Thursday, March 19, 2009

Holidays

Our big treat was to go to the movies every night! It was interesting to see that the cheap theatre seats actually were more accommodating to our long legs than Silver City. So bonus! Also, on Tuesday nights it was a whopping four dollars for the two of us. This is going to become a habit. Thing is, that it is so much better to see a movie in a theatre, where there are no snacks (not at the present prices, that is for sure!) to lead us astray. And the screen size is pretty darn good, too! It recquires a little more activity, and that is always good to burn a few calories. At this time of our lives, it is good to get out and do things. I don't want to become a hibernating crabby old person. I want to go out in the world and be crabby!

We did a little shopping and a lot of eating out, to my chagrin. Tonight I made supper for the first time in a long time - a pork tenderloin that I took out a couple of days ago and managed to avoid cooking. Tonight was the night. So, I cooked it up, and served it with mashed potatoes, carrots, spinach and a marmalade glaze. MMM good!

The menu plan has been long forgotten. It will be catch as catch can until we go to Thompson on Monday.

It has been so much fun wearing my new jeans. They are officially my second skin now. So easy to dress when you have jeans...you just change the top, and you have a new outfit. I still have not tackled the daunting job of clearing out my closet, but that will come one of these days. It takes much longer to talk about than it does to do it. I am pretty good about getting rid of things as they become too big, but there is still a problem with "too much" hiding what I really wear, and want to be able to put my finger on immediately. Tonight i went to my shoe wheel, and discovered a pair of slingback pumps. Who knew I had those? I thought I only had one pair of dress shoes in black. I wore a dress tonight that needs some sort of accessory - scarf didn't work, necklace looked too small...longer necklaces didn't cut it either. I will have to keep my eyes open for something suitable. but it was nice to get out of my "uniform" that I have been wearing lately...the same black dress with different sweaters for most of the winter...mainly because it came to my boot tops, and with my coat formed a cozy cocoon to block the winter chill.

Tomorrow I am going to try to get our taxes done so that won't be hanging over my head any longer. There shouldn't be a big bill to pay ...time will tell. Sometimes I don't get the story I was hoping for though!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Slumdog Millionaire

I was hoping that this movie would stick closer to the book, but nope. It was still a good movie. It was a pleasant diversion, and so much nicer than hiding away in the family room and falling asleep half way through a movie! Sometimes that can be a good thing, but we have to be more social! We don't want to turn into isolated old people.

We have decided that evenings out are important enough to schedule the time to actually do things instead of talking about them. So, after our big day of eye appointments, and visits to the doctor, we decided to walk on the wild side and hit a movie! It was bitterly cold out, but we went anyway. I found that it was no sacrifice at all to walk past the popcorn at the theatre. After the last time we went, and I actually had the popcorn? I realized that I wasn't missing a thing all the years I have been saying no to it! In fact, between you and me? It was pretty gross tasting. A real treat is my Smartfood White Cheddar. Funny, after all the times I passed on popcorn at the theatre and felt sorry for myself! Now if only I could have the same light bulb moment with things like croissants!

Go figure.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Home but hiding...

from the cold! Today the temp is -9ºF, fut with the wind chill it is wicked. It was 81ºF the day we left Kansas City, and by the time we hit Fargo, we were looking for our gloves and boots again! It will be winter even longer in the great white north, where we are heading in a couple of weeks. My poor old cells are in shock.

So, the shopping everywhere was amazing. There were bargains galore, and no crowds to fight with...the economic conditions are freaking people out. But this is certainly the time to shop! I found just about everything on my list of necessary basics. I tried to find a white shirt that looked good, but really? I never could wear stiff fabrics, even when slim. On others, shirts look crisp. On me? They just look like a white bread bag. I need fabrics that conform to the curves, not hang from biggest circumference! So, soft cotton things won. Hippy dippy clothing that I haven't seen in forty years? How could I resist! Psychedelic prints are classics, are they not?

