n e n i e

Previous Week's Weight: 263.6lbs
This Week's Weight: 264.2
This Week's Loss: +0.6bs
Total Weight Lost: 4.4bs
Next Goal: 240.0lbs
Pounds to Go 24.2

Yes, it's a gain, BUT, it's less than a pound and with all the crap I've eaten this week, this is totally a victory. I've eaten out almost every day this week, some days 2x in one day. When I eat out I'm not making the best choices every time, but yknow, I am showing improvement.

Time was, my parents' presence in my life would cause a much larger gain than this. I'm finally starting to figure stuff out here. And that's awesome.

OK, next week, we drink water. Lots of water, I'm still not so hot there. Word.

Posted by nenie at 07:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Damn, up by two, only one team left in it...this could be the craziest bracket ever, yo.

I mean, GO BUCKEYES!

Posted by nenie at 11:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

My parents rolled into town today, on the 2p train from Chicago.

I've spent over a decade out of my parents' home and yet, whenever we're together, it's as if we picked up right where we left off. But not in the way you'd think, well, unless you really know my familia.

When we pick right back up where we left off, I'm not the 15 year old me living under their rules. Because, our relationship evolves along with us in the time that we're apart. Whenever we get together, I'm still me at whatever age I happen to be at, with whatever responsibilities I happen to have.

Honestly, when my parents are around, the biggest change is that I feel like a more complete me. I remember the parts of myself that have been around since the beginning of me, but that lay low because of the real and perceived pressures of living this life.

For example, I'd been pretty anxious about their arrival. At first it was because I thought they held something against our choice to move here rather than back to Chicago, then I thought they disapproved of my job at The Minuteman. As I fell even further into the land of the irrational I started worrying that they didn't like Nena. I started pretending they weren't coming, chalking up this belief to the fact that they hadn't bought their train tickets yet.

But last week, they bought them and their impending arrival into this new chapter in my life became real to me.

As I came to grips with their visit, I started remembering the parts of me that understands one incredibly important fact. My parents love me for me.

My parents' wisdom grants them the ability to understand the choices I've made in my life, for they've made some tough ones too. My parents' understanding moves them towards the more important step of approving of my choices.

Yes, I'm nearly 30 years old and my parents' approval still matters to me a great deal. But, being around them reminds me that I'm not living my life for them, and that I've never tried to do that. They've always raised me to understand that my life is my own, it's just that I forget these things when we're apart. On afternoons such as the one I just spent, I remember one of the most important things they've ever told me, that so long as I'm happy, they're going to approve of whatever choices I make.

Anyway, they've been in town for 9 hours now and it's a funny thing. It doesn't matter where we meet up, being with my parents always feels like coming home, even if it's my home they're coming into.

Posted by nenie at 11:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The results after the Sweet Sixteen. Precarious, people. Precarious.

Posted by nenie at 07:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Previous Week's Weight: 264.8lbs
This Week's Weight: 263.6
This Week's Loss: -1.2bs
Total Weight Lost: 5.0lbs
Next Goal: 240.0lbs
Pounds to Go 23.6

Not a spectacular week by any means, but it's a loss of over a pound, so I'll take it.

This trip through the program has been interesting. I have a lot more POINTS(tm), currently 40 a day, and a lot of days, I just can't get through them all. It's really pretty amazing. However, there are days when I'm pretty sure I get 45 in. Because I have so many points to burn, the 2 and 3 POINT(tm) snacks that are all over our house, just don't work for me. The solution here is clearly to keep working with these 2 and 3 POINT snacks and focus on stopping when I'm full. I also need to start weaning myself off of the fried stuff I can currently get away with.

The other issue this week, water. The first few weeks back on program, I was a water fiend. In the words of Peter Sellers "I'm what you might call a water man." But this week, with my illness, the antibiotics and resultant mucus build up, drinking water just fell by the wayside. This is part of a larger issue I confronted last time, that things need to be PERFECT for me to make this work. I need to feel good all week, work needs to go brilliantly, and I need to have my Nalgenes availible at all times. This week, it just didn't happen. I need to work on that next week.

Right, I've been sick. Sunday we went to The Q and I felt like ass. Nena said I should go to the doctor, I thought it was allergies and let it slide. Monday, I felt better, but still icky. Tuesday, worse than ass. I had a wicked sore throat and I could hardly swallow without wanting to scream. I went to work, discovered that strep was ripping through the Minuteman, went to the doctor on my lunch break, was diagnosed with "throat." It wasn't strep, but my tonsils were clearly infected in a very major way. Oh, also an ear infection. Doctor gave me some hardcore non-cillin-based drugs and BOOM! I'm mostly better.

Anyway, back to weight loss.

So, this week's battle...my parents are coming to town. The quickest way for me to gain weight is to re-inject my parents into the scene. So this week I'm going to have to plan like I've never planned before. Save POINTS(tm) like mad and use them wisely. Smaller breakfast, smaller lunch, bigger dinners...that looks like how it's going to go down. I have a plan this time, and I will not fail. Right? Right.

Not that I'm not superpsyched about my 'rents visiting. I am, they're taking the train, it should be awesome....

Posted by nenie at 09:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

"Today we celebrate the moment when God decided to make your life better by introducing me into the world."

-Nena

Posted by nenie at 08:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After the First two rounds, here are the standings. I'm as shocked as anyone.

Sadly, though. I haven't had the chance to actually watch any games, save for the last two minutes of Friday's late games. I had to work Thurs-Sat and then after work on Sat I went out with Lt. Cmdr. Gardner...which is a story I'll tell today, methinks. Then yesterday, the TiVo died so we went to The Q to do some shopping.

