I'm booked for Philly :)

Regarding the American Spaniel Club show to be held near Philadelphia in January of 2007....

I have the hotel room booked and some roommates lined up.

I have my flight booked (from Lethbridge so no highway driving in January).

I'm very excited about the show. I'm not taking a dog this time... just going to watch, socialize, and have a good time :) This should also be a MUCH cheaper show than Sturbridge was in July LOL.

I can do it..... you can help!

This will come as no surprise to anyone who has met me or seen my picture..... I do not have a model thin figure! I could sit here and play the blame game but who really cares WHY I'm fat? I don't even care why I'm fat LOL. I just want to get down to a healthier and more attractive weight. You have the power to help me do that!

I have built a page on my website that charts my weight loss progress over time. It started on August 9th (the day I rejoined Weight Watchers after a 7 week "vacation") and goes until the end of the year. Because I'm a typical woman who doesn't want to advertise her weight (LOL), I have removed the numbers from the chart so you can't see exactly how much I weigh but there are lines on the chart that give it some perspective so you can see how far I have come and what my goals are.

I have charted to the end of the year as that will coincide with the ASC flushing show in Philadelphia (Jan 5-7, 2007) which has a formal dinner. I want to buy a new formal gown for the dinner and hopefully my body will be a lot smaller then and will fit into a dress I can only dream of now. :) It'll be my reward for 5 months of working hard to lose weight.

So how can you help me.....? Go to the chart on my website (you can also find it at the bottom of my "links" page)..... http://members.shaw.ca/vicky.bennett/weight_loss.htm

The theory is that if people are checking on my progress then that will keep me more accountable. I welcome any feedback about the chart. Is it clear? Is it missing any information? Any other ideas to keep me motivated? Let me know what you think. :)

"Blogger Awareness"

Back in high school I took a course on childhood development (back in the day when I pictured myself having children and thought the information would actually be useful to me... but I digress). In that course I learned that there is a point in a child's development when they become aware that they are not the only thing that matters in the world and that other people have thoughts, emotions, needs, etc.

I think a blogger can go through a similar transition. When I first started writing my blog, I thought hardly anyone read it. I knew a few people did because they were regular posters in the comments section (hello to Weeza, Klad, Sabrito, Lyndarae, and margaret). But outside of that I assumed the blog was really my personal diary. However, I am now realizing that once in a while some other people read my blog. They rarely, if ever, post comments but they have told me that they read it. I think that is the coolest thing - to have an audience - but it makes me aware that the rants and embarassing moments that I write about are being read by other people. YIKES!

There's a new kind of pressure that comes with the awareness of having an audience... the pressure to be entertaining (or they'll stop reading), the pressure to post regularly (or they won't bother to check for updates), and the pressure to always make myself look good. This last pressure (instinct really) I will try to resist.... as I think some of my best posts have come from situations where I don't look good at all (the swimsuit buying adventure and the Starbucks lady who thought I was pregnant come to mind). I think it is best to be truthful to the realities of my life. After all, isn't that what a blog should really be about?

These are my strengths....

After yesterday's "I'm such a loser" blog, I have decided to dedicate this entry to things that make me a winner :)

1. I make a kick-ass "Sunshine Chicken Salad". I know because I just had one and it was awesome!
2. I have "stick-to-it-iveness". When things are tough I stick it out and work through them.
3. I can do a decent job of grooming and presenting a cocker spaniel in the show ring.
4. I have strong skills in MS Office, especially Excel (I am some people's personal helpdesk with their Excel issues)
5. I'm generous... sometimes too much as I think I can get taken advantage of if I'm not careful.
6. I'm almost always in a good mood and smiling - stop laughing! I really am!
7. I can knit, crosstitch, and am learning to crochet.
8. I know what most hand tools are for and can do basic fix-it jobs around the house.
9. I am reliable and can hold down a job... I have never been fired from a job and have only quit jobs for major life changes (moving, going to university, etc)
10. I am loyal to my friends. I'll defend them whether or not I agree with them as I hope they would do the same for me.
11. I'm a pretty good driver. Have only been in one accident that was my fault (extenuating circumstances... there were mechanical problems with the car from it sitting in a flood the day before - but still technically my fault).
12. I give great hugs and, to the chosen few, great neck/back rubs.
13. I have nice biceps. Seriously, ask me to flex for you sometime. :)
14. I have good sportsmanship in the dog show ring. I ALWAYS congratulate the winner even if I thought their win was undeserved - it's the polite thing to do.
15. I can add and remove links from an Italian Charm bracelet. Not with any great speed or proficiency, but I CAN do it.
16. I'm empathetic. I don't always know what to say or do to ease their pain but I have empathy when people are going through a rough time.
17. I have a sense of humour about myself. This is a biggie as it doesn't come to me naturally (I naturally take myself too seriously) but is something I've tried to develop.
18. I recognize my weaknesses and try to change them. Just ask the trainers I have worked with at the gym and the Weight Watchers leaders I've dealt with.
19. I occasionally have a spurt of artistic talent. If you have seen the serving plate I painted with a boxer & a cocker on it with no pictures to refer to, you'll know what I'm talking about.
20. I stand up for what I believe in whether or not it's the popular choice.
21. And finally, following Margaret's killer recipe, I can make the world's best cheesecake. Seriously, it is the best cheesecake in the whole wide world.

