velatolex’s Neighborhood

I’m currently flying home from North Carolina, after such a relaxing trip, the traveling portion home. Has slightly sucked. Leaving is never as much fun as arriving, but I’m getting ahead of myself here.

 

The week was great, my brother and I spent a lot of time driving around in the “green machine” which is a John Deer Gator up and down the mountain. No power steering provides a fairly decent upper body workout. We also walked around the mountain and spent some time hopping across rocks in the creek. We spent one day outlet shopping with our Omi, one of her favorite pastimes. I got a few shirts at Banana Republic, and Ralph Lauren Polo, oh and an awesome new purse. SUPER deal too, Coach leather purse, it’s black, no logo’s or anything. But yeah, I got a great deal. :-D

 

Otherwise we pretty much spent our time wandering the mountain. One day we spent shooting, an AR-15 (it’s the same gun as the military has in Iraq currently). That was a fun day, I’m still a little bruised on my shoulder from the kick of the gun, but it’s not everyday you get to spend shooting targets with a .223 caliber high powered assault rifle. :-D That day was also filled with literally running up and down the hill from the creek to the house to get this or that. That was a workout after awhile.

 

Eating wise I was REALLY good, but I was trying to push the point with my 83 year old diabetic grandfather, and 82 year old grandmother. I cooked most nights, Chicken with sautéed zucchini and onions, chili, turkey meatloaf, sirloin steaks with mashed sweet potatoes. The other nights we went out to dinner, I had lobster tail one night THAT was good…lol.

 

I haven’t weighted myself in about a month, I’ve felt the urge but resisted. I don’t want to be a slave to the scale forever. I do plan on weighing myself tomorrow though, just to see where I’m at. Since I really have no idea, if I’ve gone up or down…lol. My clothes all still fit, some feel different. All the new clothes I got are size S and fit fine, but that was all shirts (the area where my wardrobe is lacking the most). So I will let everyone know what the outcome of the weigh in turns out to be.

 

Hope everyone is doing well, reaching their mini goals and keeping on track!!!

Posting all pictures to Flickr...http://www.flickr.com/photos/25591672@N06/sets/72157606857726590/

Enjoy!!!

Shopping….

 

Okay by now you’ve probably figured out I do my fair share of shopping…previously I focused on shoes and purses/bags mainly. Why, well I liked them, I still do have affections for accessories, but also have a love again for clothes. Purses and shoes do come in different sizes but don’t rely upon an individuals size. AKA no matter what size I was as a person I could always have a cute purse/shoes.

 

People have asked me about shopping in “normal” stores, and if it’s great. Well I’m going to talk about my experiences as a ever shrinking chick and shopping for new clothes along the way.

 

First, “plus sizes” (14+ as deemed by stores typically) are more standardized across stores, in my experience. I could walk into almost any store (that carried my size) and just pick something up without trying it on. This was a nice perk; it was quicker, easier in many ways.

 

As I went down in sizes, things remained pretty constant, like I could walk into Target, Gap, or department store and grab a size 8, 10, 12 and it would fit no problems. Size 6 was the beginning of the change….or I guess when the REAL vanity sizing kicks in, or something. I did some research on sizing in the US and Europe, etc. Well in the 1960’s the standardized American sizing, but in approximately 1980 vanity sizing began.

 

Today a former size 14 (aka Marilyn Monroe era) would be a size 8, previous 12 a 6, etc…European sizing has also changed since this standard although by one less size. AKA 14 now a 10.

 

So, if you have clothes that are older then may actually be smaller with the same number tag. And don’t forget the adding of “stretch” to fabrics. Why am I talking about all this, because it is reality, and it’s frustrating as a person whose losing weight.

 

Shopping now is interesting, for one most stores stock clothes in sizes 8, 10, 12, in abundance, so finding clothes smaller sizes is a little more difficult. Outlet shopping would be AWESOME for a size 10, 12…tons and tons of clothes.

 

Now the fun part of being a size S 2/4 etc…stores have NO correlation anymore. At Coldwater creek an XS is a size 4, at Gap a XS is a 0/1, etc….those are a few I ran into. I’ve always shopped at The Gap, when I state my size I state my Gap size, which is fairly solid in terms of American sizing. Some stores a size 2 is smaller than others, etc.

