I shall never cheat again

We had Friday off last week so I decided to celebrate, since I didn't do anything last weekend (also a three-day weekend). I decided to cheat a bit on my diet and bought some Taco Bell, after receiving Val's blessing. WHAT A MISTAKE. I bought a crap-ton of tacos and burritos and who knows what else, and I was already full after two tacos. And you know I can't let food go to waste... so I ate Taco Bell the entire weekend. UGH. Today I just couldn't take it anymore and I made myself some rice with different vegetables. I still have a couple of burritos left... but I think I will just let them sit there.

I've learned my lesson!

Join me on my journey...

... to lose 25 pounds. No, seriously. Okay, I feel like I am always dieting and never really make any progress, except for that time I got super fat and somehow worked off all those pounds before I enlisted. Well, that was a combination of diligent exercise and careful monitoring of my food intake. It's a little difficult to do that here since I eat at the dining facility and who KNOWS what they're putting into that food... If I had a little more money I think I would just eat food made with my rice cooker every day. Anyway, here are a few goals I would like to obtain in the future (preferably before the next time I see Val):

-- Lose 20-25 pounds while somehow retaining my "strength" (hey I need the most I can get!)
-- Run 6 miles without stopping (I told Art that I was going to do it... AND I AM) and then...
-- Run 6 miles in an hour (I'm very slow, a steady 10 minute mile is quite difficult for me)
-- Fit into those freaking skinny jeans I bought while I was in tech school (A MOST LIKELY UNATTAINABLE GOAL... but I shall dream)

I'd also like to run my 1.5 mile in 12 minutes but I've never been able to run that quickly. I don't know how Priscilla does it; that girl is like a gazelle. And while working all that, I'd like to work my strength up again so that I can do a bunch of pull ups, etc., like I used to. It's distressing how quickly you can lose your strength and how difficult it is to gain it back. But mostly I'm tired of feeling fat all the time.

Anyway, there's a few things I've done in an attempt to reach these goals. I tried to regulate my diet a little better (probably needs to be altered some more though... I really don't trust that dining facility food) and am exercising a lot more. I hate, hate, HATE strength training but I am forcing myself to do it. I want to try spin class but I will probably die... I do need to go to the gym too, though. Sigh. I feel like there are not enough hours in the day to do everything. Oh well. I'll monitor my progress here. I should probably get myself weighed soon... but I am pretty wary. Maybe the 25 pounds will have to be 30 or 35. D'oh!

Wolf Pup

Link: http://www.odditycentral.com/news/rottweiler-dad-adopts-wolf-cub.html

I just wanted to post that because the wolf pup is named Beldaran. TOTALLY from the David Eddings books. I came across that article through Stumble and you bet I squealed with glee when I saw that (okay, not really, but you know what I mean).

The end.

Working like a dog of the military

Well, since Myra said she was saddened that we never, ever post, I decided I should probably make some sort of update. I know I myself promised to write about my trip to Phoenix, but that obviously never happened. Basically, I saw all my darling friends again, had a small get-together for my brother's 21st birthday, and subsequently turned my brother off of alcohol FOREVER. Good times. I didn't accomplish everything I wanted to, but at least I got to see everyone. I was disappointed that I did not get to see my grandmother, though, as she has been in Maryland for the past few years and only seems to come back at times I am not around.

Other than that, life has been both hectic and lazy. There is a huge inspection happening for the base right now, and nearly everyone has been working 12 hour shifts. I worked a night shift on Saturday, but I got lucky and didn't have to work on Sunday and Monday night like a few other folks (had to come in like normal on Monday, though). Of course, I am always busy at work, but it's worrisome that even with these 12 hour shifts I don't seem to be able to catch up on anything. There are a couple of programs I am supposed to monitor that really eat up a lot of my time, especially when they are only additional duties and not my "main" job. I honestly pile all of my main duties onto my alternate, which I feel terrible about, but I don't have much choice.

I think most people know that I didn't choose this job, and rather it was chosen for me. It's not bad, really, considering the other choices. But I'm looking into training into a different career field (if I don't commission soon). That won't be for a few years, though. And currently, our career field doesn't even allow us to retrain due to manning levels... ridiculous.

On a happier note, I got my new computer built! My dear friend Art helped me with it (read: did all the work). I'm giving my old one to my mom after I've wiped the drive and installed some games for her.

I've been looking at a lot of recipes lately and I really want to make dumplings... like pot stickers and wontons, etc. But I want to make the kind my grandma makes. I've never had the ones she makes ANYWHERE else, although I'm sure there are restaurants somewhere that make them. I wish I could see her more often so that I could learn. I know only the basics from what my mom taught me, but all the important details are lost in the fuzziness of my memory. I hate not having my own kitchen over here. Otherwise I'd be experimenting up a storm (and probably burning down everything around me).

