Forks Forest Pictures and Video

I have heard rumors that Lions Gate Entertainment Inc plans to remake the Twilight movies. I hope they remake them in Forks. I don't think Twilight 2008 director Catherine Hardwicke realized the Forks forest is a creepy and cool mossy rainforest, not just a regular pine forest. The town of Forks has been accommodating to Twilight fans and deserves the recognition and increased business that filming on location there would bring.

Exercise comes easiest when it's fun. Scott, Raffle, Oreo, and I had so much fun traipsing through the creepy and cool rainforest! Moss does not only grow on the north side of trees, just so you know.



We saw several deer here at the Storm King Ranger Station on the drive from Port Angeles to Forks. The deer are all so tame, they didn't even run when our dogs barked at them! This is unheard of in most of Washington, where deer hunting is a popular sport. I know because we have lived in Spokane two and a half years now.


But just in general, we were really captivated by how eery and silent the Forks forest is. It is so green and alive because of all the rain it gets. I remember when we lived in Forks back in 96, one day it rained 6 inches. It rained at least half an inch every day, most heavily at about 4 pm. We had to mow our grass twice a week.



We called this one that Scott, Raffle, and Oreo are under "the tepee tree."

I finally cracked under 158 today! I weighed in this morning at 157.4, which means yesterday I lost .8 pounds. I didn't expect that because I gave in and had a slice of pizza for lunch yesterday.

I've been bringing unsweetened berries to the foodie events at church. I brought blueberries to the ladies cookie tea last Wednesday. I brought unsweetened strawberries to the joint worship service we had last Sunday evening with two other churches. People thanked me for bringing berries! The ladies asked me if I picked the blueberries, but I explained, "No, I'm a city girl. I have never picked a berry in my life."

I don't think I am a city girl anymore, though. I wouldn't want to deal with the rain in the Forks forest, but I love living close enough to nature that I can walk in the Spokane forest every day, or at least in the woodsy park, if not up in the forested hills.

Gained Ten Pounds Over Christmas

I gained ten pounds over Christmas. It isn't Christmas without cookies! I had gotten back down to 151.8 last Saturday, but then Sunday came with church potluck, so I figured I might as well make pancakes for breakfast and eat garlic bread late at night... Yesterday I weighed in at 153.6! Today I am back down to 152.8. Whew! Still trying to get back inside my goal weight of 145 to 149.9 so I can go spend this gift card at TJ Maxx and get some new clothes...

I walked all over Costco and Walmart yesterday. It was too icy to venture to the park. A few Walmart employees asked if they could help me find anything.

"Nope, I'm just getting my daily workout!"
"Heh! I see!"

They smiled about it. We have a brand new Walmart just a mile from us, right next to our Costco. Who needs the mall anymore?Here is what I ate yesterday and lost .8 pounds, along with walking at least a mile inside warm stores:

Special K, organic soy milk, and blueberries (2 helpings: I got up at 4 and had 'second breakfast' at 7)
1 El Monterey burrito with salsa
Costco Samples: half a cheese ravioli with olive oil and garlic salt, 2 Wheat Thins with cream cheese, two bites of a chicken patty made with cheese and rosemary)
Baked chicken, onion, and baby carrots
2 Tootsie Pops

149.4 Crying Fence Photos and Video

I took these photos and this video of our crying fence yesterday. The fence started crying all on its own! This is 100% "discovered art." I only happened to notice that our fence was crying as we drove by it yesterday on our way to Costco.

"Whoa! Look! Our fence is crying!" I told Scott.
"Heh, yeah, it is."
"Just a sec. I want to take  a picture."
"OK."
"I want to take a video, too, so look out, I'm recording!"
"Hehe!"

I only used Photoshop to crop the photos and to place the three photos at left on one image together. My best guess on the origin of the crying effect is that moisture got on a lubricant that the fence-builder put on the screws last summer when he built the fence. I further guess that the lubricant had become blackened by dirt over the past year, so that when it dripped out it left a black trail.

