Lets Get Green

I am totally a fan of GreenDimes and Tonic. They have cute products that actuall make a difference. Sweetie and I used GreenDimes to remove unwanted catalogues in the mail, and plant some trees. Everyone should go to their site and sign up.

Then I discovered Tonic. They sell T-shirts ($45) but each shirt sold provides money to one of their environmental projects. I am torn between the Mosqueto Nets in Africa and Trees in America, I may do both. They also will proive education in India and fresh water somewhere else.

At any rate, buying environmentaly sound products and supporting companies who do something (really anything) for the environment is important. I dont want future generations to look at us and determine that we were simply too lazy to do anything with the knowledge we now have.

Little Black Skirts Redux

Ok the experiment is over. I was able to not repeat an outfit for 20 work days over the past month, and shockingly I still have about 5 more outfits to go. It helps that I have lost 7 pounds in the 40 by 40 program so I could wear a few new things that I haven't worn in a while.  Next program I am going to try is either wearing or donating everything in my closet each season. I found things that I forgot that I owned. Not that all of my clothes reside in one place, it is time to use it or donate it. I also plan to donate all of my big girl clothes each time I loose a size. This way I can help other big girls wear nice (nearly new) clothes, and I can make room for a new wardrobe!

Football Widows

As I have posted before, Sweetie is a huge sports fan. 

Today was the Super Bowl. His team, the NY Giants won. Yeah. I wanted them to win for several reasons, one because they were up against the NE Pats. I don't like anything about Boston, including their sports teams. If my team (the Steelers) are not in the Super Bowl then I always route for the underdogs.  The Pats had a perfect record going into the game and NY took them down and prevented a perfect season. 

Overall I am pretty happy that they won.

 

I can see, however, women can tune out football and their men while they watch it. After all men do that to their partners when they are watching the game. I actually was reading at some point and tuned out the game and Sweetie. I suppose when something has your attention, with a little bit of focus you can turn out even your friends, and loved ones.

Maybe Sweetie is somewhere explaining  on a blog that he is a "book" widdower.

Obama The First Black President

Ok. I am am Obama supporter. I am a little late jumping on this wagon, but now I am about to do something I have never done before, I am actually going to give money to his campaign. This will be my first donation to ANY politician, so you know I am in it for real. I have several friends, who have given time, money and even created organizations to support Obama, and I am ashamed to be so late in joining in. Now, February in any normal presidential election cycle isn't really late, but for this one I feel as though I am behind the curve.

His win in Iowa, his speech after that win, helped bring me to this point, but, sadly, what really brought me here was the nasty, racial campagining of the Clintons.  Billary was a kinder gentle version of the Clintons, but HillBilly is just horrid.

If Hillary can not control Bill in her campagne-- to the Democratic faithful, no less, how is she ever going to control him in a the White House.

Bill Clinton (who I used to love and defend) has shown his ass to his black supporters with his tacticts in late January in this race. His Jessie Jackson cracks, his attempts to marginalize Obama, his claiming to be the first black president. All nasty, undignified, crackerish, and typical of a white man who sees that he is loosing to a black man.

With respect to the black president claim, this came from an article written by Toni Morrison in the New Yorker magazine at the hight of the blow job Lewinski scandle.  She stated that Bill was being persecuted as though he was the first black president, as white men generally do not face such harsh censure and punishment (impeachment for infidelity) as black men do (death penality for rape of a white woman) for the same "crimes."

I find it interesting that Hillary has joked that she is in an interracial marriage, not. And that they tout this "title" out of context all of the time. Lets get real. 

I am not trying to discount any work that the Clintons have done for civil rights, but the welfare bill that Billary signed was not universaily good for the black folk on welfare, and their treatment of old friends, Joycelyn Elders and Lani Gunier was nothing short of shameful. Where were the black cabinet memebers, Even W has/had two.

At any rate, the disgusting recent activities of the Clintons (not to be confused with disgusting earlier activities) have really caused me to sit back and take stock. Not of Obama, who I supported before, but they caused me to really think deeply about being a stronger supporter. So I suppose I should thank HillBilly.

40 by 40

Ok. Enough.

I turn 40 this July and I want to loose 40 pounds by then. This seems reasonable, I have 6 months, and if I loose 8 pounds a month I more than meet my goal. This is 2 pounds a week, though 7 pounds a month can also work.

I decided to revisit an old friend-- Atkins. I did this diet a few years ago, and it really changed my life. I had beautiful clear skin, lovely shiny hair and lost a bunch of weight, so why not try again. Also it is pretty easy to find things to eat no matter where you are.

Today is the 5th day and I am now 37lbs away from my 40 by 40 goal. I cant wait to weigh in next week to see how much I have lost by then. (I am a little bloated right now).

When I start a new diet, I have to give my self little treats for motivation. This week was smoked salmon. Next week (the beginning of work out week) is a new I-pod shuffle. It just clips on and holds 200 songs. I cant wait to load it up and start working out.

No worries dear reader, you will be kept up to date on each and every ounce lost. Or not.

Monday Melee

This is my first participation in a Monday Melee but it seems fun. If you are confused please click the Monday Melee title of this posting.

The Monday Melee: Ideas by Fracas; Answers by me.

1. The Misanthropic: Name something (about humanity) you absolutely hate: I learned today that just when we humans need to be at our sharpest (in a critical conversation-- one filled with emotion, a difference of opinion and high stakes) our bodies revert to our reptilian minds and send much needed to our limbs to prepare for a fight. What good does that do me now when I am trying to have a discussion. I don't want to run I want to discuss!

2. The Meretricious: Expose something or someone that’s phony, fraudulent or bogus: The head of BET made the most absurd excuse/explanation about a slur that he levied against Obama, stating that when he was using unclear language about what Barak was doing while HilBilly was fighting for civil rights, that he was not making reference to drug use, rather he was talking about community organizing. For the love of all that is holy! Please.

3. The Malcontent: Name something you’re unhappy with: I am un happy with not having my mother and favorite aunt alive, now.

4. The Meritorious: Give someone credit for something and name it if you can: I give my mother and my aunt credit for helping me shape my strong personalty.

5. The Mirror: See something good about yourself and name it: I have really pretty hazel/light brown eyes.

6. The Make-Believe: Name something you wish for: I wish to live a life of peace and grace. I have a long way to go.

Girls Night Out

I took a trip for work the second week of January. I was back in NY, and I was able to meet my "girls" for dinner and drinks. I really love my friends. Actually one of my favorite people in the world (not one of my girls) was also able to meet us for dinner. He is a former co-worker and just an all around fantastic person. 

Its nice to spend time with people that you have a history with. Someone that has see the best and the worst of you and still loves you. I am starting to make friends like that in Michigan. I met a few women from work, and my awesome real estate has also become a friend. 

There is something about the company of women. The rarely if ever suggest that you are asking too many questions, or wonder why you want to know something. We just know. Its easier to be open about painful lessons learned, family issues and the dread weight issue. We laugh and cry together. 

I didn't have a sister, and although I am very close to my brother and my male cousins, there is just something different, cool and fantastic about female friendships.