15th, 2009
filed under Uncategorized
Thomas Kinkade’s Home for Christmas trailer
Dracula cerca sangue di vergine… e morì di sete!!! full movie Okay, so my “baby” is 16 years old, five foot ten, and 175 pounds. But he’s still my baby. The poor kid has been running a fever of about 102 for two days now. We took him to the walk-in clinic today. I didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to find out if his regular doctor could see him.
They ran several tests. It’s not the flu. The strep test was negative, but the doc said there’s always a slight chance of a false negative. The blood test showed an elevated white blood cell count, so there’s some kind of infection, we’re just not sure what kind. The doctor prescribed a Z-pack, some combination decongestant/antihistamine/codeine cough medicine, bed rest, lots of fluids, and some of mom’s chicken soup.
I made the chicken soup for supper, and he got up long enough to eat. He says he’s feeling a little better. Thank goodness. I just hate it when the kids are sick. At least when they were little, I could hold them and cuddle them. The cuddling comforted me as much as it did them, I think. He’s too big for that now, but he’s still my baby. And I worry about him just as much as I ever have.
Nita
Welcome TONY PAUL de VISSAGE
by Nita on March 13th, 2009
filed under Uncategorized
TONY PAUL de VISSAGE
AUTHOR'S BIO: Disaster Movie rip A writer of French Huguenot extraction, one of Tony-Paul de Vissage's first movie memories is of being six years old, viewing the old Universal horror flick, Dracula's Daughter on television, and being scared sleepless--and that may explain a lifelong interest in vampires. Though the author didn't begin writing horror--or any other genre--until after graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from a well-known Southern University, and a second in Graphic Art, that one particular interest survived a liberal arts' education and the scorn of friends and family.
Marriage, parenthood, divorce, and a variety of occupations ranging from stage work to doctor's assistant took precedent over writing for several years, as did moving from one United States coast to another. Eventually that first story--a short story about the hapless vampire Clan Andriescu--was published. A voracious reader whose personal library has been shipped more than 3,000 miles, Tony-Paul has read hundreds of vampire tales and viewed more than as many movies..
From Tony:
I write about vampires, and have always done so, making a study of them to evolve my own, special spin on the Undead tale–the Shadows, the aventurieri, the vampires-who-aren’t-vampires.
EXCERPT from “Sometimes Love Returns”
He’d begin to be touched by something which had never before been a part of his long and varied life…conscience….and it was a markedly unpleasant feeling–especially since he began to listen to it.
The longer he was with the girl, the more he wanted her–her body, her blood, her soul–and the realization was slowly coming to him that he had to do what his desires were telling him–and very soon–or leave her forever. Marius didn’t want to do either, for he’d discovered something for Caity that he’d never felt before and in that moment, it burst fully upon him, leaving him slightly breathless.
I love her!
. . . and on its heels came another thought . . .
Oh, cherie, I have to leave you!
Hearts in Atlantis rip Tommy Boy divx
Guest Blogger on Friday
by Nita on March 11th, 2009
filed under Uncategorized
Just a little note to let you know that horror author, TONY PAUL de VISSAGE, will visit on Friday, March the 13th. Friday the 13th seemed an appropriate day to talk about vampires and the like. 
Nita
Mother-Daughter Time
by Nita on March 10th, 2009
filed under Uncategorized
My daughter asked if I wanted to go to they gym with her this evening. Well, I’m not about to pass up some one-on-one time with with my 20-year-old daughter. Quality time with her is extremely rare these days. So of course, I said yes.
If I’d had half a brain, I’d have suggested a chick-flick movie instead. Mother-daughter bonding didn’t used to so much work! She’s been going to the gym at least three times a week, usually more, since the first of the year. Me? I’ve done the stairs (four flights) at work on almost all the work days since the first of the year. I’ve ridden my exercise bike a few times. No comparison.
Okay, so we stretched a little and headed over to the Stairmasters. I made it ten minutes before I bailed on her. LOL I sat next to her on the bike and tried to look like I was still exercising. But hey, ten minutes on the Stairmaster is no piece of cake, right?
Next we moved over to the elliptical machines. The first ones she chose had a huge stride. There was no way my already wobbly legs could handle them, so we moved over to another kind. We did about ten minutes on those.
By now I’m thinking, “I’m not dead yet, so I’m doing fairly well.” My next torture session focused on my non-existant abs. Well, I thought they were non-existant, but they certainly made their presence known after only a few reps. Ouch.
I made it through the abdominal workout without totally embarrasing myself, and my daughter said, “Okay. We’re done.” I sent up a prayer of thanks, but almost choked on the silent words when she added, “I don’t really need to work out my arms tonight.”
My reply? “Good. At least I’ll be able to move some part of my body in the morning.”
It was some much needed bonding time. I enjoyed her company even if I was working my butt off.
It was totally worth it.
Hmm… I wonder if I’ll still feel that way in the morning when my muscles remind me that she’s half my age.
I should take some Advil before bed.
And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself divx
Knights of Bloodsteel film Cat People video
Nita
Planning the Family Vacation
by Nita on March 9th, 2009
filed under Uncategorized
We didn’t get to take a family vacation last year. We just didn’t feel we could afford to spend the money. Instead we pinched pennies to pay off all the bills and save money for this year. And this year we’re planning a very nice one!
We’ve booked a cruise. Seven days of tropical bliss. We’re sailing on Carnival’s Liberty.
The ship is ranked at 4 1/2 stars by Vacationstogo.com. The pictures are beautiful.
Where are we going? The itinerary includes Ochos Rios, Jamaica, Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands, and Cozumel, Mexico! WooHoo! First stop is Jaimaica where we plan to visit Dunn’s River Falls. Check out the cool pictures.
Next stop will be Grand Cayman. We are planning a snorkling excursion there. They say that of the three ports of call, Cayman has the best reefs and sites for snorkeling and diving. And as with all the pictures of Caribbean beaches, these promise to be gorgeous.
As well as the snorkeling, we’re going to spend a little time on the beach and make a quick trip to the post office in Hell. I can’t go to Cayman and not mail a few postcards from Hell. LOL
The last port is Cozemul, Mexico. We’ve picked an all-day excursion that will take us to the Mayan ruins at Tulum. After a tour of the ruins, we get to spend an hour or so on the white sand beach nearby.
Needless to say, we are very excited about the trip. It’s not until the first week of June, but we are already counting the days till departure.
82 days. Just long enough to lose a few more pounds and get a bit of base tan so we are less likely to burn in the Caribbean sun.
Nita
St. Patrick's Day Theme
by Nita on March 7th, 2009
filed under Uncategorized
Check it out! I found a St. Patrick’s Day Theme for my blog. Now I’m looking for an Easter theme. I found a couple, but I’m not sure if I’m crazy about either one of them. I’ll keep looking.
I mailed my Secret Leprechaun gift yesterday. Some of the members at Celtic Hearts Romance Writers, an online RWA chapter, are partcipating in the gift exchange. I’m excited and can’t wait to hear what she thinks of the gift. We were to pick a gift of $5-$10. The only stipulation was that it had to be green. I hope she likes my gift. I made it for her. It turned out rather nice, if I do say so myself. LOL In fact, I think I need to make another one for me
.
Nita