Surly Girly

Opening her mouth and removing doubt
um. hello?
November 30, 2013
 

Stumbled onto this blog after what.. 8 years? And decided to revive it.  

So much has happened since then.  I finally escaped the hell of a bank job.  I went to a new company that was AWESOME for about 2 years.  And then it was 3 years of hell.  I'm going on 3 years now at a new company - finally at an advertising agency, and I'm FINALLY home.  

I divorced TBG in 2009, after 5 years of marriage.  I didn't decide to even attempt to start dating again until earlier this year.  It went so well, that I decided to give up again for awhile. Actually I got kind've busy on purpose.  I just bought a house and will move next week.  

Anyway, so updated the 'about me' link, updated the photograph, and away we go.  I'm now in my 40s.  I'm single and I have 2 cats.  Brace yourself interwebs.  For here goes The Awesome.

posted by LoneStarCupcake  @ 3:47 PM  0 comments



Miscellaneous data, most of it useless
August 17, 2005
 

So I started taking the melatonin last week and I can say without a doubt that I'm sleeping MUCH better - although God help me if I have to wake up in the middle of the night - soo disoriented and groggy. I don't know if I can say its all because of my sleep, but so far since Friday the 5th, I'm down 5 pounds total. Go me!

I have not, however, been able to give up coffee. Quite the contrary actually. On Sunday TBG and I did some power shopping and came home with this bad boy, a coffee grinder, tamper, frothing pitcher, and a big bag of Starbucks' espresso beans. We also bought a new DeLonghi coffee maker. We immediately rushed home and spent the next hour testing it out - trying to figure out the perfect granule size in the grinder, the perfect "pull" etc. We finally got it working, and yum! Still not as good as Starbucks, but not bad for a home version.

Also have I ranted lately about MY NEED FOR SPACE? Just like bathroom etiquette dictates that you should leave a stall between you and the next person, don't in an otherwise empty bathroom go into the stall right next to the one person in the last stall. Ew. Well, anyway, like bathroom etiquette, at the gym when there is a circuit thing going, and there are 20 stations and only 4 people, do NOT come up the station right in front of me so that I now have to finish my workout in your trail of stank and sweat - especially when there are 15 other possible stations and plenty of options that would leave 4-5 stations between you and the next person!

Also on stank at the gym? I work out almost every day in the morning at 6:15 so that I have time to shower and dry my hair and all that jazz before work. On M-W-F, there are 2 other girls that come in at 6 so they are just getting out of the showers as I am going in. And EVERY M-W-F, the bathroom is SO NASTY smelling. I don't know what they're doing in there - apparently gutting fish or something - but I swear I'm going to switch to evening workouts or else start bringing a big ol' bottle of Lysol in with me to spray down the shower area before I go in. It's just .. Guh.

In other news, I had my interview at competitor today (again slinking across the street hoping I wouldn't be spotted waltzing into enemy territory) and I think it went okay. Can't tell really, but it sounded like maybe I was either the only one or maybe one of only 2 that came back for this round. I met the entire rest of the team and they seemed nice enough and most were pretty positive. One little wierd thing? One of the team members is friends with the other Senior manager in my office and she recognized me. I hope she doesn't blab that I was over there - I'd rather keep my interviewing on the DL, yano? Should find out something by the end of next week, so keep your fingers crossed. That's all I got for today.


posted by LoneStarCupcake  @ 4:42 PM  2 comments



TGIF
August 12, 2005
 

Thank god its four (working hours to go of this day).

Today marked my 4th gym day this week! (I discovered that the difference of calories burned on days I go to the gym means I can have little cheats like today's nonfat mocha* or yesterday's cup of Edy's Grand Light Butter Pecan ice cram). Also 2 lbs down on the scale for the week even though its THAT TIME. You know what I'm saying, right? So thats celebratory! And I've stuck sooo well to my calorie "budget" and the ratio of fat/protein/carbs that I'm right on the money after day 5. Woo woo. At this rate I might be to my ideal weight by umm January of 2007?? (ha! I kid. It'll be 2008! ahem )

*I am totally Starbucks' bitch. My inner-raving liberal keeps trying to nag me away from the global corporation's teat, but goddamnit if its not a consistent mocha that doesn't taste burned and can be procured relatively easily in most areas of town and made JUST THE WAY I LIKE IT (post-diet version: grande 1/2 shot nonfat mocha no whip). And did I mention that today when the barista called back my order and I made some embarrassed under-breath comment about my order being very prissy - that my normally stellar smiling service pro barista took a "tone" with me and said "well, sometimes you just have to sound prissy". I think he might have taken it the wrong way - I meant my ORDER was prissy, not the way in which my order was repeated. (grimace) And why am I so totally at the mercy of barista benevolence? Another subject for another day, perhaps.

