youtube

Last year when my dad came down for his winter visit, he brought his laptop with the newly updated google earth. The new feature were youtube videos. Most of them were road videos taken while people drove from one place to another. There were some improv videos that were silly but mostly harmless. The problem is, the boys loved the videos so much that dad never got a chance to use his own computer. So I made the decision to put youtube on the boys' computers. So they watched their favorite videos over and over again. And over again.

Now I know youtube is not child friendly and there aren't ways to make only safe videos viewable. But the boys played the videos loud enough that I could tell what they were watching. And they pretty much stayed away from the questionable stuff. Ryan found old NASCAR videos and Andy got hooked on a kid named gluse who loves to ride in elevators. One of the features problems of youtube is that they suggest other videos. Andy found more elevator videos. But some of these users swore and Andy would repeat it. So I had to give him other words to say instead of damn and hell. (Poppa will not be happy to hear even darn and heck used but then again can't we blame him for this whole mess? )

Ryan found video game videos on youtube. He would watch someone else play rather than play himself. Oy! One of persons he chose to watch used even more colorful language. I was able to tell Ryan not to use those words before I heard him say them. He has a better understanding of bad language.

Recently, Andy found Thomas and Friends. We have the dvds but he likes watching the clips. I think he likes that he has more control and can start and stop without me yelling at him that he's going to break the dvd player. From there, he moved to Elmo's World and Teletubbies. Oh no! I thought those days were gone forever! Today he has found Simpson's Hit and Run on youtube. He first saw this in 2005 when we went to visit my sister and her (older) boys. It was one of the first video games the boys got for their GameCube. Andy thought it was fun to crash into things and get points for it. At the time, I thought it was harmless. And it a way, I like that he likes it as he is 11 and boys likes those sort of things. Frankly, I'd rather have him watch Homer that Teletubbies. At least until he understands the humor and uses it against me.

710 calories for lunch?!

I went to my favorite place for lunch yesterday, Tijuana Flats. I am avoiding fried foods which meant no chips, no crunchy tacos, no flautas and no chimichangas. I decide on the enhiladas thinking that the corn tortillas must be healthier than flour if I go with the burrito. I love corn but not corn tortillas, it's just a weird texture. I also get the "meal" which includes refried beans and rice. Yes, it was good. No, it wasn't great. The whole thing was 710 calories (not including my tea). I am not sure it was worth it.

I could have tried the "power light" which means reduced fat cheese and fat free sour cream. eh. I'd rather eat less of the real thing. And I will probably just go there less often which will also save some money.

(Sorry, Puffy. I know we all hate when Wanda would talk of nothing about her diet and exercise transformation, I guess I could whine about the economy and the presidential campaigns?)

fitday.com

Years ago, I found some software called BalanceLog. It worked on my Palm and it was wonderful for keeping track of diet and exercise. You could set up what kind of diet you wanted to follow and it would tell you want you needed to eat more of and what you had eaten too much of. It also told you what kinds of activities would give you the best results, ie calories burned.

Then the company who sold BalanceLog was sold and the new company doesn't support it for the Palm anymore. It does comes in a desktop version but only for Windows. It's not worth the effort to get Windows just for that. Besides, my program on my Palm worked fine for a few years.

I tried using it the other day and I needed a passkey. I couldn't find one so I started looking online for something similar. I liked the look of FitDay but it is also just for Windows. But luckily they have an online version which is free. So now I can log on at any computer but I can't just grab my Palm. Oh well.

I am on Day 3. The first day was a little tedious finding and altering some of my foods. But then there is a drop down menu for recent foods so you don't have to go searching so hard.

One of the good things I have discovered is that my favorite chocolate is only 1/4 of a serving. All this time, I thought one square was a serving and making sure I never ate more than one a day, trying to go days without any, and now I learn that 4 squares is a serving. No, I am not eating more, OK, just one extra square somedays, but I feel less guilty when I eat one at all.

And I don't follow the calories so strictly. But one of the best ways to watch what you eat is to keep a food journal. When you have to write everything down, you are less likely to cheat.