I don't know how long the fence has looked this way. Probably, it has since at least the last time it rained, I imagine, but these guys only just caught my attention yesterday. Maybe for Halloween we'll dress them up and put lights on them. :) We plan on staying home to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters this year.

---------------------------

I lost .8 pounds yesterday, and it must have all been water weight from the Qdoba food I ate the day before, because I hardly took it easy on the food yesterday. I did walk twice, for a total of 7 laps around the park. There and back and three laps is 1.3 miles, so I walked one lap more than 2.6 miles. Plus, we shopped at Costco yesterday. Here is what I ate:

Special K and organic soy milk
From 2011 clearance sale, taken out of freezer:
   4 Snack packs of Halloween shortbread cookies
   2 packs of 10 Whoppers malted milk ball candies
El Monterey bean and cheese burrito with salsa
Costco samples:
    2 taquito halves with jalepeno Greek yogurt (YUM!)
    1/8 Salmon patty with teriyaki sauce (I like habanero sauce better.)
Corn dog with mustard

148.0 Soup and Veggies Meal Idea

A serving of soup is only half a 12 once can. It typically has loads of sodium in it. I love the convenience of canned soups, though. A trick that allows me to use them for meals is to eat soup over steamed vegetables. Two of my favorite combinations are the broccoli and clam chowder pictured here, and broccoli with lentil soup.

I steam the veggies separately, washing them first. It takes broccoli 45 minutes to steam at my altitude. I have only used broccoli so far, but I think carrots or Brussels sprouts or cauliflower would work just as well.

I lost .8 pounds yesterday. I went on two walks, one in the morning and one in the evening, both a mile. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K, blueberries, and organic soy milk
3 eggs scrambled in a pat of butter with sauteed onion and red bell pepper
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
1/3 can Progresso new England clam chowder over steamed broccoli
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
10 corn tortilla chips
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

As you can see, my calorie count was quite high yesterday. I attribute the day's weight loss to the two 30-minute exercise periods, spread out in time.

I finished writing and editing my first book yesterday! It is a guide on how to get a job as a high school substitute teacher, and how to do the job so well you enjoy it. I gave it to Scott to proofread. I will post here when it is available for purchase. I surprised myself and came up with a story idea, too, and started writing that and working on a possible cover for it. Exciting times!

149.2 My Froggies Make Me Happy

I rediscovered this frog soap dispenser the other day, in a box. I filled it with aloe vera Soft Soap and then added some green food coloring. It makes me happy every time I go to the kitchen sink! We got it at the dollar store a few years ago. It came with clear green soap in it. I call it "My Froggie," in a little-kid voice.

Scott found these frog salt and pepper shakers on one of our walks this past spring. They were brand new, with the price tags still on them, laying in the dirt by the side of the road. Who knows the story behind that one. They are my personal salt and pepper shakers that I keep at my desk for when I eat here, which is usually.

I like froggies because they remind me of catching frogs for pets back on our family farm. We spent summers there sometimes, when I was a kid. We would catch a whole bucket full of frogs and keep them all weekend, then let them go back into the lake before driving back to the city.

I lost .8 pounds yesterday, yay! I am once again within my weight-loss goal of 145 to 149.9 pounds. For exercise, I walked the dogs a mile and shopped at Costco and Wal-mart. I probably walked three miles all told. Here is what I ate:

Special K, blueberries, and organic soy milk (1 serving grains, 1 fruit, 1 legume protein)
El Monterey bean and cheese burrito with salsa (1 serving dairy, 1 legume, 1 vegetables)
1 serving peanut M&Ms (1 serving sugar, 1 legume)
Steamed broccoli with Amy's Organic Lentil soup (2 servings vegetables, 1 legumes)
Raw baby carrots (1 serving vegetables)
---------------------------------------
Daily Serving Totals: 1 grains, 1 dairy, 1 sugar, 1 fruit, 4 vegetables, 4 legume proteins

147.8 Who let the sun out?

Can you believe I was wearing sunglasses in Washington? Heh! When I first moved here, I heard a rumor that they sell more sunglasses in WA than in any other state. This is because Washingtonians only need sunglasses once in awhile. By the next time we need them, we can't find them, so we buy more.

