a real cliffhanger

These came to me via email.

Things aren't always what they seem.

It only *looks* impossible!

From a different perspective,

it's not so far - after all.

perspective!

life is short

save it for a rainy day

I mentioned before that I was a college music major. Practiced all day. Worked all night. My energy came from a Source I know now had to have been Love.

I was in Sigma Alpha Iota (also Alpha Lambda Delta, but who's counting, eh?)

Honorary societies, not social! Pul-eeze! :D

I started out with a 3.8 but, believe me, it did not end up that way.

The motto for SAI is "Ars Longa, Vita Brevis"

From Hippocrates:

Ars longa, vita brevis, occasio praeceps,

experimentum periculosum, iudicium difficile.

Life is short, the art long, opportunity fleeting,

experiment treacherous, judgment difficult."

It really is hard to know.

The Course in Miracles says that we only ever forgive ourselves.

For choosing wrong. Getting caught up in "the body" or "the body of affairs."

This is Beethoven's Piano Sonata #14 in C Sharp Minor opus 27 no 2.

"The Moonlight Sonata." Every one in Music Education has to play this, don't they?

Berlioz wrote that it "is one of those poems that human language does not know how to qualify."

Beethoven called this work "Quasi una fantasia" ...almost a fantasy.

What does Beethoven and forgiveness have to do with weight loss? Maybe nothing....maybe everything...

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

the un-forgotten song

Many years ago I lived in Kansas. A Public Radio station there had a relaxing-type radio show called "Night Crossings."

One night they played a piano piece I loved. When I listened for the title, they quoted the wrong name, although I didn't know it was wrong at the time.

They said Haydn; Köchel number this or that.

Years and years I looked and listened for that piano sonata. I was a musician. College music major with my 451 already! I was in Sigma Alpha Iota, for gosh sakes! How hard could this be?

Then one day it hit me...the dj was wrong. She said "Köchel," But HE chronicled the works of MOZART, not Haydn. As a music major I knew this.

After many years of searching, I realized the error of my ways. I loved the song, and kept the melody with me all that time. It was not forgotten, just categorically misplaced.

But I couldn't find it because it simply wasn't there. Until I learned where to look.

Once, I had a friend visit. She called for directions and said she was lost.

"Not lost" I answered. "You're just not HERE!"

I am listening to that very piece right now, on a lazy, cozy pre-autumn day. A rainy day off, with coffee and Yankee Candles, and Mozart.

Piano Sonata in A Minor K 310. The second movement, andante. Third movement, presto.

Performed Daniel Barenboim. From iTunes.

Coffee, anyone?

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

*unknown artist on the MixPod link*

my barn having burnt to the ground

"My barn having burned to the ground, I can now see the moon."

Masahide

3 guys go to a hotel

3 guys go to a hotel.

They ask the hotel manager "How much for one room?"

Manager says "$30. That's $10 bucks for each guy." 10+10+10=30

They go up to the room.

Manager says "I made a mistake! The room is $25, not $30!"

Manager gives the bell hop $5 and says

"Take this five bucks up to the 3 guys."

Off goes the bell hop with the $5.

But the bell hop guy is a little dishonest, and scoffs,

"Hmph! $5 divided by 3 guys? No freakin' way!"

The bell hop takes $2 and gives each guy back $1 each. 1+1+1+2=5

He says "Hey, guys, uh, the room is $9 a night, not $10 each.

So here's a dollar back for each of youse."

So now each guy has paid $9 each 9+9+9=27

And the bell hop kept $2 27+2=29

Where is the other dollar?

They started out with $30

This is why I don't weigh.

say hello to my "littler" friend

100 pounds gone!

Today I would like to give a 'shout out' to a blogger who has lost 100 pounds so far, since January 2009! His menu posts always look great.

It's good when we can show support for each other! Losing 320 pounds/140 kg

Also, I saw this on some *cool kid's* web log and wanted to share it with a "narrower audience."

"Web log" is where the word "blog" comes from, by the way.

more music for a late night

and now for a clip from mr hell

canadian, please!

Song & video produced by Julia Bentley & Andrew Gunadie

that's a link, eh!

there's always time for a little fun, eh?

and some poutine!

up all night?

Cowboy Junkies

Sweet Jane

Anyone who's ever had a heart
Wouldn't turn around and break it
And anyone who's ever played a part
Wouldn't turn around and hate it

Sweet Jane, sweet Jane
Sweet, sweet Jane
You're waiting
For Jimmy down in the alley
Waiting there
For him to come back home
Waiting down on the corner
And thinking of ways
To get back home

Sweet Jane, sweet Jane
Sweet, sweet Jane
Anyone who's ever had a dream
Anyone who's ever played a part
Anyone who's ever been lonely
And anyone who's ever split apart

Sweet Jane, sweet Jane
Sweet, sweet Jane
Heavenly widened roses
Seem to whisper to me
When you smile
Heavenly widened roses
Seem to whisper to me
When you smile

the new patch

no thanks, I'm trying to quit

the candy cane patch

*very* popular at Christmas

the chocolate bar patch

the donut patch

They are working on the cabbage patch and the briar patch models as well.

Last night, I had Michigan Chicken.

"What," you may ask, "is Michigan Chicken?"

I couldn't make this part up if I tried!

crab tripper

a screen shot of the video that was removed

Too bad - it was a good one, too

Y'all Canadians might think this is so "last year"....humour us, eh?

guarana...it's what for dinner!

guarana...the other, *other* caffeine

Have you not heard of it? All of the energy drinks use guarana, a natural form of caffeine. It comes from a plant in the Amazon. Guarana products are really, really popular in Brazil. Did I mention "really?"

