August 28th, 2010

That's the date of one of the bests Saturdays I've had in 2010. I spent it with my newest favorite person and we had a blast! As my sister would say, he's thebomb.com! :-) I had a complimentary stay at the Sheraton and I couldn't think of anyone else I'd rather have as company. So I booked a room and we were on our way to a stress free weekend. Relaxing and most of all, fun!

Someone told me I was 'lacking major shit in my life' since I had never been to Opal Divine's, so we started the night there. The fried pickles were yummy, the drinks were tasty and the burgers were ridiculous! I never knew you could put fried onion strings, gorgonzola cheese crumbles, jalapenos and hot wing sauce on an already huge angus beef patty. Needless to say, we left with doggy bags. :-)

Back at the hotel we got word of a house party. So before we hit up the club, we swung by there to wish our friends happy birthday. Nothing like a good ol' fashion house party. Shots upon entering the house, Everclear soaked watermelon, trashcan punch, dominoes, music and great peeps! Thanks to the host for juicing me up before I even stepped in the club. lol. I was feeling grrrreeeeaaaatttt!

After a long night of fun and friends, we finally headed to the plush 'heavenly' bedding of the Sheraton to sleep the night away. I woke up the next morning wishing that the sun hadn't come up and I could just re-live the last 18 hours on repeat. Great music. Great friends. Great company. ;-) Great times!

Ignorance.

Blog has been removed.

Long story. ::sigh::

Update

I'm still progressing in my weightloss. As of today, 8/15/2010, six months into my journey, I've lost a whopping 45.5 pounds!

And counting! :-)

Thanks to all who have given me encouragement. It's not easy, but it's a lifestyle, and I'm sticking to it!

Still going strong!

It has now been 4 months and 7 days since I started following the guidelines of the Atkins lifestyle. After years of yo-yo dieting, I have finally found a way to eat healthy, heartily and deliciously with no regrets. No more gaining 10 pounds, losing 5, gaining 20, losing 10, and not knowing how to combat that roller coaster. Dr. Atkins knew the secret to success and was willing to share it with the world. I recommend his book to anyone that has ever struggled with their weight. The two days it took to read the book changed my life.
**Click here to purchase from www.amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Atkins-Diet-Revolution-Revised/dp/1590770021

I am living, breathing proof that this 'diet' really works. Check out these results:

33.8 pounds lost

24.75 inches lost, measurements taken from neck, arms, chest, bust, waist, natural waist, hips and thighs

These numbers are motivation enough to continue on my journey. And the best part is that I have even better results to look forward to, as this is only the beginning. Hopefully when I step on the scale on October 25th, I'll be pleased with the number staring back at me. 38 pounds to go!

But I can't front and act like it's always been easy. There have been plenty of days when I've cheated and eaten my mom's banana pudding or gone to a restaurant with friends and had something breaded or starchy. But I think my key to success despite those pit falls is knowing how to hop right back on track the next day. When I read about people who fall off the diet, they fail because eating one chip leads to eating a bag of chips. Then the next day they're eating fried chicken and ice cream and drinking soda, and it's all downhill from there. That will not be me.

Besides the extreme guilt of eating unapproved foods, I have a serious fear of returning to a place in my life when I was unhappy. I am satisfied with my progress and pleased with the results thus far. As long as the scale brings me joy, I will continue on my low-carb journey.

Coffee from mushrooms?

Yes, it's possible. The Chinese and Cantonese apparently know something we don't, and Organo Gold has tapped into a method of harvesting a treasure that is proving to be, well, a gold mine. I first heard about this company through a friend who has a vested interest, being one of their latest representatives.

Ganoderma Lucidum is a mushroom packed with nutrients believed to provide 'bright, shiny skin' and contain 'spiritual potency.' The mushroom is processed with advanced micro-particle technology, maximizing the effects of Ganoderma.
*For more info on Ganoderma Lucidum, click here: http://www.organogold.com/products.asp

Not only does the company sell coffee products, but neutraceuticals as well. These herbs, oils and powders are good for not only the body, but mind and soul. And they should be, seeing as how Ganoderma Lucidum has upheld it's title of superior herb for the last 5000 years. Quite impressive.

