Miller Lodge

The Big 40 Cruise

2007-05-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

Well, the plans are in the works! We are taking a cruise in January 2008 to celebrate my birthday. I'm on hold now, as I type, with Carnival to book a special midnight pool party celebration aboard the ship!

Lots of friends from all over the country will be joining me. I'm over the top, to say the least! I love to cruise. No one has to cook or clean or make special plans for anyone. It's all done for you and at a very affordable price, I might add.

This time I actually think I will audition for the talent show. I just got back from a cruise in April and found out you didn't really have to have talent to be in the talent show. Tacky, I know, but true! Don't get me wrong, there was definitely some talent and then there was the rest of the performers! It gave me hope. I'm thinking a bad rendition of Sonny and Cher's, "I got you babe"!

We are going to hit Key West and Nassau! I've never been to Key West and I can't wait to sample my favorite, Key Lime Pie! I've always taken the kids, in the past. But this time, adults only! Yippee! No more waiting up to make sure my teenagers are not running amuck with some wierdos. I can do all the running amuck myself.

So cruisers, let me hear from you. And if you've ever thought of cruising, I highly recommend it. Especially for big groups for the reasons I mentioned above. I, personally don't do the expensive shore excursions due to the fact that I always have at least two kids with me. I tell them they can do all that when they are paying for their own cruise. But we always find tons of free stuff to do that is amazing.

By the way, I'm still holding! But that's the way it goes! Maybe I'll see you on the seas!

Gilligans Island

2007-03-07T05:36:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, one of the highlights of my day would be when mom would call me and the neighbor kids in to watch Gilligan's Island. We had one of those Tupperware Popsicle makers. She would make Popsicles with red Kool-Aid. I don't ever remember a better tasting Popsicle.

We would assemble on the floor of the den and watch the greatest show ever for thirty minutes. It was, without a doubt, the only time we would sit still the entire day. To this day I still cannot make a decision, Ginger or Mary Ann. I loved how cute Mary Ann was and her infatuation with the Professor. But I also loved how slinky Ginger was and how she acted like she'd suck the ear wax out of anyone on the jungle floor at a moments notice.

Years later, I was volunteering with the Chamber of Commerce and we actually had a Gilligan's Island Cruise. I won 1st place as Ginger. It was probably one of the only childhood fantasies that I actually got to live out. The others were marry for money (I declined that proposal due to hairy ears!), be a politicians wife and host regular charity luncheons (This is why I never got any tattoos) and be an actress (I've had several opportunities but always seemed to have something better to do at the time).

Something about being stuck on a desert island must appeal to the masses. Look at the popularity a silly show like Gilligan's Island experienced. And all the wannabees that followed, Survivor, The Real Gilligan's Island Reality Show, Lost to name a few. Although, now all I can think about are the practical things, like tampons, sunscreen, bug spray and why isn't the big guy losing any weight?

Gotta go, think I'll go make some red Kool-Aid Popsicles now!

He was in my trunk!

2007-02-12T05:31:00.000-08:00

Friday after dropping my child off at school, I went over to the baseball park to walk. It's located right behind the school. They have some nice walking tracks over there and a cross country trail through the woods. There was no one else there and it seemed really peaceful.

I was really making some progress and could really feel the calories burning. I decided to take it up a notch and start up the hill on the cross country trail. Suddenly, something caught the corner of eye. I turned to see what it was and I noticed a male in a hooded jacket trying to hide behind a tree. He had his hood on and was obviously trying not to be seen.

My first thought was, "I'm too out of breath to scream!". Then I thought, well maybe it's just a kid playing hooky. Either way, I was not going back down the trail that way and it was the only way back to my car. Did I mention I was there alone? What seemed peaceful before, now just seemed scary and isolated.

I cut off through the woods over to the school football field hoping to see someone. There were kids and coaches on the field. They were staring at me like I was a crazy person. Here I come huffing and puffing across the field. I asked them if they had a kid down on the trail, because they run down there sometimes. They didn't. I told them what I had seen and that I was going to find someone to drive me around to my car because I was not going back down there by myself.

I also had left my car open, my keys in the floorboard and my cell phone. So when I got dropped off, I asked my ride to wait and make sure I got in and everything was all right. She did and I felt satisfied everything was OK and I drove home. I was a little shaken up at the thought of what possibly could have happened but I had other things to do, so it was time to get on with the day.

I went home and showered because I had a 10am massage. When I went back out to my car to leave, my trunk was open. Yes, my trunk was open. No, I had not driven home with it open, I have a trunk indicator light. No, I did not accidentally pop my own trunk open, my lever is a pull to open, not a push to open. There was mud in my trunk and an emergency release button inside the trunk for someone stuck in there.