It has been pouring rain since yesterday afternoon, but Someone let the sun out a few days ago so I could take this picture. Whenever the sun gets out through the clouds, I ask Scott,

"Who let the sun out?"

It's a joke that I think he is tired of, but I never will be! In the picture you can see one of the big puffy clouds that always loom in the sky, ready to block the sun. Most people here only see that the clouds block the sun, but I see Joni Mitchell's "angel hair and ice cream castles in the air."

I walked the dogs a mile in the park yesterday while Scott was at work. I did lots of housework, too, including scrubbing the tub. I lost .8 pounds. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
Sliced Fuji apple candied with 4 tablespoons chunky peanut butter and 36 dark chocolate chips
Chili dip:
Half a can of Cattle Drive chili and beans, three slices of American cheese, half a red bell pepper sauteed in a pat of butter
I ate the chili dip with a cup of corn tortilla chips.
5 mini York peppermint patties

146.0 I'm Writing a Book

I have been writing a lot lately, trying to get my book ready to publish. I can't really post too much more about my book here on my blog, as I am afraid someone will steal my idea and publish it before I do, if I tell you now what I am writing. It is non-fiction. When it is published, of course I will tell you where you can go get it. Don't worry!

I lost .8 pounds yesterday. We walked the dogs a mile in the park. I worked out on the Total Gym for about 10 minutes, working on my arm and shoulder strength. And of course, as usual I took the dogs outside four or five times and bent down to wipe the mud off all four of their feet each time, so I get lots of stretching in every day. I can touch my toes with no problem at all.

Here is what I ate yesterday and lost .8 pounds:

Small piece of un-frosted cake with two cups of strawberries
Maple bar at church fellowship hour
Beef and bean burrito with salsa
Leftover baked chicken, carrots and Brussels sprouts
Small Fuji apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter and 24 chocolate chips

146.8 Why I Didn't Review Your Free Kindle Book

I get lots of free books on Kindle these days, and I am not complaining. New authors want to break into the world of publishing, and so they put their books up for free. They hope I will post favorable reviews of their books and tell all my friends how great their books are. This is really the only way a new author can get noticed these days, because there is so much out there available to read.

I am not complaining, but some new authors are. I see their complaints in Amazon's author forums: "I get lots of downloads when my book is free, but hardly any reviews," they say. "Why do readers take the time to read my book, but not the few minutes it takes to write a review?"

If you know any new authors, please direct them here to read my 2 answers, either:

1) I don't want my good name associated with your book, or
2) I did review your book, just not on Amazon.

1) Most people use real names on Amazon, and it's a pain to set up a new Amazon profile. When I review a book on Amazon, my name is associated with it basically for the life of the Internet. There are many reasons I might not like your book. Bad writing comes to mind almost immediately, but bad writing in itself won't put me off reviewing your book on Amazon. Mostly, it comes down to your book not delivering what it promises in the write-up you used to get me to download your book.

The most recent free book I started reading but neither finished nor reviewed promised a light, fun romance. What it gave me was a bunch of excuses for committing adultery. Not just once, but over and over again the two main female characters persuaded each other that it was OK to sleep with a married man. At first, I kept reading, thinking they would learn the error of their ways. But after 10 more pages of them telling each other home wrecking was just a little fun -- I gave up on that book. I slept on it, and I woke up with this rant in my head. There is no way I am even going to post the name of that book here, let alone review it on Amazon.

2) I have reviewed several books here on my blog, rather than on Amazon. You can find blog reviews of your book by setting Google alerts for your book's title. I link to the Amazon page of every book I review, so you are not losing sales from me reviewing your book on my blog. On the contrary, I am giving you free publicity. Books I am most likely to review here are weight loss, fitness and recipe books.