That's my list of strengths. I like how it is book-ended with food. Hmmmm, maybe that should be the first entry on my weaknesses list LOL.

It's like high school all over again....

Do you ever have one of those moments where you feel like the nerdy kid in high school talking to the popular football player or cheerleader? You know... like you picture the good looking football player in his team jacket looking all slick and cool and you feel like a hunchback geeky girl wearing a threadbare, outdated dress (which your parents made you wear), big glasses, and stringy hair... and every word that comes out of your mouth sounds like the dumbest thing you could possibly say? I had that today.

I spoke to a couple of people on the phone who are the equivalent of the popular, talented, smart, and of course good looking, football players of my high school days. They are what I would call "cocker royalty" in the dog show world. These people have had tons of success in the US show rings where I am the pipsqueak from Canada who is trying to play in their game.

I'd like to think I carried on a normal phone conversation with these guys (hah!) but I was constantly questioning every word out of my mouth.... Was it stupid? Was it bragging? Did I sound arrogant? Was I funny? Did I accidentally imitate their accent? If I did, were they offended? Do they know I respect them? Do they think they are better than me? I should be respected, too... don't they know that? Do they even know where Canada is? Do they know where Alberta is? Do they care? Do they question every word out of their mouth like I do? Could I BE a bigger loser?

NO!!!!!!! I am the BIGGEST loser ever!!!!!

Imagine that dialogue running through your head with every word you say.... it's a little stressful. No wonder I sounded like a dork.

The joy of the pressure washer....

I don't want to sound like a commercial for pressure washers but.... these things are AWESOME!!!!!!!

I took out the pressure washer yesterday to clean out some crates. It not only blasted away the dirt, it actually made the crates a different colour! You know how a layer of dirt can get in the little crevices on the textured surface of a crate? Well once that dirt is blasted out of there the crate looks so fresh and new again :)

I also had some crate doors with rust on them.... now they are rust free as the pressure washer will blast that away too :)

Careful if you have any chipped areas on a painted surface... the pressure washer will make those wee chipped areas larger and larger with every blast of water.

The only thing I found the pressure washer could not remove was rust stains on plastic. Strange how it will remove actual rust but not even a dent in a rust stain.

I also accidentally found another use for the pressure washer... it will "fold" weeds that are growing in the cracks on your sidewalk or driveway. It won't actually get rid of them but if you aim the wand towards the weed from one end of the crack, the pressure will actually make the weed fold down into the other end of the crack and your driveway/sidewalk will appear to be weed free for a while LOL. A band-aid solution, I admit, but one worth considering if you are just looking for a temporary fix to your weed problems.

To shower or not to shower.....

That is the question. Don't get me wrong, if I am going out where I might be seen by friends, neighbours, or even strangers, I'm not leaving the house without a shower. It's just gross to think otherwise.

However, when I'm at home and feeling lazy, it's tough to find the motivation to shower.... especially when the agenda for the rest of the day includes getting even dirtier (housework, dog grooming, etc) and I'm going to have to shower after the dirty work anyways.

I mean let's face it... who is it hurting? I live alone with dogs.... they seldom complain about my BO (they are very considerate that way). So why bother showering? Just to say I've done it? Doesn't make sense to me.

So I'm going to take my stinky body away from the computer, have some lunch, do some housework, groom some dogs, and maybe even power-wash the crates...... THEN I'll have a shower :)