what's playing on my ipod Monday

I love Aretha Franklin. This week's song selection is her classic Chain of Fools.



I also stumbled across a short clip of President Obama singing a bit of Chain of Fools. YouTube rocks.

Rewards Update

Thanks for all your suggestions on rewards for my weight loss goals. I finally decided on a couple. For reaching my second goal (which I am currently working on) I decided to reward myself with a weekend with Marcus at this bed and breakfast in Canyon Lake that I found online. The room I want to stay in has a private hot tub on the balcony. Fun!

Since I am still 25 pounds away from reaching that goal, I decided to come up with a reward for the halfway point (13 pounds). I think for that I am going to get a chemical peel done. My dermatologist suggested it several years ago, and I considered it, but then I had a student show up to class a couple of days after having one done. Yikes! I will definitely want to hide out at home for about a week after getting it done, and right now I have the ability to do that.

I think I’m also going to reward myself with a song from itunes every 2 pounds or so. I have a list of songs that I want to buy that I just haven’t gotten around to purchasing yet.

Life Altering Technology

For a long time now I’ve seen all sorts of people with Bluetooth thingies in their ears, and they look so cool. People are wearing them everywhere, and they always appear so important and desired. I even sat in an interview with someone where the guy trying to get the job wore one all the way through the interview.

I’m really impressed when someone keeps the thing in while talking to me…I guess that’s because at any moment someone more important than me will call and there simply won’t be time for the ear bud to be placed in the ear…the call will have to be answered immediately. I would probably do that when I’m speaking to Jack Bauer, but that almost never happens.

Even the Bluetooth people tell me that these things will make

 me cooler, more 

active, and

 have better sex. I especially like the one that transports me into the Matrix.

Well, on the recommendation of the Bluetooth people, and all their promises (including the fact that this would make me a better father), I decided to take the plunge and bought one for work.

What do you think…am I sexier?

-Marcus, SGB

It's not what you think...

I've been hearing some accusations that I'm trying to take over Amanda's blog. I want to state publicly that this is false, and that in reality it's just a result of me figuring out how to blog from my phone. Seriously, now that I can blog directly from my phone, I can now share all the unimportant random things that pop into my head as I go about my day.

Good for me, bad for you.

Now I can't stop thinking about things to put on the blog, and I can do it from ANYWHERE! Exciting, really...sharing with you all the exotic and fabulous adventures I have every day. In fact, I had some people take pictures of me blogging wherever I could:

Here's me at work (not doing work obviously)

Me in Paris...

...and at the Taj-Mahal.

See, it's just so easy. Now leave me alone, I need to blog about this.

-Marcus, SGB

Rewards?

On the weight watchers message boards I came across a person who gives herself specific rewards for very 5 pounds lost. As in when she gets to 155 she’ll get a manicure, 150 work out clothes, etc. I thought that was a really good idea, but I’m running into some problems coming up with rewards for myself.

Really all the problems revolve around 2 things:

1. I’m frugal. If I don’t really want or need something then I don’t buy it. (I also hate clutter and don’t like to shop so that helps keep me frugal) For instance I don’t really care for manicures, I mean if someone gave me a free one I’d take it but, meh. Plus if I know that if I just wait then I can get what I want cheaper, I’ll just wait. There is a specific console table that I want for our guest bathroom, and I have been waiting for it to go on sale since we remodeled the bathroom almost 3 years ago. I would love to have it, but it would kill me to buy it before it goes on sale because I know it will eventually.

2. If there is something that Marcus and I need or really want then usually we just buy it (as long as doing so doesn’t interfere with what I mentioned in number 1). If there is something that I want/need that I haven’t bought for myself it’s because it is just too expensive, I talked myself out of spending the money on it (proving that I didn't want/need it afterall), or I’m waiting for it to go on sale.


Those things make it had for me to come up with something that I want but wouldn’t buy for myself normally.

So with that in mind, any ideas for some other way to reward myself every 5 or 10 pounds? Oh, and the rewards are not supposed to be food related.

Seriously, that's it?

Warning: Normally this would not be worthy of a blog post, but Marcus appears to be making a move to take over my blog, so I have to post something.

I got an email today from pottery barn telling me that some shams I ordered a couple of weeks ago are actually out of stock and they won't be able to complete my order. Since this has happened before I know that in a couple of days I will receive a letter in the mail with the exact same info as the email I received today.

