Hap Hap Happy Halloween!!
It’s my favorite time of year again, Candy time!! Yesterday R and I bought our Halloween Candy for this evening, but in a most strategic move we bought chocolates that I am not overly fond of. I know…hard to believe that such a thing exists, but it does. I am actually working this evening, so I won’t be home to shell out candy to the greedy masses high on sugar and fear, but did make sure that we dish out an adequate amount of candy so that our house doesn’t get egged. BA will be home to give the little darlings their reward for coming to the door, and this year it will be done ‘sans’ pencils. Shocking I know that a retired teacher gives out pencils, but not this year.
Since I won’t be home this evening to dress up and par take in the festivities I have included some photos of Halloween’s Past – including my weakest attempt at a costume ever which was Saturday night. In my defense, it was a last-minute decision by my friends to dress up. So I grabbed a wig and off I went.
AHHHHH – my eye!!!
I am blind, completely and totally blind. For those of you who wear contacts or glasses, my prescription is -6.0, just to give you an idea of how blind I actually am. So, I wear contacts. I hate wearing glasses, I have no peripheral vision when I wear them (since I am so freakin blind), so I ALWAYS wear my contacts. I have 2 different contact solutions at home (now 1), the first is an all in one cleaner that can be used anytime. You can clean and store your contacts with it, the 2nd solution you have to add a little pill too which neutralizes the solution after a period of no less than 6 hours. You cannot put this solution in direct contact with your eye balls, it is a very very VERY bad idea. In fact, it is such a bad idea that they even manufacturer the bottles with a red tip as a warning to not insta clean your contacts with it. So, I was running late yesterday (as per usual on a Thursday, on my way to my 1 weekly Pilates class) and my contact was really bothering me. I reached under the sink and grabbed the bottle of solution (you know where this is going) and rinsed my contact and stuck it back on my eyeball. Thank god, it didn’t make full f=direct contact with my eye before I felt the burning. I was able to get that sucker out of my eye and into the garbage in a jiffy. But it managed to do enough damage that my eye was completely red and watering. I have in the past done this and the contact sticks to your eye and you can’t even open your eyes wide enough to get the damn thing. You are screaming and crying and your nose starts running and your eye cannot, will not open for you to remove the offensive lens from your eye. This did not happen to me, but I did end up at Pilates looking like a 4th grader with pink eye. OUCH!! Oliver and I had a good-bye ceremony and we officially threw away the obnoxious bottle with the red top! (that’s not my eye, but that’s kind of what it looked like)
Going back to the gym
Well, it has officially been over 1 year since I signed up for Pilates. At that time I was tired of the same old gym routines with weights and personal trainers. After many years of working out with a trainer, I don’t even feel that I really needed one, but I would always feel obligated to keep going back to them after I started. Like I was betraying them if I didn’t renew my training, which was and is very costly. They certainly don’t come cheap, but over the years I have worked with a number of trainers and have had a variety of different workouts based on their personal style of training. So, now 1 year later I am going back to the gym ‘sans’ personal trainer. As much as it pains me to say, Joseph Pilates did not transform my body as promised. For those of you who don’t remember or haven’t been reading my blog for long, this is his philosophy.
“After 10 sessions, you’ll feel different;
In 20 sessions; you’ll look different;
In 30 sessions; you’ll have a different body”
I have news for Mr. Pilates, my body is different, but not for the better. I have lost muscle tone and strength. So back to the gym I go. I am going to maintain my Thursday morning reformer class, but I also need more that Pilates was providing me. Don’t get me wrong, I still love Pilates, which is why I am keeping 1 class a week. However, you really do need a balanced work out regime, one that provides variety (so you don’t get bored like me) and a way to really maintain and build on your strength. And, the gym also gives me the benefit of group fitness classes to keep me motivated. Who know’s I might even try a spin class. 🙂
Hot Peppers
Who knew that Hot Peppers could actually burn your skin? Show of hands here folks, and you better not all be raising your hands. I for one, had no idea that you should wear gloves when handling hot peppers, and perhaps protective face gear. This morning I burned my finger on the stove, it was a just a baby burn, but then when I was washing my hands with hot water and my baby finger felt like it was on fire I was reminded of my hot pepper incident. That and the fact that we just discussed it this weekend while at friends for dinner. A couple of weeks ago I made a big pot of chili, and R really likes things hot and spicy so I chopped up a couple of jalapeno peppers and threw them in the pot. While slicing up these tasty little devils one of them squirted me, right in the face. My lower lip felt like it was on fire, like it was literally burning right off my face and I would become known as G-Gi the lower lipless wonder. Then as I washing the dishes that I had used the water felt like it was boiling, way hotter than we can normally get it at our house. I decided to take a break from the dishes and relax in front of the tv, except I couldn’t relax. Fire ants were crawling all over my hands, it felt like I stuck them into an open flame. I broke out the computer and googled my way to the section of the world wide web that deals with these situations. My fears had been confirmed, I had hot pepper burn. The best remedy I could find online was an Olive Oil and Sugar Scrub, and while it didn’t take away all the burning, my hands felt remarkably better than they did before I used that scrub. Lesson learned – always wear latex kitchen gloves while chopping up any sort of hot peppers.