In other news, I didn't win the powerball on Wednesday night. I mean duh right? If I had, do you think I'd be posting to blogger? Well, maybe in a month or so, from my laptop at a coffee shop in Barcelona after a tough day of shopping. *sigh* So if I disappear for a month and there was a winner in KC, there will be a one-in-200 frillion chance my disappearance is related to a hole burnt in my pocket.

Okay - over and out.

posted by LoneStarCupcake  @ 12:00 PM  3 comments



Lean, Mean, etc.
August 10, 2005
 

I've been a busy busy girl this week - not so much with the work productivity, but I think I'm beginning to see the end of "summer slack-mode". Today is Wednesday and I made it to the gym again today (MWF and alternating Saturdays is my goal) and I've been kicking ass and taking names about sticking to my eating plan. Not even one teeny little cheat. And I've spent just HOURS on line researching different things.

Today I've been researching different claims of the perfect ratio of carbs/calorie/fat. What's up with all the MILLIONS of different scenarios out there? I can figure out easily enough what my basal metabolism is, so I know with 98% accuracy the right # of calories I need to be eating a day - but I know I'll get better results and stick to it longer if I can find some ratio that makes me feel satisfied and not like I'm hard-core dieting. This week I'm experimenting with 25% fat - 55% carb - 20% protein. We'll see how that works for me. I don't buy any of the Atkins or South Beach or whatever diets that cut way down on carbs - its next to impossible to get good protein without a little fat, and keeping fat down is the best way to stick to my calorie guideline. And the best way to keep me from straying is let me snack all day (on fruits or some low-cal snack) so that I don't feel deprived in anyway.

ANYWAY - I did read something else today that intrigued me - Evidently I may even have better results if I slept better (I get maybe 3 good nights of sleep a week, the rest is fitful, although working out consistently help a little) and cut out caffeine - both of which will help reduce cortisol.

See, your body reduces cortisol while sleeping and cortisol is known to increase blood sugar which in excess leads to fat production. And caffeine is one of the bigger culprits of cortisol spikes.

So after I get my eating/workout pattern back this week, next week I'll be eliminating soft drinks (poor TBG) and taking a very low melatonin supplement before bed on the nights before I don't work out (then if that works and I can wake up easily, then I'll try it 7 days/week). I'm not sure I buy the cortisol=obesity claims well enough to buy any of those stupid cortislim type pills that actively supress cortisol (because your body creates it for a reason) - but my (secondary) research on melatonin shows that there are no side effects even from high doses, but if nothing else, may help me sleep better at night. And I can't think of anyone who doesn't think that cutting back on caffeine is a brilliant idea - and if nothing else will aide in the mission to reduce my blood pressure (which I might add was a bit high at the grocery store pharmacy machine on Saturday).

Anyhoo. So yeah - and I've been having powerball fantasies again. Which reminds me, I need to buy a ticket today. $92 million. Of course if you take the lump sum, after taxes really is only like $24 million, but hey, I'm not complaining. But I did my homework on that too - a girl can never be too prepared to win. There was this financial planner guy interviewed a few years back on CNN/Money about what you should do with the cash - and he confirmed what I suspected: that the lump sum payout, although reduced, actually reaps more in the long term as long as you invest. And investing the better portion of $24 million can kick back some pretty comfortable annual interest payments without ever having to touch the principal. Not to mention the benefits of not having to pay that earned prize tax every year that you got payment on the annualized payment plan. So uhmm. I've put some thought into this, thereby guaranteeing I'll NEVER WIN. But the dream is worth the $1 ticket every once in awhile.