I notice that my "obsessions" seem to have about a 6-9 month life span. So if I can keep this up for 6-9 months, I will be doing well. And I had better be losing some weight too.

puzzled

The last time I worked on a jigsaw puzzle was 1994. I was given one of those 3D foam puzzles for Christmas a couple of months before and was putting it together while my dad watched the Espy Awards. It took me the evening and it was sort of fun.

I've always enjoyed putting together puzzles. I did it quite often at the cottage as there wasn't much else to do, no personal computers way back then. I preferred the puzzles by Colorbok. They were more expensive than the ones from the drugstore or Kmart. But the images were much better than the typical landscapes of covered bridges and wild horses. I remember the hot air balloons, the cheeseburger and the marbles.

For a while I tried keeping them together with the thought that one day I would frame them and hang them up. That never happened. And actually, who would want to look at a finished puzzle on the wall? Just get a poster! But what do you do with a puzzle once it's done? I know I have no desire to put it together again. In that case, they should have puzzles for rent. But who would count the pieces to make sure they are all there?

All this is leading to the puzzle I got Ryan for his birthday. I told him he had to wait until the weekend to put it together as it has 1000 pieces and won't be too easy. He never said anything so I asked him if he wanted to put it together today. Yes! I showed him how we start out getting the edge pieces. He tries to put them together and gets bored pretty quickly. I told him he could leave and come back if he is bored.

Two hours later, I have the frame almost complete. I cannot find 2 of the pieces. Ugh! But I am putting together the top and bottom parts where it is black and white only. No, I don't like going for the more difficult parts first but the rest of the puzzle is made up of photomosaics! And the print is so small I can barely make out which direction the piece goes in and not what is on the piece. This is a major pain in the ass puzzle.

When my nieces and nephews were Ryan's age, they enjoyed puzzles too. They liked the ones with no picture, just a solid color. Or better yet, the one with an image on both sides. I have never tried puzzles like those and after I get this puzzle of Ryan's done, I think it will be another 14 years before I try again.

Yes, I have to finish it.

I'm not judging, I'm just saying.

I just read one of my favorite blogs. The blogger was talking about cancer and had a video clip to watch. Under the clip, she posted that she wasn't able to donate. Money is tight for everyone but in the last 2 weeks, she has purchased and posted about an iPod touch and a Herman Miller chair retailing at $1000.00. Now, I know I don't have the right to judge what people spend their money on, but I wouldn't tell people I can't donate a lousy few dollars because I spent all my money on comforts for me! Just don't put that note in at all.

broccoli slaw

I love cole slaw. I prefer sweet coleslaw, the stuff at Chick Fil A and KFC being my favorites. But trying to eat better doesn't include those places. And their slaws are also high in calories.

In the past, I have made my own. It's pretty good and so easy with Marzetti's Slaw Dressing. The regular slaw dressing has HFCS and other stuff I'd rather not eat but Marzetti makes natural dressings and they are found in the refrigerated section of the produce area. I checked the label and found only stuff I could pronounce so I grabbed a jar. Next to get some coleslaw.

I am all for convenience especially when it comes to produce. I do not want to shred a head of cabbage. I looked at the packaged coleslaw but they only have the large bags and frankly I can't eat that much before it goes bad. I saw in the organic section a product called broccoli slaw. It cost just as much as the coleslaw but was only half the amount. I figured I would try it.

The broccoli slaw has broccoli, purple cabbage and carrots all neatly shredded for me. I added about 3/4 cup of slaw dressing and tossed it. Then I let it sit overnight.

The salad did not get wilty like coleslaw usually does. The broccoli really held it's bite. It took a few forkfuls before I decided I really did like and would probably make it again.

breakfast

I've been told that I was just a few years old when I started making my own breakfast. I was an early bird but my mom wasn't. I would climb up the cabinets in the pantry and get the cereal and a bowl. Then the milk and make it myself. Yes, just a little independent.

For years, cereal was my breakfast. When we went grocery shopping, Nancy & I would race to the cereal aisle to pick our favorites. She seemed to always grab the Cap'n Crunch. My favorite changed a lot, I remember Count Chocula and Sugar Pops and Sugar Smacks. In high school, my favorite was a mixture of Life combined with Special K.