Healthy Halloween – hahaha
I recently came across an article that was advertising Healthy Halloween treat options. Given my penchant for sweet tasty little treats I decided to devote 5 minutes of my time reading memorizing the items that are deemed ‘healthy’ for Halloween handouts. Apples were not mentioned once, so please put thoughts of fruit out of your mind.
Here they are in no particular order:
- Dark Chocolate Hersey’s Kisses: For starters, I don’t like dark chocolate so I removed these from my dream list of healthy sweet treats immediately. For those who enjoy the bitter side of chocolate these are apparently a natural source of cocoa flavonol antioxidants. You can happily enjoy 9 of these for 180 calories, 12 grams of fat and for an added bonus 2 grams of protein. Grade: Pass
- Tootsie Pops (mini’s): Not to be confused with the Tootsie Roll, these are baby suckers. Which means they have a candy coating, which leads me to believe they can’t be that great for you. The candy will rot your teeth, and lets face it you are going to eat more than 1 of anything that is mini so even though they are around 45 calories a pop, after you devour 6 of them with all the candy coating, I wouldn’t consider these a real great find. Grade: Fail
- Quaker Mini Delights: What planet is the author of the article that I read living on? Mini Delights = Candy, not in my lifetime muchacho. These are a pre packaged full of preservatives lunch treat. Something parents try to trick their kids into thinking is a yummy snack so they can feel better about themselves for giving their kids ‘whole grains’. Grade: Fail
- Nabisco Chocolate Covered Pretzels: This things aren’t even dark chocolate coated, and they are advertised as ‘Mister Salty Milk Chocolate Pretzels’, I am not sure what is supposed to be healthy about these, other than the fact that they supposedly 100 calories snack packs. Grade: Fail
- Twizzlers: Does anyone anywhere even know what the hell is in a Twizzler??? Grade: Fail
So there you have it, I obviously read an article that was sponsored (advertised) by the manufacturers of the above mentioned products. I am not even sure I feel comfortable saying that Dark Chocolate Kisses are healthy for you, they are chocolate after all and I am sure somewhere on the package they are referred to as candies.
Looks like another unhealthy Halloween for me. 🙂
Night of the living….flu?
ARGH!! I had the worst Monday night ever. I have previously blogged about the importance of keeping your dirty little germs all to yourself. If you don’t feel well, or you know you are sick – DON’T GO OUT spreading your nasty little germs around. Someone I came across in my travels, either, friend or customer passed along their fancy little flu germ. I am usually immune to the stomach flu, I have had many other illnesses in the past, the flu (regular old achy breaky think i am going to die flu) is actually something that I dread but understand that it’s bound to happen to me. I do not ever expect to be on the receiving end of the stomach flu though, I don’t even get sick to my stomach when I drink too much, so to say I was a surprised sick basket case was an understatement. I actually made little beds for myself in all of our bathrooms, R had a good laugh when he awoke Tuesday morning to these comfie little havens I had constructed for myself in my fever induced state out of bath towels and blankets. I highly recommend this for anyone else out there who may happen to get the stomach flu this year, it just makes you feel a little better to know you are in the room that you are undoubtedly spending the next 8-10 hours in with a nice little bed to curl up in on the floor. Am I feeling better today? Yes, slowly but surely I am on the mend. And I can come to work today, I looked it up online. And since Google knows everything, and I am a master Web MD, I will have you know that I was spreading around my germs Sunday and Monday before disaster struck. So, if you saw me and you get sick, I am really really really sorry. Just remember to make your bathroom bed and be prepared for the fever chills. xo
And I also wanted to wish my dad, B, a very happy birthday today! Hope I didn’t give you the flu for your birthday, that would really be a rotten gift. 🙂
Thanksgiving Fairy
I know, I know, I have not been very good at sharing stories lately. I have decided to commit to write a minimum of 3 blogs per week, and if you’re really lucky maybe more!
Thanksgiving is now a full week behind us, but it was one of the best Thanksgivings EVER for me. We all know and at some point in our lives have had experiences with fairy’s of some sort, like the Tooth Fairy, or your Fairy God Mother, or just some random person dressed as a Fairy for Halloween (gentlemen keep your fantasies to yourselves). Well, this year I had my very own Thanksgiving Fairy, she cooked the entire meal, set my table, used her own dishes and silver ware, and then cleaned everything up and didn’t have to use my kitchen at all. In fact I didn’t have to lift a finger. All the Thanksgiving Fairy asked me to do was make a gluten-free dessert that JJ could eat. I was more than happy to oblige my Thanksgiving Fairy and do my part to make our dinner enjoyable for everyone. BA is one great Thanksgiving Fairy, think I might keep her around. 🙂
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