Happy Anniversary to Us!

Happy Anniversary!

Friday marks 6 years that Zack and I have been together. 

Happy Anniversary to my living-in-sin partner!

We met when neither of us was looking, that's always how it happens right?? 

It hasn't always been perfect, but it's never been boring. We have travelled all over together, seen some amazing sites & discovered our shared loves of many things!

He has been my #1 cheerleader thru this band which surprised me.

he & i:

Ten Things Thursday

Ten things Thursday, brought to us by the lovely Laura

1) I am starving right now.  Sorry this didn't open nicely but the rumbling is on my mind.  With that said, I have amazing Indian chicken that has been marinating in Greek yogurt with Indian spices in the oven. Normally we grill the chicken but my mister is the grill master and he is still at work.   I will be pairing it with sauteed spinach and roasted brussel sprouts.

2) I have been sick since Monday. Like SUPER sick.  Severe chest cold/Upper Respiratory Infection and a ton of asthma. I am on a dose of Zithromax. My PCP thinks because I didn't finish my last pack which was the week of surgery, it has come back with a vengeance. With that said, I BETTER BE BETTER BY SAT MORNING FOR GIRL'S WEEKEND - See Previous Blog Post

3)  Have you all seen the KONY 2012 Video and massive effort on F-book?  What do you think about it? A ton of exposure for something that is a definitely a horrible plight against children.   There is a lot of talk and speculation about the charity in charge so I am unsure how to think. Awareness is a good thing I think.
As much as I have issues with many of our own US policies, I am thankful I wasn't born in a 3rd world country or in a country that is war torn. How do you ever have a chance in life?

4) Since I went serious, I will be serious again.  Every day on the news, they are discussing a lot of random public shootings.  At hospitals, schools, gov't buildings, etc..   Just seems like there have been a lot lately and it's disturbing.

5) Hell froze over today. Pat Robertson said he supports legalizing Marijuana.  What the?   Is it is opposite day?

6)  My poodle has stubby short legs (just like her human mom). She is extremely rambunctious and 2 yrs ago was SO excited from me returning from a 30 minute grocery trip (doesn't take a lot!), that she flew into a small step and dislocated her hip. We had to have massive surgery and she has a bionic hip on one side.   Well the past few days she has been hitting her other leg from being insane as well.  Dear Lawd Almighty, PLEASE don't let us repeat that vet experience.  Uggg - seeing her screaming AND the 2k vet bill El-Sucketh!
Last night I had an ice pack on her hip and was massaging her leg as I was hacking up my lungs.  We are fun!

7) Why didn't I think of creating Spanx?  That woman who invented them grew up super close to my house and knows mutual friends and now the bish is a multi billionaire.  I need to invent something.

8)  I am getting REALLLLLY exciting about next months trip to Chicago. We are planning amazing Jazz clubs and really fab foodie dinners.  I will be down 30+ by then I hope so I have NO seatbelt plane fears anymore - WOO HOO

9) Tomorrow is Z (my mister) and my anniversary.  We aren't married, we both tried that once but may do it again in so many years. Right now I am ok how just living in sin ;)   I will have a bigger love post tomorrow about it with some fun pics. It's all typed up in draft.

10)  SEND ME SOME HEALING VIBES. I need to get rid of this funk so we can have our fabu Anniversary evening tomorrow and the wonderful girl's weekend on Sat/Sun.

Girls Weekend Here We Come!

I have mentioned a few times of my girlfriend who is getting married in April.  I went to her shower 2 weeks ago and this weekend marks her Girl's Bachelorette Weekend !

We have a few suites booked here:

The hotel was built in 1925 and is downtown on the waterfront. There is a massive old veranda with rocking chairs and a bar inside and out.  Saturday we will be having cocktails, pool time, a spa session,  gourmet dinner and then jumping in a limo and hitting a few nightspots.


Sunday is brunch and more pool time and I am so looking forward to it!

I wish I was down a bit more weight since all of my girlfriends are pretty small. Oh well, I have know some of them since high school and the rest are pretty sweet and amazing.  Only a few know of my surgery and the rest do not.  Pretty perfect timing that I don't have my fill until Monday so I can enjoy myself without worry.

Up and Down - I like it DOWN baby!

Thank you everyone for all the wonderful comments and helping me get thru this phase of figuring this bandster hell stage.  It does help!!

Saturday marked one month since surgery!  I can't believe how quick it flew by!

Sunday I got ahold of my hairdresser and was able to get a non normal appointment.   My hair is growing SO quickly from taking 7500mcg of biotin.  My highlights from about 2 1/2 weeks ago were already growing out big time.

I went in and did something a lot more drastic.  She added caramel, deep red, honey and touched up the blonde.  It's darker and richer and will help my hair as it grows so quick.  I love it!

Last night was my sister in laws birthday and my family got together for a dinner at a Mexican restaurant.

I have not seen anyone in my family except my mom and nana and they all were extremely loving and full of compliments.  I was also able to fit into a pain of "skinny jeans"  my mom gave me about a year ago.  Preband, I wasn't able to get them past my knees. They are a size 17/18 which is a juniors plus.

Last night, they fit, buttoned and zipped and I wore them to dinner. I couldn't believe I was wearing them!  My 22 jeans I can now pull off with them zipped and buttoned right off my hips so I am ecstatic my ass is starting to budge!!! :) 

Now Friday and Saturday I felt like I could eat a horse.  Yesterday was such a different experience.