It's all quite tragic really.

Yup, the TiVo's dead. Longtime readers will remember that this is our second TiVo, our first having died in the exact same manner as this one two years ago. One day, it just didn't wake up. Poor thing's been trying to wake up for over 24 hours now. It's just not going to happen. Does anyone know how to extract program info from a dead TiVo? Because there's a bunch of stuff on there we wanted to watch.

I might just give the thing to Gunder to play with...if he's interested.

We've decided to not get a third Series 2 Tivo right away. Instead, we're going to get a DVR box from Comcast. I'd been thinking about getting a box anyway so I could get Wrestlemania in a few weeks, but I don't know who I'd have over to watch it. Mania's just not as much fun when you're alone. Maybe I can get Barca (the former co-worker formerly known as Lt. Barcelona) to come over....hrmmm. But who else?

Times like these when I miss the hell out of a bunch of you guys.

Posted by nenie at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

Previous Week's Weight: 266.6bs
This Week's Weight: 264.8lbs
This Week's Loss: -1.8bs
Total Weight Lost: 3.8lbs
Next Goal: 240.0lbs
Pounds to Go 24.8

Right, so it's been three months or so since I last posted one of these. In that time, I've gained ten pounds and rejoined Weight Watchers. My last meeting was in St. Charles, IL in June...so it's been a while. In that time I've gained something in the neighborhood of thirty pounds.

So the plan right now is to be as close to where I was at the beginning of last summer by the end of this summer.

In addition, by the time we leave for Spain on May 17th, I want to be able to wear my Furia Roja jersey. I promise not to wear it in Barcleona, too.

This week's quote about weight loss is courtesy of Mick Foley. In his new book, The Hardcore Diaries he talks about his struggle with his weight. This quote, I think, perfectly domonstrates why it's so freaking hard for me to keep my weight down.

"Actually, I eat a sensible, balanced diet for about twenty-three and a half hours a day. That other thrity minutes, however, can get a little ugly. That refrigerator (or freezer) door opens and common sense just seems to disappear. I've made some pretty startling rationalizations wile assuming that late-night/early-morning regrigerator stance. I have convinced myself that the rice in ricce pudding is a main-stay of many Asian diets, and that the milk in the pudding is helpful in building strong bones. I have alson noted that a portion of the proceeds from Ben & Jerry's Rain Forest Crunch is used to protect the environment. Hey, what more reason do I need? I'm a tree hugger of sorts. Two thousand late-night calories down the hatch."

Replace "late-night" with "mid-evening" or "mid-afternoon" and you've got me in there. I have to find a way to countermand that instinct.

Posted by nenie at 09:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

A few random thoughts from my world.

Woke up this morning and Nena says to me.
"When you have kids, you have to cut their nails. You think we could just get them declawed?"

No, we're not expecting anytime soon.

But, I'm getting ready to start selling tickets to the NenieyNena Baby Pool. Something like $10 a square, squares are the days on the calendar. So, you put $10 on the baby being born on the 5th. Baby's born on the 5th, you split the pool with the baby. If an unpurchased day is the winner, baby keeps the pot. Baby's earnings go in a Mooch Fund to help pay for approximately 8 minutes of college in 2026 or somesuch. Takers?

I'm still playing with the amount folks'd have to put down.

I've seen two shows in Santa Fe this year, Public Enemy...which I guess I never talked about, eh? And Ozomatli, who played last night. Great show, guys still know how to bring it, and the stuff off the new album sounds HOTT.

Seriously, do yourselves a favor when it comes out in April, pick it up.

Speaking of the NCAA Tourney, who the hell put all the Catholic schools in the same region? Ok, so not all the Catholics, but Marquette, Georgetown AND Boston College in one region? I really wish that Micah Downs didn't go to Gonzaga, cuz then I'd be able to pick them beyond my mandatory Catholic Loyalty Picks. Bastard.

Have I ranted about that asshole? Suffice it to say, the guy is a whiny little bitch. And an asshole.

Damn, am I drunk?

Sadly, no.

Last thought.

This morning Nena says to me "So you wanna go see 300 this weekend?"

"I dunno, I really want to see it, but I'd rather go see Turtles instead."

"That's coming out this weekend?"

"Yeah" (For some reason I lost week in there, yes, I know it comes out next weekend)

"Hrmmm, that's a tough call."

"Yup, heh, 300 Turtles, that'd be a cool movie. Plus seeing 300 would just remind me that there's no IMAX out here."

"Mmmm, 300 Donatellos. That'd be awesome."

"Baby, you really need help."

"What, he's the cute one."

Posted by nenie at 07:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

You thought I was going to forget, didn't you?

Well, I didn't. As every year, here's the link to this year's brackets, due before tip-off on Thursday. Same rules as every year...

Scoring?
2 points per game in the first round
4 in the second
8 in the Sweet Sixteen
16 in the Elite Eight
32 in the Final Four
64 in the Terrific Twos (Nena'��s contribution to this endeavour)

Upset Points?
A nn staple throughout the years has been the upset points. In past years players have been awarded the difference between seeds in the case of a first round upset. This year, you��ll get the seed added as points.

Translation?
Pick a 12 to beat a 5? Get 12 extra points for picking that game.

As always, upset points are only allowed in the first round.

Prize?
To the winner, your very own Atlanta shot glass.
(Sarah, you won last year, did you ever get your prize?)

Posted by nenie at 07:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

I'm back from Vegas, with a thought.

Someday, you're going to have to answer to Alex Trebek for all the things you've done.

Posted by nenie at 01:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)