We didn't have family breakfasts except at Christmas and Easter. Then it would be fried eggs or pancakes. Waffles were a special treat since they took so long to make. A few times a year, we would go over to my grandparents' house and have breakfast. Marnie made peppery scrambled eggs and dried bacon and hungry jack biscuits. We loved her biscuits! She put butter between the layers and on top so they were practically dripping with buttery goodness when they were done. Then we put on more butter and honey!

Sometimes we made Cream of Wheat. I don't remember what it tasted like, I do remember it was hit or miss if you didn't make it right. Later on, instant oatmeal became a regular on the shelf.

My mom's favorite meal was breakfast at any time of day. I hated when my dad had to cook because it meant breakfast for dinner and I only wanted breakfast food at breakfast time. Though I did love when my mom made fried egg sandwiches for lunch.

When Gail moved in, we started having big breakfasts on the weekend. I would make homemade biscuits of muffins along with eggs, bacon or sausage and hash-browns. Or waffles or pancakes.

When I was pregnant with Andy, I developed an intolerance for milk. I would double over in pain after I had my breakfast. I switch to lactose free milk which was sweeter but more expensive. Luckily, it corrected itself after he was born. Then my teeth started getting sensitive to cold. Eating cereal would leave me with a tremendous mouth ache. (I clench my teeth at night and think I must be wearing out my enamel.) So no more cereal. I've been eating what they eat, bagels or biscuits.

Now I am trying to eat better and have switched to oatmeal. Steel cut oats with raisins, yogurt and orange juice. I was worried that the oatmeal would make me to warm but it seems to be OK. Today, I had the oatmeal sans raisins and then had a smoothie with plain yogurt, orange juice, pomegranate juice, frozen blueberries and strawberries. Why does mixing those things together make them seem more decadent? Breakfast might become my favorite meal of the day.

collage press cards

Here are the some of the cards I made using Collage Press' Camden line.

09.24.08

I think I got it all running OK again. Yes there are some things missing but nothing vital that I know of. Eventually I will learn to make a full back prior to updating the OS.

My period sort of snuck up on me this month. Usually my nails chip a few days before but they didn't this time. Also I get so lethargic and even more lazy than usual but again, that didn't happen. Could it be that I am eating healthier?

I just reread Eating Well for Optimum Health by Andrew Weil. And I have been eating better most days though today I just couldn't stop with the mexican rice and ate too much, way too much. So at dinner I skipped the tortilla chips. Now I just need to add some exercise which I will soon since I did order Fit and Fabulous in 15 Minutes as recommended by Amy in her blog. Of course I could just try to clean up the house...

I hate election years. I am not political but it's hard not to look at what's going on. I don't watch television nor do I read the paper but I am getting enough from blogs to want to make it all go away. I hate what is happening to our country and I can't handle all the anxiety and animosity. Would that I could find another place to live but I can't so I guess I need to do something. UGH.

I like steel cut oats better than regular oatmeal.

autism + stubborn = nightmare!

Some kids are stubborn. Some kids have autism. Most with autism are stubborn. Take a boy who would be stubborn anyway (just look at his parents) and autism to the mix and get one that is almost impossible to get him to compromise.

Have this boy "lose" his special thermos and decide he will never drink again if it can't be found. Sure we have another thermos but the plastic is cracked and therefore not usable in his eyes. He has some straw cups which were all he used before he finally decided the thermos was better since it kept his milk cold. But that was then, he will not drink from them now. Throw them away!

Have this boy's mother, after looking for 20 minutes, finally give up and give his 3 choices: 1. old thermos; 2. straw cup; 3. regular cup get a response No cup! and finally yell, That's not a choice! Then the boys decides that a regular cup will do.

After Ryan goes to sleep and I've had some quiet me time, I get up one more time and look and find the cup. Ryan said he sat on the couch and never took in another room but then it must have been the elves that took it 2 rooms away. And the funny thing is that Ryan doesn't just drop his cup when he doesn't want anymore, he has always been good about setting it on something. Sometimes, you have to get down on your hands and knees and think about him playing like that to find it, like tonight it was on a low shelf.

And his stubborness! Makes me chuckle as I think about the advice for getting him to eat better. Just take away the bad stuff, he will get hungry enough. Ha! He would starve himself before he gave in. Though with his fear of doctors and hospitals, it just might be a tie.