The people over at Organo Gold realized how lucrative this product has proven itself, and decided to expand its wealth by offering people all over the world the opportunity to become a distributor. The compensation plan for distributors and their team is posted in detail on the Organo Gold website.
*If interested, click here: http://www.organogold.com/compensationplan.asp

If you've been seeking an opportunity to earn supplemental income, becoming a distributor may be an option. Here in Texas, the Houston market is growing. And I hear the Austin market is wide open. But don't take my word for it. Research for yourself at http://www.organogold.com/default.asp.

*A special thank you to Kenya Melton for informing me of the Organo Gold product family.
Visit Ms. Melton's distributor page here: http://www.hyppewellness.organogold.com/

Blog beef...or not.

Recently I took to my email and vented to whomever is behind http://www.drewreports.com/. They were (once) on my blog roll to keep me entertained at work. But it didn't take long for me to become frustrated with this blog, so I decided to make my opinion be known:

Each time I log onto www.drewreports.com, I am bombarded with more and more negativity. Believe it or not, there is a way to suggestively hint at situations regarding celebrity lives without harsh insults like, "Dawn looks so loss in this snapshot it’s sad. Looks like she is clinging on for hopes of a solo career which will NEVER happen." or "Above is a picture of Kelis who looks downright AWFUL! What in the hell is this bullshi*!" Take notes from fellow bloggers who politely criticize or focus on the positive of situations. They are still able to get thousands of hits daily without being hateful.

Also, continuing to add fuel to fire by spreading unconfirmed, harmful lies is no way to get ahead in any business. The caption of "a very pregnant Khloe Khardashian-Odom" is slanderous, seeing as how she has publicly denied being pregnant. Not to
mention, the picture above the caption is one of a very svelte Khloe who looks healthy, slim, and far from pregnant. It jeopardizes your credibility by posting information that is later found out to not be true.

Another thing that puts your credibility into question is the grammar on your site. This site has so many typos it's ridiculous. Do you even have an editor? If so, fire he or she immediately. They obviously aren't doing their job. And if you don't have one, get one as soon as possible. A prime example is given above in the comment about Dawn. The proper wording would have been "Dawn looks so lost in this snapshot"...not loss. And I could point out several others, but it isn't worth the trouble. When I read posts on your site, I imagine an insecure, self-loathing individual that prides themselves on making a career out of being rude, tasteless, and down-right nasty toward people unbeknownst to them. If self-esteem is what you're lacking, please find another way to boost your self-rating each day without posting such mis-spelled hatred on your site.

-Melrose

And this is how "Dr. Drew" responds:

Melanie,

Thanks for venting to us about your concerns. Drew Reports is simply an entertaining web portal for readers. Our goal is to make readers laugh or be intrigued by our commentary. Thanks again!

Dr. Drew
Senior Managing Editor
www.DrewReports.com
drew@drewreports.com

::blank stare::

First, I'm shocked that every single word in his response is spelled correctly! Also, I highly doubt that this character is a doctor, let alone an editor of anything. And most important to point out, the only thing intriguing about the commentary is how amazing it is that someone so illiterate is actively operating a blog.

Oh, and I'm laughing all right...laughing AT you.

If you sprinkle when you tinkle, be a sweetie and wipe the seatie!

At first this was intended to rant about the mess left by male coworkers in the unisex bathrooms at work. I thought for sure that urine on the seat, floor and walls was because males were doing just a li’l too much jiggling. So to combat this issue, I stopped using the unisex bathrooms altogether. But to my amazement, the problem didn’t vanish just because I decided to start going to the designated women’s restroom.

Each day that I have to use the facilities, I am baffled at the amount of bodily excrements left behind by other FEMALES! And unfortunately, it’s not just urine (piss, pee, whatever), that remains on the seat. There are also unsightly remnants of Aunt Flo and chocolate submarines which never cease to amaze me. How the hell grown ass women can manage to be so disgusting is beyond me. Mind you, there are toilet seat covers available in every stall. But I doubt anyone one of these lazy heifers takes the extra 5 seconds to ‘pull up, then down’ and place one on the seat. I mean, REALLY?! How hard is it? Not only will you be proactive in preventing a potential ugly scene for the next person, you’ll be protecting yourself from whatever bacterial gift the ass before you left behind.

