Can I See Some ID?

Grandy mentioned back here that she is a bit of a success story.

One of the things she did not mention, is some of the things that go along with what happens when you lose a significant amount of weight. Some things that one would not consider.

For instance...when buying a drink (of the adult nature of course), or going to a bar with my friends...Grandy gets carded. Not a HUGE problem...except...when your license looks like THIS:

**No Neck...Several Chins**

The look of this pic. It's um...well...matronly. Maybe not "matronly" as much as a dear sweet friend said I looked like a LUNCH LADY. Don't worry, the bitch sweet girl is still my friend.

When the bouncers, servers, or anyone in general looks at my ID, they do about a quadruple check. Look at the card...look at Grandy...squint at the card...check Grandy out...hold card away from face and try to imagine that Grandy can ever be THIS Grandy.

Thank goodness Grandy's birthday is coming up soon, and it was time for a renewal.

Proudly stepping up to the counter, I explain I'm there to renew my Driver's License. Then the fun and frivolity begins...

Me: Hi, I don't have an appointment, but I'm due to renew my license and hoped I could do that today?

DMV Lady: (Try to imagine a 4 foot Margaret Cho looking lady with FAR less personality) It says here that you can renew by mail.

Me: Yeah, I get that...but I have this problem. ::hand her my ID::

DMV Lady: ::squinting at card...repeating same steps as above:: So what is it you need?

Me: I need to be able to buy liquor without someone thinking it's a fake ID. I'd like to NOT draw attention to the fact that I ever looked like that. Do you know what I mean?

DMV Lady: ::rolling her eyes:: Please fill out these forms.

Woo Hoo!! Grandy is on her way to putting THAT GRANDY behind her!! It doesn't even matter that the DMV Lady didn't understand her plight. She never would, because she had NO PERSONALITY!!

Who's up for a drink now?

**Collar Bones...my new favorite accessory**

My Christmas Adventures

Holy Canoli Batman!! Is it the end of the day already? End of the weekend? I can't believe it, only a few more days before we leave for our holiday adventure. My DSL was down the other day, and I've spent all weekend getting last minute things done for our trip.

I know I've hinted at this wonderful trip we're taking. I suppose it's time to share...are you ready?? Feast your eyes on where the Grandy family is spending Christmas!!

Palm Trees...Pools...Beaches...Beautiful Weather...Santa's sending us to Vallarta Palace in Nuevo Vallarta (just outside of Puerto Vallarta).

Not jealous enough?? Take a look at this pic!

Last year for Christmas we hosted all families and had almost 20 people in our home. At the end of the night we jokingly asked ourselves if there was a place we could go this year and just get away (not really recognizing we could). Then our dear friends told us where they were going, round about September. I didn't think the Hubby would want to go because he always says he won't go where he can't drink the water...always trying to get my goat that guy.

Well...low and behold, back in October he agreed we could go. We all got our passports and had the trip paid for by November. We leave WEDNESDAY!!! We're going to be in Mexico from 12/19 thru 12/26/07. I can't wait!!!!!

Ty is counting the hours, our friends are all set (they also have just one son close to Ty's age) and we are off to our all inclusive resort. Talk about working on that work/life balance thing!!

That being said, I am going to try and pre-write some posts, so you won't have to go SO LONG without me. I know it sounds weird, but I'm certain you all know I'll be coming back with PLENTY of blog stories too. :)

Now, I just have to make sure my son remembers how to say, "Donde esta el bano?" and we'll be alright. When in doubt...you always have to know where the potty is.

A Song for Chinchi

When I was 9 my big sister was 18 and moving off to college. That was the worst day of my 9 year existence when we drove her to college (and not just because I was again stuck in the far back of the station wagon with the luggage).

I call my sister Chinchi. I'm not sure why, maybe because my Dad always did and so it stuck. Maybe it has something to do with a chinchilla? Nahh...Dad never needed a reason to make up a nickname.

Chinchi was always my hero growing up. I have vivid memories of us having our own special moments, some of which I'm not even sure why or how I remember. For instance, when I was 4 and in the hospital (she would have been 13), I remember the nurses sending her away so they could give me my shots. I screamed silly for her...ok maybe a little because they were going to give me multiple shots...but mostly for her!

Chinchi always used to babysit us if Mom and Dad had somewhere to go. There were so many hours she would play airplane with me and my twin. We played and played and PLAYED!! Looking back now, I don't know how she tolerated it so much. She was SO GOOD!! Chinchi was my HERO!!!! I looked up to everything she did.

Chinchi became a very skilled nurse (no surprise to anyone), married a mild mannered man (who's a great guy) and has a wild firecracker daughter (she swears our kids were switched at birth because Kay is the spitting image of me in more ways than one). When I watch Kay grow, I realize that Chinchi is the only one who has the patience for such energy and spirit. And who trained her???? Yep, you guessed it!!

