Today's Ten Things

1. The weight loss: 27 pounds. Yep, I'm liking that.

2. The funny comments:

"Debby, I was just telling so-and-so over there that you look great." (thanks) "Have you lost weight?" (yes, 25 pounds, thanks. pause to sip my water) "Is it the water? Is that how you lost all that weight?" (yes, the water is magic, I got it from Jack when he ran out of magic beans).

and:

"Debby, you are so lucky that the weight is coming off so easily. I keep trying and trying and the weight won't come off. Oh, look! Cookies!" (I miss cookies.)

and my favorite:

"Wow, it's great that you've lost all that weight. Aren't you glad you aren't hungry anymore?" (I wish!)

3. The running: 3.2 miles in 50 minutes this morning. Yes, I know most people walk can walk faster than that.

4. The race: four weeks from today and in no danger of winning that thing.

5. The trip: Last week some friends and I went to New York City and saw The Drowsy Chaperone. We always go to the high school musicals and comment, "Wow, that was really professional." No, it wasn't. Really. Even the ones my kids were in. This is Broadway and it is smart and funny and perfect sound and perfect lighting and perfect everything. Truly.

6. The New York flavor: When we were in New York City, we walked within inches of the Naked Cowboy. You've seen him on tv -- I've seen in up close and personal .... from behind!

7. The question: Does anyone know what this is?



We think vegetable (as opposed to animal or mineral). A nut of some kind? I've seen several on the ground. If it's a pod waiting to hatch an evil gremlin, just don't tell me, ok? It's inside my house right now.

8. The new hobby: hiking. There are some marked trails near my house and we've been exploring. I'm going to call the New York State Department of Parks and Recreation for official trail maps tomorrow. It's amazing how many frogs (toads?) we've seen on the trails. I think my family hates hiking, but they probably figured that it was easier to come with me and keep me safe than have to look for me when I got lost.

9. The quilting: no comment.

10. The clothes: I've already mentioned that I have no clothes. This is still true. It is also true that air-conditioned buildings can be too cool and that there are cool evenings and sometimes you just need a jacket (even in summer). I don't have one. I don't want to buy one that won't fit anymore by autumn. So my new clothing obsession is pashminas. I have a Ralph Lauren satin & velvet wrap from the Event (see February 6, 2006 post) and a wool black and gray wrap, but I bought a few pashminas from a street vendor near MOMA when I was in the city. I am in LOVE. I was especially in love when the air-conditioning in the church this morning was set to arctic.

That's today's ten things. Have a wonderful day!

About time for another post, don't you think?

#1 The running. On Friday I ran for 5K. (Insert jumping and celebrating images here.) I was incredibly slow, but I ran the whole way. My race isn't until September 17, so maybe I'll pick up a little speed before then.

#2 The weight. I've lost 23.2 pounds and hope that no one ever finds it. EVER. Especially me.

#3 The new hobby. Tennis. My son is addicted. He has all of us playing now. Isn't it great to have 3 people he can beat any time he wants? I'm so terrible at tennis that it's frightening rather than funny. As he was completely slaughtering me this afternoon, the uncharitable thought of "isn't it time for him to move back to college?" hit me. When he goes back to Ohio, the remaining family members are ones I have a much better chance of winning against. Where did my son get his competitive streak from, I wonder?

#4 The sewing.



I made two bags so far. One is tiny and cute and gold metallic. The other is large and floppy and tie-dyed. I used the same pattern for both and just enlarged it for the second one. Too fun. Must. Make. More.

#5 The movie.



I absolutely adore Jane Austen. ADORE. And this movie was excellent. We all loved it and several of us watched it several times before it was due back to the library. The story is Jane Austen and excellent, but the CLOTHES!!!! Would people look at me funny if I dressed in these period fashions at all times? I'm rereading Sense & Sensibility and must warn you: when I'm in a Jane Austen groove, I tend to speak and write in her style. Consider yourselves warned. Really. I mean it.

#6 The book.



I've enjoyed everything she's written. This was no exception. I got a lot of quilting done while listening to this book and I wish there was more (book, not quilting).

#7 The weather. MUCH BETTER! We were up to 105ish degrees last week, I think. One morning this week I was running in 50-degree weather. My nose was running faster than my feet! I'll take it. If only I wasn't sure the heat would come back, but alas..... August in New York is not prone to sudden snowstorms.

#8 The food. What I want:



What I'm having:



(only a smaller, home-grilled healthier version with cheese and without the fries). Oh, and some chocolate. Weigh-in is Thursday, right?

#9 The clothes. I don't have any. The fun part of losing a weight is that you get to buy new clothes. The bummer about having to lose a LOT of weight is that it's not necessarily worth investing in a lot of clothes that will hopefully not fit for very long. Right now I own a pair of pants, a skirt, and four tops. This size of wardrobe takes careful planning. Fore example, I'm going to New York with some friends this week. Skirt or pants? Well, there will be tons of walking and the comfy shoes don't look right with the skirt, so the pants. Which means I can wear them Monday, wash them Tuesday, and they'll be clean for when I need them. I guess I'm wearing a skirt on Tuesday, if anyone wants to see me dressed up.

#10 The deer picture.



I couldn't end a post without another deer picture. She's standing under the corner of my deck next to my driveway in what is supposed to be a flower bed. So about that gardening thing..... it's against my religion.

A Tale of Two Movies (with reference to a third)

Part I, Crystal Lake

This morning at 5:45, my bedroom was already 83 degrees. YUK! I started walking up the mountain and wasn't terribly into the whole running thing today. I promised myself I could stop at the first telephone pole, being a heat emergency and all. Once I got to the first pole, I talked myself into doing my planned run. Once I got to today's mark, I was close to the top of the mountain, so I walked to the top and started running the ridge. My goal for the summer was to make it to the 40th untility pole (also the first side street on the ridge and pretty much 2 miles from my house) and I did that today! As soon as I got there, in my mind I was doing the whole 'Gonna Fly Now' arms up in victory and running in place thing from Rocky I. I barely started this when the rooster crowed.

I'm a movie person, like, for real. If this was a movie and a rooster crowed as I reached my goal, what type of movie would it be? Horror? Action/Adventure? What would happen next? I had visions of Jason coming out of the woods (remember, I live in the woods!) with a pitchfork and only my newly acquired running habit allowed me to be the one who survived the movie. Anyone else have a movie version of my morning?

Whatever the rooster crowing may have meant, it certainly was a clue that I was awake and moving way. too. early.

Part 2, The Sky Is Falling

So I ran a few tenths of a mile along the ridge and turned around and ran all the way home. This was very cool for me, as in over 2 miles cool. I ran a lot of downhill, but some uphill and level spots, too. I'm a little nervous about the 5K, like 'can I actually do this?'

When I got the the bottom of the mountain and had a nice level stretch before running uphill to my house, I was jazzed. Like, 'maybe I can do this.' Then something smacked me on the head.



Guess what it was. Hint: the name of my street includes the word "oak".

The moral of the story is: Debby really, really needs something constructive to think about while she runs or else posts like this happen.