 

Currently my clothes that fit range in size from XS – M in shirts, and 2 – 6 in bottoms (and a 36, but I’ll get to that in a minute).

 

Designer clothes are a whole other can of worms, for one half are European so they are either one to two sizes up (aka 2=4, 4=6) or they are 34=4, 36=6. I got a pair of jeans in size 36, I tried on the 34’s but they weren’t gonna button comfortably. I ran into that issue back when I got married (many years ago, didn’t workout) I had a European dress, at the time I was a size 16 and ordered a size 20 wedding dress. It was taken in, a very small amount.

 

My point of all this, don’t get to caught up in sizing, especially once into the single digits. It’s not you, it’s the clothes, find a few brands/designers/stores you like learn what size you wear in each and go with them. When venturing to new places be prepared to try on sizes both larger and smaller than you might “think” you are, and don’t get your feelings hurt if you have to buy a size bigger. I was a little dismayed when I bought some size 6 Adidas golf shorts, I tried on a size 4 skort and it fit fine, no mushroom top or anything. But my mom thought it looked a little tight across the front, and in terms of golfing, etc. It was better to be comfortable, so I after working so hard to be a size 2, had to get a size 6. But it’s the designers, brands differences. In Nike I’m more of a size small, sometimes medium…it’s somewhat ironic that the sports brands run a little truer to the standard sizing. Which if you payed attention above puts me at more of a size 8/10 (back in the day). This is also something to keep in mind if you shop at vintage stores…J Well I should be boarding soon, I’m writing this with lack of internet. J

Absolut great finds!

The Hacksneaker

via Yeah, you´re right!

The Sneaker Burger

Via Blog by Niki

Hungry now...

Almost done packing, got just about everything done, the camera gear is packed, laptop is next...need my pills, and we're off!  We have SUCH and early flight thanks to DH who firmly believes in getting there as early as possible. grrr.  Oh well, once we get to Colorado, I get to chill.  Even though that starts at 8:30 am!!   Our flight leaves at 7:00 am.  Thanks Honey!  grrr

My knee has been buckling since Saturday night, it happens when I pivot.  I've fallen twice, caught myself all the other times.  They got me in on Monday after getting the family doctor involved.  At first they weren't going to see me, but my FD called and said, she is FALLING from the buckling someone HAS to see her.  So the ortho doc took xrays and all the components are in place.  That was good news!  But, the buckling is something else.  It hurts like crazy when it happens, but the pain goes away pretty fast, but after a buckle, I can't walk without the cane for a while.  The doc said he was putting me back in physical therapy and I'm not to go anywhere without the cane :(.  I don't listen well, but I will take it with me on vacation.  I must have done something to it when I was dancing, thats when it started anyway, after the third time it happened on the dance floor, I quit for the night.  Sunday I fell trying to hook a dog up to a leash.  Sigh.  Well, at least it doesn't hurt all the time.  Therapy starts when I get home from Colorado.  It just disappoints me so much, I wasn't having any problems or pain or limitations before the dancing.  And the fact that there is no reason kind of pisses me off.  Hopefully if I rest it for a while it will stop.  No golf for me in Colorado.  Thats ok though, I'll take the camera ;-)

The MRI was uneventful today, I asked if they saw something would I get a biopsy right away and they said no, it would take 48 hours for a radiologist to read it and get the results to my oncologist.  I really am not in a hurry for an answer this time.  I just want it to be clear, and if its not, I just don't want to know.  Not while we are on vacation anyway.  I don't want to be fretting over a core biopsy when I'm gone. 

I can't see your eyebrows here either, no enhancement

You really look like the girl with a pearl earring in this picture! 

I'm so glad the winter & summer olympics are 2 years apart now, because I LOVE THE OLYMPICS!!! Winter is my fave, but I watch the summer games from start to finish, too. Thousands of people who have trained countless hours, 99% of whom will not get anywhere near the medal stand, giving it their all with great joy. Competition at its purest level.

It's interesting how China is walking a very thin line, trying to appear open yet everything is obviously tightly scripted & controlled. NBC has reported almost nothing about this, yet I have to believe they know they're being monitored constantly. I'm sure the corporations which control the media told the media not to piss off their biggest trading partner.