/end rant

I walked three miles yesterday and I lost .8 pounds. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K, strawberries and organic soy milk
Leftover baked chicken, onion and carrots
Small Fuji apple
Bean and cheese burrito with salsa
Small bowl of Special K, strawberries and organic soy milk

143.6 More Walking Discoveries

 I lost .8 pounds yesterday, just trying to maintain my weight. I am eating more than I did while losing those 90 pounds, so I must be exercising more. My metabolism is probably faster because I do exercise more now.

Here are some more pictures of the lovely flowers and walls and things I discover when I walk around my neighborhood here in Spokane, WA. The top two pictures I took in the park. These purple lawn flowers were the first bloomers this spring. They are just about withering, now. 

 I just love how these little white flowers volunteer to grow between the tree roots, in the park. I know the gardener will come along any day now and kill them so he has his pristine little brown circle around the tree. I prefer it with these little plants growing in the nooks and crannies.

The brick wall looks like it is 100 plus years old and built by the original pioneer who settled this plot of land. I like how they painted the house a shade of yellow that matches some of the wall, and how the much newer bricks in the chimney do their best to match the bricks in the wall. The home owner seems to appreciate the brick wall as much as I do.

I walked briskly for 25 minutes during a lull in my substitute teaching duties yesterday. When I got home, Scott and I walked the dogs half a mile in the park. Here is everything I ate yesterday and lost .8 pounds while just trying to maintain my weight:

Double slice of Costco combo pizza for breakfast
Handful of raw baby carrots, 2 tablespoons Parmesan spinach dip
Small banana
Small green apple
Double slice of Costco combo pizza for dinner
Small bowl of strawberries, drizzled in Hershey's Special Dark chocolate syrup

144.4 Chili Dip on Keep Trim Eating!

I lost .8 pounds yesterday on keep trim eating. I was just keeping the weight off, and I lost! What surprises me even more is I had my favorite dinner last night, what you see in this picture. We call it Chili Dip. I thought it was an indulgent dish and that I would have to diet today to make up for it.

It turns out that Chili Dip is chock full of fiber and protein! Cattle Drive Chili has 5 g fiber and 20 g protein per 1 cup serving. It has 290 calories, 100 of which are from fat, and 890 mg of sodium. It looks like that is OK, because as I said, I lost .8 pounds yesterday and I had this for dinner. I took it easy the rest of the day.

I also pan roasted the red bell pepper by sauteing it in a pat of butter. Yum, was it good! The cheese is Kirkland Mexican Blend pre-grated, from Costco. The chips are also Kirkland, from Costco -- the tall skinny paper bag Kirkland corn chips. I ate 1/3 cup of cheese and an ounce by weight of corn chips. I used the corn chips to eat the Chili Dip.

Here is everything I ate yesterday and lost .8 pounds, along with briskly walking my dog 45 minutes:

Small bowl of Special K, strawberries and organic soy milk
1 strip of bacon and three eggs scrambled in bacon with sauteed onion, mushrooms and red bell pepper
Half a can of Cattle Drive Chili, 1/3 cup cheese, 1 oz corn chips, half a red bell pepper, 5g butter
Half a small banana dipped in a tablespoon of Hershey's Special Dark chocolate syrup
A cup of kettle corn by The Popcorn Factory

144.8 Dog Pee Cartoon

I walked without a coat on yesterday! It was only the second time this year that it was warm enough, 65F. It was even sunny! This morning, Spokane has returned us to our usual spring rain.

Oreo was made for cold weather. I think he is the only one in our family who is not glad it is getting warmer. You can see in this picture he is panting, even though it is only 65F. He is also about 10 years old, which may have something to do with it. He is still strong enough that I only have to work out my right arm; he gives my left arm plenty of a work out on our daily walks.