Chinchi is going in for open heart surgery this week. She's strong and has always been known as "the healthy one". I'm sure she will pull through just fine, but I can't help but be worried for her. Am I being so Polyanna like that I'm assuming the sun will be out "tomorrow"? Perhaps, but Chinchi works in ICU and sees the worst case of all scenarios. Maybe she could use a bit more Polyanna in her life.

I can offer her no consolation in medical terms but I can give her the one thing I've never gotten by without...MUSIC!! I'm downloading a bunch of songs onto her MP3 for her so she can listen to them through her recovery. I promised her I would only mix in a "little" hip hop, just to make sure the ticker is still working. Can you imagine if the machines started pinging to some Gwen Stefani? AWESOME!!!

Dear Lord, please grant me the strength to not enter into every situation with a joke at the end of my tongue. Please shut me up when my nerves approach that level when I feel like I must spew sarcasm or flee. I will be strong enough for Chinchi, Mom, Mike, Kay, and the others.

Does this mean I'm a Squid??

Well fellow bloggers, I am afraid I have to make this blog a quick one. Crazy day has landed me into crazier night. I am currently at a Sleep Study Center. I have had one whirlwind day and now I have to relax enough to sleep with enough electrodes stuck to my head to be able to run a microwave.

Must breathe...and relax...and sleep!

I'll be back with more thorough comments tomorrow.

One more day for NaBloPoMo...It's amazing I've made it this far. Until then, please enjoy this quiz... I'm confused by this one...but the picture cracked me up. I'm a deer but I LOOK like a squid??

Your Animal Personality

Your Power Animal: Deer Animal You Were in a Past Life: Panda You are a fun-seeker - an adventurous, risk-taker. While you are spontaneous, you are not very rational.

The Animal Personality Test

Carpool Anyone??

I drive 45 miles to work...each way. Don't worry, you're not going to get the same ol' "in the snow, up hill, both ways." However, 45 miles each way can make for a long commute on some days. Here is a picture of what I face in the morning. (This is truly a picture of the freeway I take to work...Google Images is awesome!!)

It's not so bad, if you have a fun car to drive in...which I do. Really, this is my car. I didn't take a picture of my car at the beach (and I actually can't wait to take my car to the beach) but this is the same color, model, convertible, everything is same as mine. I really do recommend that if you've not done so, you buy a car because it's fun...at least once in your life. This car got better mileage than my old car and is just FUN.

AND...since I've gotten my car, I have acquired a very cool Carpool friend. She started working with my company almost a year ago and has an even longer drive than I do. I really love having her as my carpooler. She's smart, kind, and funny as all get out. Remember how I said I am Laverne without my Shirley?? Well, we'll just call her "Shirl".

On days that I don't have my carpool friend, sometimes we have appointments that take us in opposite directions, I am completely lonely and lost. I watch people speed by in the carpool lane by me. Monday it took me TWO HOURS to get to work. TWO??? At some point I almost called my boss and said, "It's just not worth it, I'm going home!" But, being the consumate professional, and knowing the workload I had waiting for me, I went in anyway. I wasn't happy about it. Who would be?? GEESH!! I found myself trying to listen to soft music, doing some deep breathing exercises. When I finally made it to work, I felt like I had already put in a full day.

Shirl and I laugh all the time in the car. Even if we're talking workload and bouncing ideas off each other (this lady is SHARP). When I have to drive by myself, it lacks something. It lacks the humor!

I've now found the perfect sign that I wish we could have on our way to the office. This would have SO made my 2 hour drive that much better! Let's face it, we've got to find the humor in things, if we can't have humor with us.


Think this guy still has his job???

Colorific??

Things are crazy today, and after yesterday's rantings, I thought I would try and post something serene. So, tell me what your favorite color says about you!!

What Your Favorite Color Purple Says About You:

Intuitive --- Seeking --- Creative Kind --- Self-Sacrificing --- Growth Oriented Strong --- Very Wise --- Rare

What Does Your Favorite Color Say About You?

Snoozing Spots

I was so tired last night, I could only break down my schedule (and barely did that coherently) for my plentiful reading fans. Although, if I took off my shoes to count the number of readers (or at least those that choose to comment) I'd still have 10 toes left. Wait, I do have some new friends from my NaBloPoMo postings, and today is only the 6th!! Think of how many more I could get by the end of the month...watch out toes.

So for the few, yet faithful readers, I have a question for you.

Where is the oddest place you've fallen asleep??

I was asked by the beautiful young neurologist yesterday (I don't think she could have been any cuter or perkier...ICK!!) whether or not I have fallen asleep in any unusual places. "Hmmmm... define 'UNUSUAL'," I told her. There's the time I fell asleep while four wheelin' through the snow, then about six months ago I fell asleep while watching Blue Man Group in Las Vegas. How does one fall asleep in such a loud show?? I have no idea, but I could NOT stay awake.

After the appointment I was telling Hubby about the question and I can't believe he had to remind me of the most infamous time and place. We had gone away for the weekend on the motorcycle. On our way home I fell asleep on the back of the motorcycle. I'm not sure what happened, but Hubby had to grab my leg to keep me from going over and taking him down with me. Funny how that one escaped my memory (probably blocked out the image of what might have happened).