The M Word

Marriage.

I'm beginning to think there is no point to it. Maybe it could be because I encounter married men pretty often who seem to have no regard for their current situation and no respect for their significant other. Men who wear their rings and speak openly about their wife and kids, but in the same breath tell me how much they'd love to get me in the bedroom. Maybe in their own special way they're just giving me a compliment. Maybe they really want to act on their desires. Who knows? I can't deny that I'm flattered when a well-tailored man approaches me, tells me of my beauty and invites me to spend time with him. Who wouldn't be? But when those men are married, it puts a dark cloud over my relationship future. One can't help but wonder, "Will my husband cheat?" Of course, every relationship is different, but with the track record of married men in my past, the future ain't lookin' too bright.


Or could it be the many, many marriages that end in turmoil. Divorces occur daily. I mean, the divorce rate in the U. S. is nearly 50 percent! It's a thing of the past for a couple to be married 'until death do they part.' And even though I come from a union that has been together for nearly 33 years, I still have doubts. Divorce was unheard of in our household, but rarely do I come across people whose biological parents are still married. Broken homes and single parents are the norm. Don't get me wrong. I don't support an unhappy, unhealthy marriage. But it's my opinion that the marriage would have had a better chance of being healthy and happy if both parties had clearly communicated and received counsel before they tied the knot. Wasting time on each other by divorcing and washing years down the drain is not what I look forward to.


And then there's always the crude theory that there is something wrong with me. I get asked all the time, "Why are you single?" Hell, I don't know! I don't think I ask for much. But my standards are yet to be met. All I want is a loving, respectful, honest, caring, attractive, intelligent, educated, hard-working, humorous, trustworthy, family-oriented, Christian man with whom I have crazy chemistry. Is that too much to ask? I shouldn't have to lower my standards. That's how people end up unhappy. They settle for the next-best thing instead of the partner they truly deserve. I'd rather patiently wait. And I am fully prepared to be 50 years old walking down the aisle if that means that I will be spending the rest of my life with someone who I know isn't going anywhere.

Trapped in the Closet

I may be extra late on this, but this discovery amazed me today. R. Kelly's Trapped in the Closet series has extended past the first six chapters originally included with the TP3 Reloaded album.

It's worth a gander, despite the poor acting and sub-par cinematography.

Chapters 1-12:



Chapters 13-22 (part 1):



Chapters 13-22 (part 2):



Chapters 13-22 (part 3):



Chapters 13-22 (part 4):



Chapters 13-22 (part 5):

Not just a diet...

August 2008 I was rushed to the hospital. The paramedics thought I was having a panic attack. Well several tests later, I was admitted and had my gall bladder removed the next morning. In the previous weeks, I had been on a low-calorie, low-fat diet and working out 3 times per week with a trainer. Two months of that and only 12 pounds lost. The doctor said a harsh change in my diet and exercise routine may have caused a lot of the gall stones. And he also advised that I shouldn't be surprised if I gained weight after my surgery, because now my liver had to do it's own work plus that of what the gall bladder used to do.

Well sure enough, between August 2008 and February 2010 I gained about 40 pounds and was losing confidence by the day. My clothes weren't fitting and I refused to spend money on bigger attire. I came to work one day and my coworker told me she had started a new diet. When I asked her what it was, she said The Atkins Diet. It wasn't the first time I had heard about it. I have an aunt who overcame cancer several years ago. Due to medication, her weight ballooned tremendously. After seeing herself in a picture, she was unhappy with her size and decided to do something about it. She went on Atkins and lost over 100 pounds in a year and has kept it off for nearly 7 years! So when my coworker said 'Atkins,' I knew it was possible.

On February 15, 2010, I made the decision to begin Atkins, as well. I went to my pantry, refrigerator and freezer and cleaned out anything that wasn't approved in the induction phase. Then I went to the grocery store to stock up on Atkins approved foods. Well, I've stuck to the diet since then and in 5 weeks I've lost a total of 16.2 pounds (11 in the first 2 weeks of induction alone.) My goal is another 56 pounds by October 25, a day before my 28th birthday. I am confident that I'll reach my goal, and I have Atkins to thank for it. :-)

Interested in joining the Atkins community? Click here: http://www.atkins.com/Homepage.aspx