Michael Phelps- what a story! 8 days of the best TV. And his relay teamates were incredible too, & should not be forgotten. Without them, he has only (only!) 5 golds. I so enjoyed watching him swim. If I ever find out he's been doping, I'll be so pissed!

Dara Torres, what an inspiration. Nastia Lukin was robbed & so was Alicia Sacramone. I'm glad Shawn Johnson finally grabbed a gold.

I will miss the games when they are done. Back to suck-ass TV again.

2010 Vancouver, here I come!

So I was having a conversation with one of my friends today and we started talking about friends and how friendship should be based on a equal regard between two people whether of the same or opposite sex. Within this idea of equal regard though I feel there are still a hierarchy of friendship.  This is something everyone naturally does, whether or not they admit it, so here is general categories that I have found myself creating.

 

The first is casual friends, or as today's technological advances with the advent of social networking and AIM make them, are the 'facebook/myspace/online/friends'.  These are the people who we met through one way or another and would truly have just staid as acquaintances or past coworkers with whom we shared a past experience.  The label come from the fact that we feel we are staying close because we can get updates, how ever small, through the Internet.  These are also people with whom you share an interest who you have never, and probably will never meet in person. 
This category (along with any other) does not mean you do not care about this person and have no intention of once again extending the olive branch of friendship to them.  It just means that they are people to whom you pay about as much attention to as your daily Internet visits will allow.  They are the people that you keep telling yourself to get back in contact with but never do.

 

Now there is a sub category to this that are the people with whom there is no other way to keep in touch with besides the Internet because a number of reasons.  Either they are in a different country, a different city, or are as super busy as you are.  These are the people that you still call, message, or exchange comments with, and consistently tell yourself to let them know whey the two of you are going to be in the same place.  For me there are a lot of people in Austin that I need to get in touch with, as well as several in Europe that I need to keep in touch with.

 

Next are the 'friends to invite to the party'.  These are the people who are absolutely the most fun people you know and wouldn't want to do something so cool with out...they make the event or the day. These people are the ones that you go to for a good evening, a fun outing, a fun road trip, or just to talk to when you're feeling down.  These are the people that you would classify on your top friends lists and seriously don't usually go more than a week with out talking to.  Now this group of people change at the different stages of a person's life, which really is not surprising at all.  People mature and grow and because of that the people they spend time with does too.  Now the people who transition with them go in the last group in my list.

 

This last group for me are 'the friends I call for everything/have in the wedding/choose from of godparents/benefit in my will'.  These are the people you tell everything to, want to share everything with, and couldn't imagine not having them at something monumental.  These are the special people with whom you share a special bond that is strong enough to adapt and change as time goes on.  These are the people who you talk to the most, the people that you can pick up where you left off from the last time you saw them.  These are the ones who know your dirty little secrets and really are there when you fall.  For me this is also the person I'm going to share my life with.  These are the absolute best of friends and usually some of your oldest friends.  They get your sense of humor, they know and respect your beliefs, value your eccentricities, and all in all accept you.

 

Now these categories are the ones that my friends fall into.  So for me they hold accurately.  The important thing to remember though, is that these categories are not cast in stone.  They are fluid with people jumping from one category to another.  Now sometimes these changes are not noticed till it has already happened, but others are so humbling you feel crushed.  This is especially true when someone you put in the last category on your list drops down through the categories to the first one that was mentioned.  This is either by one or both party's in-attentiveness to the relationship, and really can be turned around if both are willing.  The worst thing in the world to feel is heart-broken whether it's because you lost a friend or a lover.

 

That's just what was in my mind today... I'll let you ponder that.

 

Kat.

 

Some of you may have heard of the “lemonade diet” in the past. However, it’s not meant for weight loss, but as a form of detoxifying the body. This diet aims to cleanse the intestinal walls and colon, rebooting metabolism, and riding the body of toxins. For 10 days, about a gallon of this lemonade is to be taken throughout the day while fasting. Water, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, organic maple syrup, and cayenne pepper make up this lemonade. It is also accompanied by a salt-water flush in order to help rid the body of toxins.

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