Myra is so interesting

I have real [but not interesting] babbling about my life (including a long summary about NADWC that I wrote back in September, random squeeing about how much fun it was to see FOB and blink182 [shut up, I can like teenage music], and upcoming Nanowrimo excitement) but I'm really too lazy to do that now. I've also promised a really long post about all the audio/books I've read this year, but I don't think anyone but me has any interest (or reads this blog...). So I'll see if I feel like it ever.

Really, the whole point of this is to say how very sad I am that we fail at having a collective record of our thoughts and experiences.

North American Discworld Con!!!!!

Is it ridiculous that I'm happy the hotel has free wireless? It makes my desire to share all the minute details of my day (and sit and enjoy a cup of tea before it all starts) a little more pleasurable.

I'm getting books signed my Pterry today!!! I brought the Bromeliad (which isn't in this dictionary and I hope I'm spelling right!!!) and Good Omens!!!! Which might not be exciting to people who get to see Terry Pratchett all the time, but I'm really happy NA Discworld con is here today!!!!

Anyway, I must got pick up my t-shirt. Then I get to see Terry Prachett in the midst of other fans!!!!

Sims 3

I started playing The Sims 3 (my little brother bought it for me as a late birthday gift... he is awesome). Wow, I knew that you could customize some of the textures and colors on the clothing, but I didn't think it would be quite THAT customizable! It's insane. I like it a lot. Though there are a few things that weren't customizable, like necklaces on some of the tops, and glass on some of the lamps, which doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to me. I think I spent more time creating my character than I did actually playing her. And then when I got to the house I started trying to customize some things but it was just taking so long and I wanted to start playing.

It's a lot different from Sims 2. I'm not sure how I feel about that yet. I do like the game, but it somehow seems a lot harder. Or at least, a lot harder to do a whole bunch of different things at the same time. Maybe I just need some more time to play with it.

I tried to register the game so I could get some "free" downloads or whatever, but it looks like someone already yoinked my game key, because it keeps saying it's invalid (wtf). Oh well.

I guess I'll make another post later about my trip to Arizona.

500 Days of Summer

I'm in Phoenix right now; just flew in yesterday morning. I can't believe it's so humid here! Definitely not what I was expecting at all. Somehow the heat doesn't bother me as much as it used to, though. Maybe because I'd gotten used to San Antonio and Biloxi.  What did surprise me is how hot it remains at night. I'd completely forgotten about that. I'm so used to being at Travis; really hot in the day time, but really cold as soon as the sun goes down. Kind of throws me off that it's still very hot even when the sun isn't shining over here.

Today I saw "500 Days of Summer" with Priscilla.  It wasn't a masterpiece or anything like that, but it's definitely an entertaining movie to watch. I don't think I would ever purchase it, but I wouldn't mind seeing it again. I initially thought that it would be a love story, but it really wasn't. There were lots of funny parts and some really good lines in it (even though they might have been a little cheesy). If you are bored and just feel like watching a random movie, I would recommend it.

Disgusting

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8062705.stm

I heard about this incident before, but was reminded of it when I saw the article on BBC. Every time I see an article like this I get a terrible, sick feeling in my stomach. I hate to think that I'm part of a group that has people who would do this kind of thing. Three guys holding a 14 year old girl down so a fourth one can rape her? WTF?

It disappoints me, but I guess it shouldn't surprise me, since crap like this happens everywhere. There are some truly terrible people in the world.

Break out the party hats!

My brother and almost-sister-in-law-Leah (as opposed to party hat wearing Leah [although I'm sure Leah isn't opposed to party hats {are there people opposed to party hats?}]) are getting married in just over a week! I'm freaky excited. I just picked up my bridesmaid dress from getting altered, and it's adorable (or, you know, whatever adjectives bridesmaid dresses are supposed to have) and I'm leaving for Atlanta in a few days and it will be great fun for all. If stressful fun. Oh well.

Leah had told me (in a meandering way through the use of pictures and idontreallycare) that I was aiming for bronze strappy shoes (at least, that's what I got out of the pictures). I ended up buying a shoe that looked nice, but now I'm convinced look like fancy heeled flipflops (it's the straps. I don't know what I was thinking). So, LeahandMark, if I ruin your wedding by showing up in fancy flipflops, I'm sorry!

In other news, I'm totally not dead. I'm just lazy and antisocial feeling. I promise that I'll make more friend-like effort after I get back from Atlanta.

Also, I'm sure we discussed this at the beginning, but are these DinosaurParty Hats or Dinosaur PartyHats? Because I see no dinosaurs either way.