So...Please...Tell me some of you out there have a strange place you've fallen asleep? I can't be the only one! Well, I guess I can, but I'm reaching here.

Comment Away...Please...ANYBODY??

I'm Baaaaaaack!!

People of the blogging world...FEAR NOT!! The great and powerful, plucky side-kick Mary, has returned!! Have you missed me? Did you notice I was gone? Probably not, but oh well, I'm back anyway. (Eeyore has now left the building)

Remember my article about relaxation, and my MIS? Well, I was off trying to relax, and unfortunately had a week where I just had nothing to offer. Does that mean I'm getting better at relaxing?? I found that my mind spent a week in some sort of writing coma. I was reading and researching with other blogs, but I have to say that I just wasn't feeling remotely funny or witty. Have you seen some of these other blogs?? THEY ARE AMAZING!!

However, I am back to reality (I really was physically somewhere else but can't tell you where...will have to sneak that in to other blogs) and ready to give it a shot. Only a few days left until NaBloPoMo and I better tune up the gears. It's great to see you all back!!

Oh wait...you never did leave did you??

Easy for you to say

I love http://www.dictionary.com/, and it's the other resources linked to it like thesaurus, encyclopedia, etc. I typically use it whenever I want to make sure I'm using a word properly, or want to learn the true meaning of a word. We often think we understand what a word means, but do we really??

For example:
re·lax Pronunciation[ri-laks] Pronunciation Key
–verb (used with object)
1. to make less tense, rigid, or firm; make lax: to relax the muscles.
2. to diminish the force of.
3. to slacken or abate, as effort, attention, etc.
4. to make less strict or severe, as rules, discipline, etc.: to relax the requirements for a license.
5. to release or bring relief from the effects of tension, anxiety, etc.: A short swim always relaxes me.

–verb (used without object)
6. to become less tense, rigid, or firm.
7. to become less strict or severe; grow milder.
8. to reduce or stop work, effort, application, etc., esp. for the sake of rest or recreation.
9. to release oneself from inhibition, worry, tension, etc.

Okay, that seems to be an easy enough word to understand. Only about nine different possibilities as to what it can mean. It seems to be one of those verbs that should have a universal understanding like walk, look, eat, etc. However, is it really something that we modern day Americans can actually do? Is it possible that the ability to relax must be a learned trait, and is not automatically ingrained in us for survival sake? We all know how important it is to have a good "life balance" if we can relax. So, why is it so difficult for some of us to do?

Well, if you are one of those people that can deeply drop into meditation with the flip of a coin, have no problem with that "walking the dog" yoga move, or you feel completely rested and stress does not effect you at all, some people might tell you to stop reading here. PLEASE DON'T!! Why would I want that if you have something you might be able to share and help the rest of us "relaxation challenged" individuals??

I am currently on a MIS (Medically Induced Sabbatical), which is just my fancy words for, "the doctor is afraid I'm going to POP so he's put me on disability" statement. I have some health issues that apparently don't react well with stress. Some people are allergic to peanuts...I've got this stress thing. Who knew?

So, what can I do to help my health issues? RELAX!! My medications can only help so far, from what the doctor says. It's like my body is actually resisting the medications. Huh?? I'm told that until I learn how to deal with stress, learn to focus on me, learn to take care of the ever-important me and RELAX, it's not going to get better any time soon.

Relax...hmmmm...I understand the meaning of the word, I've already showed you that. But how do I actually apply the word? I thought I had been:
- I currently commute over 40 miles, each way, per day (when I'm working), but I had taken on a carpooler to ease in the driving.
- When working, it is nothing for me to put in LONG hours in the day, but now that I have the carpooler we were both working on making our days shorter for our families.
- I'm very involved with the three "S's" (Scouting, School and Sports), but I had even tried scaling back on some committments.

Whatever I had been trying, hadn't yet made a difference. So, here I sit, being told to "go home and relax". Easy for you to say!! It's one thing when you have planned a glorious vacation to Hawaii and can relax for a week. However, when you have doctors saying you can't go back to your job until you figure out how to relax, well the pressure is on. I don't know about you, but my body is inclined to do exactly the opposite.

What have I done since I've been off?
- I've joined a gym AND Jazzercize, which is actually more fun than I expected. I never had time for it before.
- I'm trying to read a little every night.
- I've gotten to make my son's football practices, even though he broke his arm shortly after my MIS started.
- I'm trying to listen to my body, and rest when it calls for it.
- I'm seeing my "treaters" regularly.
- I'm getting a massage.
- And I'm re-discovering what used to be very important to me...writing.

Is this relaxing? Am I doing it right? Would I be asked to leave a group of "Overachievers Anonymous" for not getting the point of slowing down and trying to over-achieve?

All I can say is, I'm trying. I'll keep you posted on my progress...if any.