Pat me on the back!

So, as you may know, I decided to start a diet given the flurry of weddings this year and my chronic singleness. I started the southbeach diet on Tuesday the 16th. When I weighed myself on our bathroom scale on Thursday January 11th, I was 192.2. Bad, I know. Anyone wonder why I have a negative self image? Anyway, so I try to weigh myself on Thursdays, but since it is almost midnight on Wednesday I figure I'm close enough to Thursday that I can weigh in. And guess what? I'm at 181.4! That is 10.8 pounds! Guys, do you know how encouraging that is? I honestly have been getting discouraged lately because I'm bored with my options in the phase 1 of south beach and am missing my carbs. As of yesterday and today I was about ready to chuck the whole thing... then I weighed in! On the 30th I should be able to re-introduce some whole wheat and fruits in small amounts in phase 2. I can't tell you how excited I am for that. But really, I've lost 10 pounds! Granted, I don't look any different, but it is a start. The weightloss goes a little slower once the carbs start to get re-introduced, but I'm thinking I might alternate weeks and go carbless every other week until after Anna's wedding, just so that I continue to slim down.
I need to work on being active though. So far, I have not done much between my classes and trying to catch up on assignments, but I'm aiming to walk around the neighborhood every day after I get home from work. Also, I've decided to join the beginning swing dance class at memories, so that counts toward my activity level AND helping me overcome my dance floor phobia. I'm thinking I need a set of dumbbells or something to do some arm toning. Birthday anyone? I don't mind used ones! Anyway, if you think about it, pray for me to stay motivated and fight the urge to splurge. This is definitely a lifestyle change for me.

I don't really have anything to say . . .

Hi! So you called me Liz, but I think Sprint took down a tower or something because now I can't make calls from anywhere near my apartment. Sweet, huh? But I got your message. Thanks for calling.
And if Rebekah still reads this OMG!!! Hi, GETTING MARRIED!! I want to come see you, will you be around a weekend in February or something like that? I don't have your number anymore.
So, I was riding the bus and I saw this poster above the windows of the bus, you know how they do that? Anyway, it was a poster of a busty blonde girl with a t-shirt that said "I WANT ACTION" in big block letters and then under it in small letters, "when it comes to violence against women." Yes, it was a poster probably put there by some non-profit agency supposedly raising awareness about domestic violence and what not. Next to this picture they said something like, "Take a stand when it comes to violence against women-if someone you know is being hurt, or if you hear a sexist comment . . ." I just wanted to say, that is ridiculous. What the hell.
Mary MAARCH! I haven't heard from you in a while.
I think the worst thing in the world is waiting to hear back from the schools you applied to. What are they doing? They've all had my application for over a month and I haven't heard anything. Rejection is also bad. Do you guys know that I cook dinner for Sasha like three times a week? I have it ready when he comes home from work. Who would have thought, huh? Pretty sick. He cooks for me too, though.
Now I really have nothing to say. I hate Valentine's day. I used to think I hated it because I was single. But I still hate it. That's all.

Soda, the space shuttle, and the astronaut.

Pictures

Are you burning a hole in the O-zone?

I found this cool calculator that figures out how much CO2 you produce annually and projects how many trees would need to be planted to offset your pollution. Cool huh? Check it out for yourself! http://www.americanforests.org/resources/ccc/