blubber bonanza

 A few weeks ago, in a desperate attempt to figure out how to lose the weight I have put on since Jeff and I moved in together, I decided that the only way to shed the chub was to wager my efforts against something else.  That’s how I quit smoking, so I decided the logical way to outsmart my brain was to pit my laziness against my pride and see who won.  So I bet my sister.  The wager is that halfway to my 40 lb weight loss, after I lost 20 lbs, she would have to quit smoking.  To my dad’s ultimate delight, she shook on it.  My dad, on top of this wager, bet me that I couldn’t lose the 20 by his wedding, August 9 of this year.  So the race is on.

 I started entering my calorie intake and fitness output into the sparkpeople.com outfit.  I have to lose about 1.3 lbs per week to meet my goal and I figured, what better way to have some personal accountability than to put it out there for the world to see.  This way, I have to weigh in each week, and I am still debating whether I want to post real-life pictures of my chub for all to see.  This would be a real ego crusher, but I suppose if it helps to get me motivated…

 I have also been trying to come up with new ways to work out, to diminish the ennui and keep my mind occupied, and after finishing The Kite Runner that my friend let me borrow, I suggested we do a “fitness book club” sort of thing.  So last night after work, I got all decked out in my walking gear and we discussed the heartbreaking story of Amir and Hassan on out one-hour walk.  It was quite nice and the hour flew!  We will be hitting the asphalt again tonight after work, this time, ending with some congratulatory cervezas, a work out no-no, but hey, i figure if I am going to be working out on a Friday night, the least I can do is celebrate with a few Bud Lights, right?  Well, I think so at least.

 Anyhoo, wish me luck, I guess and I will keep you posted!

fenway fever

 Today marks my very first trip to Fenway Park to see the mighty Red Sox battle against the Kansas City Royals.  Yep, that’s right.  After nearly five years of living in the Boston area, I am still a Fenway virgin.  And today’s game could be momentous.  With Daisuke on the mound, and Manny within two of his milestone 500th Home Run, we could be witnessing history at historic Fenway Park.  I am bringing my camera so that I can be the complete tourist.  Weather should hold up to just being overcast, which is fine with me and my sensitive eyes.  I’ll have photos later on.

 GO SOX!

 

bag hag

 My bag is completed! Not that I have any photographic proof because my computer decided to be snobbish with the upload feature this morning and my pictures weren’t good enough, obviously.  But, they are both done. Honest!

 As soon as my computer gets over its snit, I’ll have them up here, lickety split.

[6/27/08 edit: upload complete! here is the proof. a little late, but get over it.]

finit

 After a near catastrophic mistake (again) last night, the bride’s clutch is complete!  Done, finished, finito!  I started it at six-thirty and completed it at almost ten-thirty.  Past my bedtime, as promised, but completed nevertheless!  What a load off.  Now I just have to finish my bag, (using pink lame, blech, but you should see how well it matches my shoes!) and I will have no more stress.

 In other non-related, sadder news:  A friend’s mother passed on Tuesday.  The wake is tomorrow, so I will jet out of work head to the wake and then straight off to the rehearsal dinner.  So tomorrow should be a varied, emotional day.

dummy moves

 In the queen of all dummy moves, I got home last night, all gung-ho to re-start the bag I have failed so many times at, I cut out all fabric pieces (again) when I realized that I threw out the interfacing.  Who does that?!  Why did I not notice that I was tossing an important piece of the project?  I really am losing it, I think.  I have two days, not counting Friday, which will be a waste, since the rehearsal dinner is immediately after work.  I ran out at lunch today and wrote a check for $2.48 for interfacing (and, I must confess, a bag of m’nms) since my PIN number for my lost ATM card has not come in yet.  So, tonight, I press on.  The bag WILL be completed by tonight, if I have to stay up past my bedtime to get it done, then thy shall be done.  I am even contemplating making Friday a half day, dependent on my progress tonight.

 Fingers crossed, everyone.  I need the might of She-Ra, Princess of Power.

oh brother

 My absence from this blog lately has been due to the fact that, with my rebate check, I went out and bought myself the new Project Runway Limited Edition Brother sewing machine.  Dont ask me what I was thinking.  I had never sewn a stitch on a sewing machine, so why would I go out, on a whim, and snatch one up?  Because I am a dope.  I have wonderfully creative ideas that I figure will be quite easy to make come to fruition, however, creativity is always (and I do mean always) harder than it looks.  In my head these things (in this case a bag to match my hot pink shoes) seem totally doable and drive me to walmart to buy huge, foreign machines.  I had never threaded a bobbin, never knew there was a different needle for hand sewing than for a sewing machine, never tried to sew around a curve.  So when I decided to make this bag, I must have been in some sort of delusional state.  Like I said, I am a dope.  And like a dope, I opened my big mouth and told the bride that I will be making myself a bag for her wedding and, of course, she now wants one.  I agreed, not even knowing what I had gotten myself into.

 So I bought the fabric, the lining, the interfacing.  I get the thread, the fabric glue, the doo-hickey button closure.  And I sat my ass down to start on the project titled “Cameron has bitten off more than she can chew”.  It took me hours to figure out tension and how to keep the bobbin from tangling.  Finally, I made progress. 

 After two attempts at reading the bag pattern and failing, I am having one more go at it tonight.  If it doesnt turn out this time, I am going to have to find something else to make with purple silk lining and silvery white organza.  What else, help me here, can you make with that stuff other than bridal accessories?

I guess all I can say is at least I am getting some practice in.  But, boy, is it frustrating.  Either way, bags will be made and pictures will be posted regardless of finished product.  If I must embarass myself in order to further my sewing skills, so be it.  Amen.

sweet rebate

 Jeff’s rebate check came in today!  Hooray!  Too bad it is already spent.  Jeff is getting a new cymbal for his drums and I am getting a sewing machine.  With the rest of it, we will be taking a vacation in July, maybe?  The rest may just end up going to gas for a month, who knows.

 Thank you, government!

turtle boy awards

 

 Jeff’s band, cleartheway, won another award in the Worcester area.  This time through the Worcester Magazine’s set of awards, the Turtle Boy awards.  They were voted Best Alternative/Indie Rock Band.  The Turtle Boy awards, as opposed to the Worcester Music Awards, are voted on by a panel; members of the music community of Worcester who come together and come up with the nominations and then subsequently vote on them.  Thereby making this award, in my opinion, a more felicitous honor than the popularity contest of the Worcester Music Awards (not taking anything away from that accolade, but winning based on your friends votes is totally different than being recognized as “the best” among a circle of music afficianados).  Tonight, they play at the Lucky Dog to showcase their award-winning chops.

 Again, Congrats boys.  Rock on tonight!