I did however, buy some sensible 'age appropriate' things for when 'lady attire' is required. No one said I had to be dull in my everyday life though! Even my lady gear is full of bright colours. I bought a Nine West bag in red patent, and a dressy puffy purse in purple. Nice neutrals!

The basics include:
red trench coat with lining that matches
a tunic that goes with
pants
and a skirt. I bought
dressy blouses,
tshirts,
two pairs of black JEANS! YEAH ME!
Tunic length tshirts both long and short sleeved.

Into this mix, I will add my black Capri's and khaki Capri's from last year...hopefully my dresses will still work well for another year, because it was impossible to find new ones in the stores.

Another trip south of the border is absolutely necessary for airy summer clothes

Catherine's Dress Store was absolute disappointment. For some reason they have decided that big women need to dress like a doddering old grandmother in the old folk's home, and frankly, I would find that offensive even if I did nothing other than stare at Jerry Springer and drool all day.

Avenue, on the other hand, had moderate funky styles that worked for me, yet didn't give that hootchy mama impression. I also found a few pairs of canvas flats for around the house, and a pair for summer wear. Plus a couple of pairs of good for your feet Cobbie Cuddlers. Sigh. It was great!

I really wish Canadians had the choice of clothing that our American friends have....I am so sick of "Frumps-R-Us" that we are stuck with here!

Rick was so patient as it literally took hours of fitting room time to get the bounty I brought back! He patiently found a chair and occupied himself with his Blackberry. Lord, I dearly love that man!

Now that we are home? It is so good to be back in my kitchen again, and I have lost five of the travel pounds I gained as of this morning. My body does not like being in a car for hours or fueling up in restaurants, so it rebels by retaining all the water it can! Losing that bloat can't happen fast enough for me, as we are on the road again in two weeks time. Until then? Here is my planned menu for the week. I have everything in the house but one item, so that will be easy enough to pick up during the week, when I go out and about flashing my new denim clad butt! I can not tell you how good it feels to have real denim jeans on my body after all of these years. It has taken a long time, but I am going to get there! I will never be one of the testimonials that say it was so quick and simple. It has been a long and arduous journey, and it won't get easier, I am sure. But I am resolved to stay the course, and even if it is ten pounds a year, I will consider myself successful.


Sunday
eggs & toast, milk, bacon (I buy the precooked Kirkland that is 80 calories for two slices, and blot every bit of fat that I can from it)
ham and cheese sandwich
chili and buns

Monday
milk, egg & toast
soup, crackers
chicken, rice, vegetable

Tuesday
scrambled eggs & bacon, toast & milk
veggies & dip
tuna casserole, tossed salad

Wednesday
scrambled eggs, toast & spread
cucumber & cream cheese sandwich
bangers and mash, creamed corn

Thursday
eggs & toast, milk
crackers and cheese
Chicken breast stir fry veggies & rice, JELLO

Friday
poached eggs on toast
Croque Monsieur (ham and cheese sandwich dipped in egg and cooked in non stick fry pan) MMMM good.
side salad, fish & potatoes

Saturday
eggs, toast, bacon & milk
OPEN
OPEN

Monday, March 9, 2009

Home at long last....

I was thrilled to be in my own kitchen today, but it did feel strange! I thought I had managed to stay within points on a daily basis, but still the scales screamed at me when I got home. So much for being careful. I would hate to see what would have happened had I let myself go!

As it was? We ate a few times at Taco Bell. I have not eaten there in years, and after some online research, discovered their pintos and cheese for three points. MMM good. A couple of times, I enjoyed a soft chicken taco, and a crispy beef taco with an order of beans and cheese. I found this combo to be filling, and tasty. Of course, from the fresco menu, which didn't add a lot of cheese, or sour cream. It really was tasty and quick. My eating pattern has changed radically in my old age. I eat breakfast like a queen, lunch like a merchant, and supper like a pauper. My appetite is just geared that way. I don't know what happens, but at about four in the afternoon, the hunger switch just turns off, and I really have to watch that the sugars don't fall to an unacceptable level. I am going to put together my menu plan tomorrow, so I will post it then.