I think that about covers it - other than TBG and I finalized our trip to Seattle in October and I can't wait. It's good to have something to look forward to - its also a good target date for a goal weight. I'll let you know if I make it there.

No word on the job front. *Sigh*

posted by LoneStarCupcake  @ 10:50 AM  0 comments



Baaaaaa
August 04, 2005
 

Yes, this is me lowing like a sheep - sheepishly returning to the world of the responsible after these many weeks. If it makes the 3 of you feel any better, I've not been to the gym either. And I forgot my best friends' birthday until 2 days later. And I forgot 2 meetings I was supposed to go to at work. And I blame it all on retrograde mercury. And being lazy.

But much has happened:
  1. Jobs. I didn't get the position at my old company - evidently not enough of a specific type of experience, but considering that they called me the day before my interview and gave me a 5-page document to review and then create a 5 page presentation from - OVERNIGHT, knowing full well I'm currently employed and can't work on that stuff at work.. its probably just as well. Sounded a bit like they were desperately clinging to the idea of a miracle worker. So oh well, no real hard feelings there at all. Still waiting to hear back from competitor company - had 2nd interview with their HR person who then responded to my thank you note with a "thank you, glad you're interested, we'll get back to you next week." Which in the email the tone was sounding a bit like "don't call us - we'll call you". So who knows? I do still have 2 other irons in the fire, but they've not panned out just yet to be anything worth mentioning.
  2. Birthdays. Woop! My birthday was Monday, and I've been celebrating all week. So far I've had cake and cupcakes and birthday barbecue, lunch at Cheesecake factory from the girls at work, sushi with TBG, movie (Wedding Crashers, loved it), pool party, and fabulous massage. Have pedicure from girlfriend still to look forward to, another movie (yay AMC gift cards!) and full license from TBG to spend some cash this weekend on a much-needed brow wax, hair cut, and whatever other little pamper-y spa things tickle my fancy. The downside of all of this is that I'm now in my mid-30s. Am no longer a child, young girl, young professional, or any other incarnation of the word young. Stay tuned for my inevitable mid-life crisis.
  3. Family and friends. I have neglected most of them horribly, but trying to make amends slowly by picking up the phone and actually dialing it. Planning a mini-vacation to Seattle in October to visit neglected best friend, found out that one friend had a WHOLE DANG BABY since the last time I talked to her. so that uhm.. roughly translates to "oh.my.god has it really been more than 9 months since we got together, I totally didn't even know you were pregnant!" Ahem. I'm a terrible friend. Also reaching out to highschool and college pals that I've also neglected recently. Mom is coming to visit in September, yippie! I am SO looking forward to seeing her.
  4. Summertiiiiimme. and the living is lazy. Have not hit the gym even once since before vacation but have had 5 or 6 trips to the inlaws' swimming pool for paddling about. Have also neglected to cook for the better part of July and August so far. So, because of pending trip, I've decided that starting today I'm banishing my inner summer-slacker. I stopped by the gym and got weighed and measured (yuk) and was pleasantly surprised that I kept some of the weight off. I will actually work out this evening and today begins anew my eating like a thin person, instead of eating my weight in cream of all varieties.

I think that sums it up. For now anyway.


posted by LoneStarCupcake  @ 1:00 PM  2 comments





about

this website belongs
to susannah, a 40-ish
smartmouth.

get to know me
e-mail me


diversions

Crazy Aunt Purl
Dooce
Semaphoria
Julia
Que Sera Sera
Mimi Smartypants
Suburban Bliss
Finslippy
Bad News Hughes
The Smitten
Briantology
Geese Aplenty
Chez Miscarriage
Learning Curves
Defective Yeti
Fussy
Antigeist
Mighty Girl
Le Petit Hiboux
ANTM Elyse
Weetabix
Tidbits of Drama
Panties in a Twist
Midwest Grrl


archives

1989-12-31
2005-01-30
2005-02-13
2005-02-20
2005-04-10
2005-04-17
2005-04-24
2005-05-01
2005-05-08
2005-05-15
2005-06-05
2005-06-12
2005-06-19
2005-06-26
2005-07-10
2005-07-17
2005-07-31
2005-08-07
2005-08-14
2013-11-24




home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?