Five Stops to the Right

Blogger has this nice little function that allows you to run through a bunch of other blogs, by hitting the little button that says "Next Blog" and moving over to the right. I never fail to turn up interesting tidbits. Like this one.

Quote of the day:

"Anyone using the comment section to promote false doctrine will also be denied commenting rights. Thank you for stopping by."

I can't tell if this woman is for real or not, although I suspect she is. Yep, she is definitely for real.

The Tennis Bracelet or the Guy?

Guest-blogging today is my friend Renee. The last time I saw Renee, she was head-over-heels infatuated with a new fellow. Today, Renee updates us on her life:

"New Fellow" is okay. We're in that awkward phase that happens after you've been dating almost two months in which the man feels compelled to pull away...We'd been doing great, talking or seeing each other pretty much every day, then a week ago he asked me if we were "too emotionally invested in one another" (whatever that means). I was calm, and said I respected his need to 'slow down' and think carefully about next steps etc. Then I went away for a week on business (and for the bridal shower) and didn't call him until the day after I got back. He seemed to really miss me and said "when do I get to see you?" I said we should talk about that. Briefly, I said it was stupid for me to invest any more time or and energy into this relationship if he wasn't sure about me. Then I said, "you know me, you know what I'm about and what I have to offer. If you decide you want to continue to pursue things,you should give me a call. Otherwise, let's just cool it." I also said that if he didn't have the common sense to want to be with me, then he obviously wasn't as smart as I thought he was (I seriously said that! He laughed.) All in all, it was a good conversation and I feel like I wrestled back some of the power that I had lost by him saying he wanted to slow down. That was Saturday. On Monday he called to see if we could go out. I said I was busy everyday during the week, and then he asked if he could pick me up after my salsa dancing class on Thursday night. I agreed. I'm not sure what this means seeing as he didn't profess that he was over this slowing down foolishness, but we'll see. At any rate, whatever happens, I will end up with a committed boyfriend OR a new piece of jewelry, and at this point either is fine with me. Jewelry tends to last longer. (Have I told you I buy myself a new piece of jewelry every time I get dumped???) This whole episode has made me a lot less smitten with him than I was in the beginning. So that's the update.

Health

So last week I went back to Weight Watchers. After a two year hiatus. In 2003, I lost 30 pounds, which was a big deal, because if you take 30 lbs off, people notice. I had an intensely-felt love hate relationship with the the commercialness and gimmickiness of Weight Watchers, (there are some wonderfully funny and biting unwritten blog entries about how little I liked my ww leader at the time) but at the end of the day it was probably the most effective solution for me. Since then, through a combination of exercise spurts, calorie counting, trying to implement reasonable habits where food is concerned, and self-bribery I have kept it except for give or take 5 pounds. My original goal was 140, and and my lowest weight was probably about 137. Last week I weighed in at about 144. So, I don't technically have much to lose, but there has always been this extra five lbs or so that I wanted to get rid of and no amount of portion control, ww online, calorie counting, or jogging, swimming, salsa workout has gotten me there. I am therefore capitulating and going back to the meeting. (Actually I found a better group that I wish I had known about back in 2003.) I am embracing the whole thing: the "weigh in", the little cards with the numbers and the plus and minus signs that the nice ladies write in, the group discussion, stocking my refrigerator with fruits and vegetables, writing down everything I eat and tracking points. (1 pt = 50 calories. Anyone under 150 lbs is only supposed to eat 20 calories a day, which is pretty much impossible, since that is 1000 calories. You get a little overage fund you can dip into if you go over. It works out to 1250 calories per day.) I even bought their fussy little book for keeping track of things. I love it and I know if I do everything that they tell me to, I will lose weight. I am prostrate before the little green and yellow logo and the little pink letters spelling out the words: weight watchers. I am a weight watcher. Not a girl watcher. A weight watcher.

And you can play too!

Goal weight: 135
Weigh in 7/23: 143.8

Also, I would like it to be know that I got up and went jogging this morning. In the humidity that has descended upon Manhattan island. Which buys me three extra points.

Viva Zapatero

One year ago at this time, I was on vacation is Spain, and last night I found myself overwhelmed by my nostalgia for that lovely trip. In the spirit of my trip to Spain, I post a link to a translation of President Zapatero's remarks on the legalization of gay marriage in Spain. Via Gara at Garalog.

I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello

So, at least three times in the last couple weeks, I've launched headlong into a story and the person I was telling said "oh yeah I read about that on your blog," reminding my that although I do not have as many readers as this New York blogger-girl, there are a few folks out there. Mostly it does appear to be my friends, which is gratifying. If there is anyone else out there that wants to say hi, you should. Post a comment. Open a thread.

Tuesday Blues

Really, I had one of the nicest weekends ever in New York this weekend. Brunch plans, dinner plans, invitations to evenings in the park materialized as if on cue. I went to a salsa class and thought it was fantastic. I heard Eddie Palmieri at Celebrate Brooklyn. I spent Sunday at the beach, exposing my fish-belly white stomach to the sun and ended the day drinking vodka tonics and playing cards just like I was on vacation. All that came to an abrupt halt with Monday morning when I realized I had a sunburn and was still nursing a stubborn head cold.

Wilson Calls on Bush to Fire Rove

Amen.

Can we get rid of Karl Rove?

I am simply fascinated by the unfolding Rove/Plame scandal. It's my obsession right now.