I like guarana because it is an easy-to-take form of caffeine. At the end of the day... or rather, the beginning... it is still just caffeine. Not better for you than any other form; just different. So they say.

I bought my guarana at Whole Foods. Each tablet contains 900mg of guarana extract, which factors out to about 200mg of caffeine. Or two cups of coffee. So they say. Here's a caffeine comparison list.

The warning label says not to take caffeine if you are nursing.

So I really *shouldn't* take it at work! ;D

Once upon a blog, I quit drinking coffee and all caffeine products. But it only made me more vexed. So now I drink coffee, and take the occasional energy drink, and/or guarana. It works for me. Really, I am not a purist.

I'm not in a race to lose weight. It's challenging, but it's not a competition.

It's all good. Everything in moderation, my little ankle-biters! It's all good.

driving around dallas

Driving around Dallas!

phooning again

This is me in front of a fire truck. The guys were so nice - I turned around, and they were all phooning and laughing! I hope WITH me, not AT me!

Phooning- a great discovery by *FiTCETERA*

And here, I've been "Simpsonized!" What a great idea that is - thanks, Amy H!

hark! is that a cannon I hear?

And then there's the one about a struggling actor. She finally gets her big break and is given a walk-on role in a play. Her only line is "Hark, is that a cannon I hear?" uttered, presumably, after a cannon shot is heard.

She is very excited. She spends the entire week rehearsing her one and only line.

"Hark, is that a cannon I hear?"

Everywhere she goes. "Hark, is that a cannon I hear?"

Finally, the evening of the play arrives and our girl is ready.

The scene is on. The stage is hers! At last.

The cannon noise catches her by surprise.

She jumps back, whimpering "What the **** was that?"

Now that's the perfect diet slash weight loss metaphor!

The picture, by the way, is me after work last night, waiting for the locksmith.

Seems I locked the keys in the car with the motor running.

It only took a couple of hours extra.

"What the **** was that!"

got any grapes?

A duck walks into a bar  

and says - "Hey bartender! You, uh, got any grapes?"

The bartender says, "Uh, no, this is a bar. We don't have any grapes."

The next day, the duck walks back into the same bar, and asks the same bartender the same question. "Got any grapes?"

"No, duck," the guy says, "We have beer, wine, whiskey - that kind of thing. But no grapes!"

Duck walks out.

Next day. Duck walks in. Same guy. "Got any grapes?"

By now, the bartender is furious! "No, we do NOT have any grapes, nor will we ever have any grapes. Furthermore, if you ever come back in here again asking for grapes I'll nail your bill to the floor!" So, the duck walks out.

Next day. Same duck, same bar, same guy. And the duck says "Hey, buddy! You, uh, got any nails?"

"No!"

So the duck says, "Good! Got any grapes?"

*rimshot*

my favorite joke AND

the perfect diet metaphor!

hands-free cell phone

This "hands free" cell phone holder works well for driving, or blogging.

Just don't try it with tape.

Trust me, you'll have chills when the tape comes off. Not the good kind.

Check the date today!

August 8th... Ate Ate..... :D

bedrock anthem

Bedrock Anthem by Weird Al

I pity da fool that taught me how to embed video!

(oops! that was me!)

About the "ghost clown" pictures from yesterday's post....

They are notoriously hard to capture on camera!

Sometimes hard to see - how would you really know?

(might be your "wireless" connection!)

They say things like "Oh! this makes my butt look huge!"

"Will you put that damn camera away before I break it!"

(I get that alot)

"Hurry, take the picture while I'm sucking it in!"

"But I AM turned sideways!"

"This will be a good 'BEFORE' picture! *sigh*"

"Five bucks for a Corny Dog? What - are you kidding me?"

"Again with the Roller Ghoster?"

"Look at you, checking out the zombies again!"

"Funnel Cake and a Diet Coke, please."

"No more Boo's....you've had enough!"

Ghost Riders In The Sky

Ghost In The Machine

whistle down the wind

No one was around.

No one stopped me from walking all around, taking pictures.

....kinda like a ghost circus....

total eclipse of the heart - literal video

when did spazzing out qualify as a dance?

still at it *and a happy birthday*

a process, not an event

I am amazed at how much time and energy it takes to get the "simple" things done.

Deep in my heart, I have to ask myself, "Why can't I stay up all night blogging and still get things done like a mad woman?" :D

I'm thinking there's a weight-loss metaphor here.

Things take time. . . .

It's all about the maintenance. . . .

One good choice at a time. . . .

It's not easy, but it is simple. . . .

Keep your real goal in mind. . . .

Yes, one little-bitty "treat" does matter. . . .

Is it really about the treats? (The tweets - yes!)

So it's back to flaming salads for me...

I guess you could say I'm eating "lite" these days!

I'm surprised the oily dressing didn't spontaneously combust!

If it's on a square plate, is it a square meal?

Be sure and tell Karen at *FiTCETERA* Happy Birthday - sans the cake!

cleaning and errands

tempus fidget

Today is a day of "catching up" for me.

It seems that we do things by the clock or the calendar.

I wasn't ready to change until the psychological barrier of "crossing the date line" brought us into a new month. Whereas before, I might have let things go just a little, now I am ready to tidy up all the things that just need a good cleaning...

. . . . computer files. . . . underneath the cabinets. . . . summer clothes that are now too big. . . . mental files that are now too small. . . . (notes to self). . . . . my truck. . . .

Sometimes "sanity" is all in the details. In fact, the word "sanity" and "sanitary" both come from the same root word. As in clean. And as in "sanitarium!"

From Anglo-French sanité. From Latin sanitat- sanitas health, sanity. From sanus healthy, sane...

So here's to sanity in all of it's forms. Such a cruel mistress!