I lost .8 pounds yesterday, with walking 2 miles round trip to the post office. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K, strawberries and organic soy milk
Cup of Amy's Organic Soups - Lentil over steamed broccoli
Homemade patty melt, steamed broccoli

I used about a third of a pound of hamburger for the patty melt. I sauteed the onion in the hamburger grease for about 20 minutes on medium. I didn't have American cheese, so I melted grated Mexican Blend cheese over my patty in the microwave. I didn't use much cheese, only a third of a cup or so. I also didn't have rye bread, so I used what I had: Sara Lee Healthy Multi Grain, toasted.

I have had the idea for this "Dog Pee Cartoon" in my head for years. Yay! I finally got a picture that works for it! For a long time the idea that I had to draw the picture held me up.

148.6 Weight Loss Like Time Travel

Here are two size 8 sun dresses I made for meeting Scott's submarine in Hawaii in 1995. That was such a wonderful romantic four days! We just got used to the sweetness of reunion and then he was back out to sea.

I am so thrilled that the dresses fit once again! It's like time travel. Unfortunately, the dresses are no longer wearable. They have stains on their backs from water getting into their storage container. It was really fun to put these old dresses on and pose for Scott to take pictures, though!

I lost .8 pounds yesterday even though I ate 9 powdered sugar cookies. I was just hoping to maintain at under 150, but I will take the weight loss because it means I have that much more of a cushion for staying under 150.

Keeping the weight off is the hardest part, of course. My strategy is going to be eating as if I were still on the diet for most meals so that I can have one "normal" meal a day or little desserts throughout the day.

We walked the dogs 2+ miles in the mostly thawed park yesterday. Spring is trying to come! Most of our snow melted yesterday. The birds are singing outside. It stayed above freezing last night and during the days it has been in the high 40's. It would be fine with me if we didn't get any more snow or freezes this year. Just fine!

Here is what I ate yesterday and managed to lose .8 pounds:

Small bowl of Special K with dried berries in it and vanilla soy milk
Half a can (1 serving) Campbell's Healthy Choice Split Pea and Ham Soup
3 powdered sugar cookies
1 slice of fried bacon
3 eggs scrambled in bacon grease with fried onions, mushrooms and red bell peppers
6 more powdered sugar cookies

149.2 I am Under 150!

I made it! I am under 150! I am wearing long underwear under these flimsy summer pants, is why the pleats don't lie flat. These are the only dress pants that fit, anymore! I can still wear my size large shirts, but it is much more fun to wear size medium shirts such as this cherry colored turtleneck.

I walked the halls for the half hour I had to stay at school after classes yesterday. Scott and I also walked the dogs two miles in the snowy park. It was fun because the snow was crunchy in places and squishy in other places. I love it when snow squishes together under my feet and makes that compressing noise.

I am getting reacquainted with my bones! It feels so odd to me when I am showering and I feel my shoulder bones and ribs while washing. I feel like an extra terrestrial, to myself. It's really weird. All these years I just felt skin and fat while washing. Now I feel bones once again. I had forgotten that feeling. Even washing my hands feels weird.

My plain gold wedding ring would probably fit now, but I can't find it. I am wearing a ring my friend Jeanette gave me back when we were in the renaissance faire together, in 1990 or so. It is a Victorian replica of an Elizabethan ring. It is a little loose. I would rather wear my plain gold wedding band.

Scott told me again yesterday on our walk that I am plenty skinny enough and to stop losing weight already. I explained I want to go to 145 so that I have 5 pounds leeway to for sure stay under 150. I never want to weigh more than 150 ever again.

Here is what I ate yesterday and lost .8 pounds, along with walking about 3 miles:

Small bowl of Special K and vanilla soy milk
Raw carrot sticks and two tablespoons Parmesan spinach dip
3 eggs scrambled with seared red bell pepper and mushrooms, no fat used in preparation
2 powdered sugar cookies (to settle my stomach after eating eggs)
--------------------------------------------------------------

Guide to Thousands of Unlisted Job Openings in the US!

