Surprise!!

Okay, okay, so I didn't get married. Probably would have told you all ahead of time. I did, however, get to play model for a huge bridal showcase. This was my third of three dresses, and probably my favourite (though the least elaborate).

More pics for you to enjoy! It was such a fun da

Because I'm too lazy for a real post...

So, fifty questions, stolen from Dr. Fatty!

1.What time did you get up this morning? 5:30am - well, 5:50am if you count when I actually got out of bed
2. How do you like your steak? As chicken
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The one with Leonardo DiCaprio... Inception?
4. What is your favorite TV show? NCIS
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be??? Here is nice. Or Ireland.
6. What did you have for breakfast? two pieces of whole grain toast topped with PB and a banana and a glass of skim milk
7. What is your favorite cuisine? Anything fresh
8. What foods do you dislike? Red meat, overly processed food
9. Favorite Place to Eat? Home or a farmer's market-y type place
10. Favorite dressing? Sun-dried tomato
11. What kind of vehicle do you drive? Hyundai Accent
12. What are your favorite clothes? Yoga pants, a cami with a built in bra, and a cover
13. What is your favorite number? 7.... or 48965321.
15. Where would you want to retire? Here would be nice. Or Ireland.
16. Favorite time of day? Morning
17. Where were you born? Antigonish, NS (Google it)
18. What is your favorite sport to watch? figure skating
19. How many siblings? three
20. Favorite pastime/hobby? RUNNING, exercising, reading, playing with my dogs, writing, photography
22. Bird watcher? well, I look at them when they fly by
23. Are you a morning person or a night person? Used to be night. Now more mornings.
24. Do you have any pets? Dogs, cats, budgies (I like plurals)
25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? Confidentiality might prohibit it
26. What did you want to be when you were little? A figure skater
27. What is your best childhood memory? The first day of school (I'm a geek)
28. Are you a cat or dog person? DOG - like cats, but I'm a dog person
29. Are you married? only to my law textbooks. It's not a happy relationship, really.
30. Always wear your seat belt? ABSOLUTELY
31. Been in a car accident? Yes
32. Any pet peeves? Too many to name. Inconsiderate people who drop their stuff at their ass at the gym...
33. Favorite Pizza Toppings? Chicken, spinach, onions, white sauce
34. Favorite Flower? Roses
35. Favorite ice cream? Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
36. Favorite fast food restaurant? None
37. How many times did you fail your driver's test? Once - stupid examiner
38. From whom did you get your last email? My sister
39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Running Room
40. Do anything spontaneous lately? Started Law School?
41. Like your job? I'm a student
42. Broccoli? Love it
43. What was your favorite vacation? VANCOUVER
44. Last person you went out to dinner with? My friend Kim
45. What are you listening to right now? Cars outside and my coworker who just came in
46. What is your favorite color? blue and pink.... yellow is my enemy
47. How many tattoos do you have? None, thought I want one. Like, soon.
49. What time did you finish this quiz? 10:00, crap, I have class soon.
50. Coffee Drinker? More than I ought to be, really....

Never turn down a PINT

Change (or, the devil I knew)...

I love fall. I really do. It's cool and fresh and even though I know it means winter is coming, I can't help but step out into the cool air each morning and just feel a rush of energy (and then swear a little because I realize that without the extra poundage to insulate my ass, cool is actually quite cold - any of you on weight-loss journeys will know, or will eventually know, what I'm talking about).

Changing seasons is usually when I get motivated to make other changes as well. This year, maybe, not so much as I've made a huge change in my life with my decision to go back to school, but I still find myself tweaking little things to start adjusting my way of thinking and reorienting myself towards my "new" lifestyle. Sometimes it's just a mental headshake to prevent myself from slipping back into old habits - e.g., remembering not to grab that muffin on the way to class - and sometimes it's actually an addendum to the changes I've already made that I feel would be more beneficial.

The "old" me hated change. I liked consistency. I liked the idea of change; I just hated enacting it. The "new" me tends to change a lot. I always want to try new fashions I see in stores; I experiment with new workouts I find in magazines; I randomly throw together food to see what happens.

I think this tend toward change is good. I have a dear friend who is just starting her own weight-loss journey, and her biggest challenge has been, for years, her own fear of change. She was so convinced that she liked enough about the status quo that something valuable would be lost if she tried to move to something else. When we were talking about my journey once, and specifically about my own decision to radically transform my atrocious eating habits, she commented "You make it sound so hard and well... not very fun." I looked at her honestly and asked, "Do I seem more unhappy to you now than when I weighed 250 lbs?"

She didn't answer me that night. But she thought about what I had said, and this week, as she joined me for a run (she's gone from 1min run/3 min walk to 2/2 splits in two weeks!) she mentioned it again, and compared what I had said to her own experience. "I do get frustrated," she admitted. "I do miss what I can't eat. But then I think back to what you said, and I am not more unhappy."

No one ever told me I had to change. No one ever told me I had to cut out what were my favourite foods. It's just that, after a while, those few minutes of mild satisfaction from eating those foods didn't compare to, say, the all-day glow of finishing a 10K run. Or fitting into a size smaller pants.

We always say, "Better the devil you know..." You know what? Not always. Sometimes the devil you don't know is just some guy who is very misunderstood, and when you change your thinking about him, he turns out to be a pretty brilliant guy. Try having a chat with him someday.

Time for a PINT or two!

My first road race...

Done and done... 5K under my belt...

Not a phenomenal time, but within the 10:00 minute mile goal I'd set for myself. And it was gray and dreary and cold, and I went anyway.

Unfortunately, have been eating like a hound all day (presumably) as a result. What is up with that? Need to get that under control.

Called the bank (I am so being a grown-up this week) about opening a student line of credit. If I can get it through, I think I'm going back to training.

Unfortunately, afternoon also brought a migraine, so slept away a good portion of it. Thinking another nap sounds good right now too.... Hopefully the weather straightens out and migraines go away soon.

Mirror, Mirror...

When I was in high school, the highlight of the senior year was always the Senior Fashion Show. It was a huge fundraiser, and everyone waited in anticipation. Girls clamoured to be chosen as models.

I was the stage director. I designed the sets, organized everything, kept things running backstage, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I liked my job. But it was pretty well accepted that I was asked to be stage director because as a size sixteen, there was no way I was going to be a model. I would never look right among all those size fours.

My sister is organizing a bridal showcase, the centrepiece of which is yet another fashion show. I've been offering advice on set design, choreography, finales, etc. Then she dropped the bomb on me.

Would I model a wedding gown for their bridal boutique that was hosting the show?

There is a big part of me that wishes I had my current body back when I was sixteen. Back when I would wear outrageously short skirts and get away with it. Back when I missed all those opportunities. So, with all my trepidations shoved firmly aside, I agreed, and today, trotted off to the boutique for a fitting.

I learned a few things:
1) Me, in a wedding gown, with a veil, will almost make me cry. I look very grown-up. Too grown-up, really.
2) When you leave your insecurities in the car, you can have a lot of fun playing dress-up.
3) Sometimes to see the beautiful woman hiding inside, you need only to look in a different mirror.

That's what happened tonight. I put on a stunning designer dress that the ladies had been dying to put on a model, but hadn't yet had anyone tall enough, walked out, let Geri put a veil on, and turned to look at myself....

...and for once, I didn't see that overweight version of myself staring back. I just saw a beautiful woman in a beautiful dress.

I think I'd like to get married just to have a whole day where I can wear that dress...