Biggest Loser, Week 4, Part 1, Oct 7

Welcome back to the ranch!

This week’s show will be cut short by an hour to make room for the Presidential debate.

“Bend your knees or I’m going to break them with this pole!” Jillian says to Shellay. Now that would certainly be motivating, wouldn’t it?

Trainer Tips: So, I can take ‘em or leave ‘em. In the first one, Jillian recommends doing jumping jacks during each commercial break to burn 300 calories while you watch the Biggest Loser. That’s a great idea…except the pizza I ate for dinner is still sitting in my stomach.

Endurance challenge:
Looks a little torturous. Tank full of water, merely a bar to hold onto and stand on…hold on the longest and win the challenge. That would kill your arms! Wow, at 45 minutes, still nobody has dropped out. Oops--there goes the first two. I cannot believe how long this is going on. 100 minutes now. Down to 2 ladies for the final 2!

Vicky pulls it out! Poor Amy…107 minutes of torture for nothing. WAIT! Not for nothing. Vicky gives them a care package too. She was a gracious winner.

Jillian is about to go off on her team in the gym. I am so scared of her. I would have nightmares about her. You can betcha if she gave me “homework” I would be terrified NOT to do it.

Can’t believe Amy just left the gym.

AND…no weigh in tonight. Will have to wait until tomorrow night for that.

To be continued…

Why does this excite me so?

It is a sad state of affairs when the gas price "DROPS" to $3.69 and you're pumped up about filling up at the pump.

Remember when it hit $3.00/gallon after Hurricane Katrina 2 years ago? The first time I had to fill up the van and the dial went over $50, I had heart palpitations. Now, a $50 tank of gas is so passe, so like, you know, last year.

(P.S. just so you know, I did finally get my pedicure. The gas shortage ended and I found a spare hour to treat my toes to a little well-deserved pampering.)

A tribute fit for a princess

As a true fan of all things Princess Diana, I always knew something was missing.

Really, they have the commemorative stamps.

They have the commemorative calendar.

They have the commemorative doggy t-shirt.

And, of course, they have the commemorative boxers.

Heck, even Elton John TRIED to commemorate (I'm trying to see how many times I can use the word 'commemorate') her by re-writing one of his most famous songs, Candle in the Wind, in her honor.

However, I always just had this feeling that something was missing.

AND...

I found it.

Where, you might ask, did I stumble upon the perfect tribute and commemoration?

At my local Dollar Store's Going out of Business Sale.

They had a hefty supply of the commemorative Princess Diana gift bags that I always knew would finally put some closure on our loss. I cannot tell you how many times I went to the closet to wrap a gift for a loved one, thinking..."this gift is nice and all, but the gift wrap doesn't properly show the respect that the People's Princess deserves."

Well, no more. The final chapter of Diana's legacy includes gift wrap.

And I couldn't be more pleased.

It's finally here!

The new flooring has arrived!

The contractor shows up at 7:30 tomorrow morning.

This weekend, I sold my Pump-it-up substitution furniture on Craigslist and have my eye on a few new pieces already.

I saw my life flash before my eyes as Michael, our friend Victor, and YOURS TRULY moved the piano up a flight of stairs. I have never prayed so hard in my life. I was at the bottom of the move, pushing Michael's back up the stairs....trying very hard NOT to think the following thought: "I am a dead woman. If this instrument slips...I would be at the bottom of the heap: Victor, a very very heavy piano, and my own dearly beloved husband."

Carpet was ripped up last night (thanks again for the help Victor!).

Now, all I have to do is keep my kids off the plywood/staple-y floor downstairs for the next 96 hours until the new floor is in place.

Counting down...

Food for Thought

Actually, this has nothing to do with food. It's more of a "Thought for Thought."

Saw a great magnet this weekend:
"Life is all about how you handle Plan B."

AMEN to that!

I also heard another good quote/thought at Bible Study last week from my friend Connie:
"I need to put my big girl panties on and deal with it."

I have had several instances here lately that have caused a Plan B and required me to don the big girl panties and deal.

(See, I can be serious too! I'm not always all fun & games...)

Need an example? Wendy's shorted me a hamburger today at lunch. Didn't discover it until I got home from the drivethru.

OK, so maybe this post was about food after all. And, actually, maybe I am always fun and games.

Cupcake Wars

My post about crafty Kim & crafty Catherine caused quite a stir last week.


My friend Amy, not one to be outdone on anything, much less out-crafted, let me know that she has a little Martha in her as well:

Here are the ladybug cupcakes she did for her daughter's 3rd birthday.

I guess I've been outcrafted and outcooked once again...did you see the storebought cake we had for Will's 1st birthday? At least it wasn't half-eaten like the one we served my mother-in-law...

The many meanings of the word "love"

I just woke up from a fabulous dream. I was going to be an understudy in the next big Disney movie. I had to learn all the steps and dances and songs and just hope & pray that some cute young starlet sprained her ankle and couldn't perform.....and I would dash in to save the day and steal America's heart

To top it all off....one of the Jonas brothers fell in love with me. MADLY in love.

When I told Michael this morning, I expected him to be just absolutely green with envy and wildly jealous. Instead, he said:

"When you say he was 'in love' with you, don't you mean 'in love' like you love your mom?"

....do you think he was subtly hinting that I am....gasp...aging!?!? Surely not!


Anyways, that didn't quite go like I expected...



On another note--


we're just 3 short weeks away from High School Musical 3's big screen debut! Who's going with me?!?