Yes, I was freaking out. I went to my massage and tried to relax, which worked somewhat. I realized just how freaked out I was when I kept making excuses not to go home. So finally I just contacted a police officer and explained to him what had happened and asked if he would mind coming over and checking out my house.

I don't know about you but I would never crawl in someones trunk and I don't know how crazy you would have to be to do something like that. Therefore, I wasn't sure what else this kook might be up to. The officer checked everything out, even looked under all my beds! I felt much better and we both figured the guy just got out and took off.

I will say this, I will never again leave my car unlocked anywhere. Places that should feel safe should not be an excuse to be careless and I felt foolish for letting something like that happen to me. I am very thankful for the little blessings! I didn't need anything out of my trunk when I first got home, if I had, I would have peed my pants! Also, he didn't chase me when I was already out of breath, I was too tired to escape or scream. But, from now on I will be armed with mace! And let's not forget, I've had one kickboxing class!

No more sugar, Sugar!

2007-01-23T14:33:00.000-08:00

Well, who hasn't decided to make changes in January? I know, I know. We've all done it. Well, I'm on week 1 of no sugar, no caffeine. The first two days were hell and migraines. But I'm actually feeling about 120% better than before all the sugar overload.
I made the decision after weeks of not sleeping well, sinus problems and multiple headaches. I'm a sugar addict and research led me to candida. Basically, if I avoid the trigger foods, I'll feel better. Duh!
Yes, we all know if we eat better, exercise and get enough sleep, we'll look better, younger and have energy for days. It's actually doing it and sticking to it that's the problem. So what was different this time?
I felt like a walking heart attack. Yes, I need to lose some weight but it was more than that. I didn't feel good. I began thinking about what my child's life would be like without me. Then I began to think about how angry she would feel that I was gone and it was my own fault. Kinda like the way I feel about my husband's smoking habit.
I wasn't heavy until after I remarried and my husband and I tried to have children, with no success. My daughter is from a previous marriage. So, each month that I didn't become pregnant, I would become more depressed and, as a result, gained weight.
Well, it took about five years of being "fat" to make me realize I needed to diet. When I was young it consisted of skipping a meal and I'd drop a dress size. NOT anymore! So for five more years I unsuccessfully dieted. I could lose 10lbs, no problem. But after eating one normal meal, I could, kid you not, gain it all back.
My problem was not enough exercise. And I was too tired from eating all the wrong stuff to exercise. So every year was "the year" I was going to lose weight. Well this is actually "the year". It's different this time because before I was always concerned with the way I look. I'd lose 10 lbs and tell myself, "OK, your not a size 6 anymore, but you look decent. Now I'm concerned with the way I feel and being healthy. Leaning over to tie my shoes and being out of breath stinks!
So, step one, no sugar, no caffeine. Rid my body of the candida that has taken over and have enough energy to actually work out. I've added a combination of aerobics and Pilate's three times a week, ideally. I say ideally because that's my goal. Sometimes I can only make it once a week due to schedule conflicts. So far I've lost three pounds. But it's not about the weight anymore, so I'm not obsessing. I can't tell you how different it is this time compared to all the other attempts. It's as if all the pressure of "dieting" is off and the joy of living and feeling great is on.
In my opinion, sugar is truly a drug. I'm here to tell ya, I'm kicking the habit and I'm feeling great!

Pink Lite

2007-01-16T09:10:00.000-08:00

I came across a blog today about the PINK Nintendo DS Lite. Apparently, I can win one of these and a brain age game if, yes, it's the biggest two letter word, EVER. If, I can be clever enough to explain how hip i'll be with these new gadgets. Well, I saw Meredith from the Today show using the brain age game and if someone sees me using it too, I know they'll probably mistake me for her, because we look so much alike. Meredith is hip, therefore transferring hipness to me.

Scenario 2: Imagine me at the high school campus, picking up my child. I whip out my pink Lite and am suddenly swarmed the youth of today. They are demanding to know what I've got, where I got it and who my child is, because I'm so cool they've got to hang out with her.

Scenario 3: I love my pink Lite so much that I now color coordinate everything I own to match it. Imagine the stir about town as I'm driving my pink convertible VW bug in my pink shiny plastic pants with my full size standard poodle dyed, you know it, blue, ok, no, PINK. Well, not so sure about the hipness of scenario 3, but I know I my favorite wig is, you guessed it, pink. It's for Halloween, but I have always secretly wished that I could wear it every day. A pink Lite would be the next best thing!