It’s nice that they do that. It kind of gives a more personal touch, but the first time I got that letter it seemed really weird to me that they didn’t include like a coupon or something with the letter. I seem to recall that I looked in the envelope several times to see if I missed something. I mean, why take the trouble to mail me a letter that says the exact same thing as an email you already sent me if you aren’t going to include some sort of perk with your sincere apology? Does this seem weird to anyone else?

I Won! I Won!

It's always exciting to go to Wendy's. I mean, c'mon...everytime I order it's like I've won the lottery!

WhooHoo! I get to give you ten bucks! Score!

-Marcus, SGB

Signs, Signs, everywhere are signs...

So there's a new Burger King by our house that I periodically stop at to get breakfast. It was built just a couple of weeks ago (the previous one burned down), so you would think that everything would be just perfect with it. Apparently whoever was in charge of the drive thru menu didn't get that memo.

Not only are the meals completely different numbers on the outside menu from the menu inside (which requires a level of thinking that I am not prepared for in the morning), but apparently they have an abundance of Cini-minis that they have to push onto the motorists.

Seriously, making them meals 6 AND 7 just doubles the chance that I'll drive off with some tiny cinnamon rolls and a bucket of liquid sugar.

Maybe I'll give them the number to FASTSIGNS.

-m, SGB

Not quite Good vs. Evil...but close

Within my car there exists an eternal struggle:

I dream of the day when I am able to find that elusive perfect balance where the wipers wipe often enough to provide good visibility while at the same time waiting long enough between wipes so as to avoid the squeak

Does anyone else struggle with this?

-Marcus, SGB

what's playing on my ipod Monday

MTV launched in 1981, when I was 3 and my mom was 24. I have distinct memories of tons of videos from the early days of MTV. Bryan Adams Cuts Like a Knife, some horrid song by The Cars where the lead singer's face is on a fly's body (I'm pretty sure I had nightmares about that), Hall and Oats Maneater, and many more.

This week's song selection is from one of those videos. Enjoy Journey's Seperate Ways. Oh, also in defense of my mom, I was raised on MTV and Sesame Street, so it balanced out.



You can see the orginal music video here

Flat Charlie

This is Charlie's favorite spot in the house:

She loves to lay flat on the arms of the couches and chairs, but her favorite spot by far is Marcus' legs. I think she anxiously awaits his arrival from work everyday so she can sit on him.

She especially loves the weekends when he is home all day and wearing jeans. This cat loves to sit on jeans. When I get home from running errands, I immediately change out of my jeans and into my comfys (as Shannon calls them). Once I sat on the couch while still in my jeans and Charlie flew across the room to sit on my leg. Weird.

Ranting Pays Off!

Thanks to Kara, who I've actually never met, I have a new favorite store!

http://www.kiyonna.com/plus-size-clothing.htm

Oh where oh where was this store when I was working full time and both needed and could afford nice clothes?

I haven't ordered anything yet, but I am so trying to think of a reason why I need this dress:

Do you recognize the model? I told you she is everywhere!

So, thank you Marcus' friend Kara! Ranting works!

what's playing on my ipod Monday

This weeks song is my current favorite song. I just really enjoy singing along to it in the car. Enjoy Come on Get Higher by Sugarland from their album Love on the Inside.



It's a cover, so here is the original version by Matt Nathanson:

Plus Size Feminist Rant

So I’ve been looking online for some clothes for the cruises in May. Today I was browsing Nordstrom's website, not because I’m hoity toity, but because they have a great selection of plus size clothes and $5 shipping on every order. If it wasn’t for Nordstrom and Lane Bryant I’d probably be sporting a paper sack most of the time.

Anyway, when you shop at plus size clothing stores you see models that look like this:

If you’re a plus size woman then you're probably very familiar with that model. I think she models for every single plus size clothing manufacturer. After looking at pages and pages of models who look more like typical women (albeit really fit, tall, and gorgeous ones), It is really jarring to come across the more traditional model like this one:

When did we as a culture decide that that woman’s body is closer to the ideal than this woman’s?

One thing that really bugs me about shopping online at websites that sell women’s clothing in a variety of sizes; misses, petites, plus, etc, is that they often show the clothing available in plus sizes only on the size 0 women (that's how I found that model in the striped sweater). They might as well put the clothing on a male model. I find that when they show clothing in my size on a size 0 model that I actually overlook that outfit and go on to the next one with a plus size model. Talbots is the worst about this. Someone really needs to tell them that there are plus size models available.

Ok plus size feminist rant over.