Do you know anyone who is over 40 and has a college degree, but no job? I wrote this book for them. Tell them about it, or better yet, buy them a copy. Turnover is high in these jobs, so there are almost always openings. With this guide, a substitute can do the job so well they actually like it. I do.

I hope you will at least "look inside" the high school substitute teacher's guide I wrote. The free book sample you get by "looking inside" tells you not only how to get a job as a substitute teacher, but also my qualifications to write the book: my education and detailed substitute teaching work history (since 1989).

This book is available in paperback, in Kindle mobi format at Amazon, in Nook format at Barnes and Noble, and in any other format you could possibly need through Smashwords.

163.0 Diet Day 9 of 14

I lost .8 pounds yesterday and now weigh 163.0. We walked 2 and 1/3 miles with the dogs. My lower back was bothering me a bit at the end of our walk, but I laid on the mat massager and turned on the heat. That had me feeling better in about an hour.

I have cut back on my breakfast portions. I don't know if that is what increased my weight loss yesterday, but I will take it! In this picture is another size 10 coat I tried on in the juniors department the other day. I don't like the way the coat looks, but I love my happy smile in this picture!

I sang alto yesterday for every song at church while our pastor and a deacon sang the melody. It was the second time we had sung this way. It worked well. Many people told me afterward that they really liked it.

The only tricky thing was the pastor was wearing the lapel mic and no one had put the wireless mic on the stage for me. I was leaning over his left shoulder and singing into his lapel mic! I could have gone up and shared the podium mic with the deacon, but I don't know him very well and it would have been awkward for me.

Here is what I ate yesterday and lost .8 pounds with a 2 and 1/3 mile walk:

Small bowl of Special K, strawberries and organic soy milk
1 bite of bread and 1 swallow of grape juice
Handful of raw baby carrots, 2 tablespoons Parmesan spinach dip
Hamburger patty, 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce, 2 cups steamed broccoli and cauliflower

180.2 Diet Day 9 of 14

I lost .8 pounds yesterday, because today I weigh 180.2. I did brave the elements and walk my mile yesterday. I probably shouldn't have, though, because I woke up this morning congested again, in my sinuses. There was also 1/4 inch of snow on the ground this morning.

I won't walk again today, but I have got to do something that raises my heart rate for at least 20 minutes. That much is clear. I have to do aerobic exercise or I am not going to lose any more weight. My plan is to go easy but steady on the stair step exercise machine for as long as I can. So far that has only been 3 minutes, so pray for me! I can go much longer on the Total Gym, but that is not aerobic exercise.

Here is what I ate yesterday and still lost .8 pounds:

Small bowl of Special K, strawberries and organic soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

2 cups low fat diet chicken soup, Diet Dr Pepper

1 salmon patty, 9 steamed Brussels sprouts, caffeine-free diet soda

184 34 x 30 Jeans

I weigh 184 today and I am wearing the 34 x 30 jeans I bought used! I lost .8 pounds yesterday on my first day back on the diet this cycle.

We had bought these salmon patties months ago at Costco and forgotten about them. They are really tasty and filling. Scott ate his on a hamburger bun with some Miracle Whip and dill relish. I ate mine plain, with a fork. Their full name is Trident Seafoods Alaskan Salmon Burgers from Full Fillets. They come in a tube of 12. I do not think they were cheap.

Thank you for reminding me that I need to eat a variety of foods and I can't just live on meatballs and broccoli. That is what lead me to explore the freezer and unearth that salmon! I do take a multivitamin, so that should help, too.

I did walk my mile yesterday. Here is what I ate:

1 cup Special K, 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

1 cup raw carrot sticks, 1/2 cup Parmesan spinach dip, Diet Coke

1 salmon patty fried in a spray of Pam, 7 steamed Brussels sprouts, caffeine-free diet soda

186.4 Keep Trim Day 1

I lost .8 pounds yesterday and weigh 186.4 today. This is the first day of another two-week keep trim eating period, when I am just keeping the weight off. Not trying to lose weight, just not to gain any.