I had one muscle milk for breakfast. I had a low fat mozzarella string cheese at lunch and when we went to dinner with my family, I ordered a tiny cup of black beans and a side salad with the hopes I could snag a bite or two off of everyone since I wasn't very hungry. I also had half a glass of sangria. It was 2:4:1 but I gave the other to my nana.

The food came, I took about 4 bites of chicken from my mom, 2 teaspoons of the black beans and couldn't even look at the salad and felt Thanksgiving stuffed.  I brought two gorgeous bar cakes that in preband days, I could have eaten two wopping pieces.  One is called a tuxedo cake and the other was a layered strawberry shortcake type cake.  I took one bite of each and was done. 

Weird how yesterday I had total restriction and other days I was eyeing my poodle again.

I just went with it and today the scale finally jumped down. 

So I am just rolling with it and not going to stress anymore unless it flies up.  I get a fill one week from today so I can do this!!

I Think This Sums It Up Nicely...

Lisa needs a fill!! 

I think this ecard sums it up quite well.  I saw a nice drop on the scale yesterday when I woke up. I had the healthiest and perfect breakfasts and lunches.

Last night I had my monthly girls night with a group that I have known for many years. We went to a great restaurant called Kon a G r ill. They have an excellent menu. I ordered lettuce wraps and chicken satay skewers.  I had two out of the 6 skewers with this wicked yummy spicy Asian cabbage slaw.
I know it had to have been fatty because it tasted so damn good.  I also made two chicken lettuce wraps and left almost the whole bowl. 

Then the wine kept being ordered and I of course can't say no!  I had 3 glasses over a 7 hour period.  For me, this is good...  I would have had a lot more preband.   

But then they ordered 3 desserts for the group to share.  Red Velvet cake, a sinful brownie and key lime pie. I skipped the red velvet, took one bite of the brownie and a thin sliver of the key lime.  

Every bite I felt guilt but it didn't stop me. I downed about 5 large glasses of water when I got home but I of course woke up this morning with a pound gain. 

Bastard evil scale! 

I behaved today and even skipped going out with a group of friends because I know I would drink.

I think if I could have club soda with lime, I can pretend it's a cocktail since I love vodka sodas.  I am not a regular "cola" drinker at all and in fact don't drink sodas except for club.   So for now, I have stuck to wine and wine is showing me that she isn't my friend.

Oh well - all a learning process.

But none the less, I had a great time with my ladies and here is some of the evidence. 

I am in the white dress

Me with the Santa Marg arita Pin ot Gr ig io - the culprit of the 1 pound gain!

BYOC

Brought by the fabulous Drazil to let us rest our Friday blog brains!

Bring Your Own Crazy!

1.  Since I talked about psychics this week - I'm curious....if you could see one for free and you could only ask one question - what would it be?

 

I am not psychic opposed and have been a few times in my life. I take some with a grain of salt and other times, I have been freaked the hell out with how spot on they were with very strange things they have mentioned. Typically I don't ask questions, I sit and listen and see what they are going to tell me.

 

2.  What's your favorite ice cream flavor and topping?

 

I am more of a gelato whore versus an Ice Cream fiend. My fave flavor is French Caramel with Flueur de Sel (sea salt).  Sweet & Salty - Mmm

3.  What's your preferred method of working out?  DVDs, an external gym, gym inside your home, classes?

 

I enjoy the Wii and I also enjoy Zumba classes. I get intimidated at the gym so it's not my fave. My all time fave is swimming (I live in FL so we can be in the pool a lot in the year). 

In the pool, I enjoy laps but I also love going in the deep end and treading water and sprinting in place.  It really gets your heartbeat up, it's low impact on your joints and you feel it. A top running athlete taught me this a few years ago.

4.  If you work outside the home or if you ever did or will in the future - do you think it's better/easier to work with men or woman?  Who do you work mostly with now?

 

I telecommute and have for years but when I used to work in an office, I really enjoyed women who were friends not managers typically.  But I love working with guys..   They are usually less drama and caddy.

5.  Repeat question.  Summarize your week in real life and in blog land.

 

In real life:  Fun week thus far.  Went to Radiohead on Wed night and had an incredible time. 

Tonight, I have a girl's night with some of my beautiful and fabulous friends.  They haven't seen me since I have lost 25 pounds and only one out of the group knows I had Lapband surgery.  Should be interesting.

 

I just received my Biggest Loser for Wii and ChaLean dvds in the mail today so I guess I need to do them!

 

In Blog Land:  I am excited to see the BOOBs 2012 being mentioned in so many blogs. I SO WANT TO GO!!!   Also - excited for Chris who was banded today and she is heavily on my mind!

Best Wishes for my Friend Chris!

Tomorrow is the day my friend is getting banded.  I remember the day before and the day of - here in blogland - seeing others giving me shout-outs and it just really touched me.

This is like our own secret society and a safe place to share our struggles and wins and it just made me smile on the inside and out.

I want to do the same for the people who inspire me daily.

So tomorrow is Chris' time to shine. She will be banded and joining us on the bad banded bitch side :)

May you have the easiest surgery, the skinniest liver, no pain, no gas and the quickest recovery!

I will be thinking of you!! 

If you don't know Chris - go check her out here:  bandedintheburgh