I believe there are two reasons Dr Tarnower included these maintenance periods in his Scarsdale diet plan: 1) Keeping the weight off is often the weakest link in anyone's diet plan 2) We go into ketosis during the diet, and the common belief in the medical field is that we should only be in ketosis for brief periods of time, for the safety of our liver.

I confess, I didn't realize it was time to go back on keep trim eating until a few minutes ago! I just ate my usual breakfast, but the rest of my meals for today will be more interesting when you read them tomorrow.

I did walk my mile yesterday. Here is all I ate and still lost .8 pounds:

Small bowl of  Special K and organic soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

Diet Ham Salad, Diet Coke

1 pizza pastry appetizer sample at Costco (cheat, yum!)

7 Kirkland Italian style beef meatballs microwaved and squeezed with a paper towel to remove excess oil, 5 chunks of pineapple canned in juice, 1 cup steamed Brussels sprouts, caffeine-free diet soda

It is very tempting on keep trim eating to just eat what I would eat on the diet and add a small dessert to lunch and dinner. I cannot really see a reason not to do this. If you can, then please let me know in the comments.

Size Medium Men's Shirt

Today I once again weigh 187.2 I lost .8 pounds yesterday. If you remember how skinny Scott was in the Navy, then you will get a kick out of seeing me in this picture. I am wearing one of his Navy T shirts, for the kitchen crew. It is not even tight on me. I am kind of bending down to pet the dog, so my torso looks pudgier than it is. These 36-waist jeans are actually quite loose on me, too!

I think soon I need to go try on some size 14 clothes. My St Patrick's Day dress is a size 12W, and it fits, so I should fit in a regular size 14, I'd say. The dress is built for heavy-set people, so it is rather easy to fit into. I want a challenge!

I did not walk yesterday. Here is what I ate:

1 cup Special K, 1 cup soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

2 deviled eggs (no mayo), 1 cup steamed broccoli, Diet Coke

small hamburger patty, 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce, 1 cup steamed carrot sticks, caffeine-free diet soda

191.2 Weight Today

I weigh 191.2 today. I lost .8 pounds yesterday. We walked all over Walmart and Costco, doing our shopping, but we didn't go for our usual walk in the park.

The pretty skirt of my size 12 St Patrick's Day dress arrived today! The waistband is elastic, so I was able to try it on. I definitely have to slim down farther for it to look good on me. I am bulging out under the waistband. Hopefully the top will arrive tomorrow, and I can try it on and have Scott take a picture. Once I have both peices I will try it on periodically and post pictures of my progress fitting into the dress. It may be I will fit into it OK in time to wear it to church at Christmas time.

Here is what I ate yesterday and managed to lose .8 pounds:

1 cup Special K, 1 cup cut-up strawberries, 1 cup soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

1 cup of raw carrot sticks, 1/2 cup parmesan/spinach dip from the deli section at Costco, Diet Coke

Diet Ham Salad, caffeine-free diet soda

192 Pounds, Minus .8 from Yesterday

I weigh 192 today; I lost .8 pounds yesterday, yay! I walked my whole mile yesterday, and 2/3 of a mile the day before.

I substituted at the high school Monday. All I have to wear that fits are black jeans, so I wore black jeans with a turtleneck and a sport coat. It looked fine, professional enough. Somehow, jeans can look professional if you aren't fat. My stomach no longer hangs out over my jeans, so I can wear my shirts tucked in, and that helps with the professional look.

I can tell these jeans are going to fit until I get down to 180 or so, and then they are going to start hanging on me the way my size 18 jeans were hanging. I will leave the saggy jeans to the kids, thank you very much. Once these start hanging on me I will hit up the thrift stores for some smaller pants suitable for teaching.

I ate pretty much the usual yesterday:

Special K, strawberries, organic soy milk, black unsweetened coffee

Diet Ham Salad, Diet Coke

7 frozen meatballs microwaved and excess oil squeezed out with a paper towel, steamed broccoli, caffeine-free diet soda