Bye Bye Clothes - or - Buy Buy Clothes

This is going to be kind of weird for me to talk about because it's not something I really broadcast, but I've lost some weight recently. I won't go into how much, but it's been enough for me to go down a couple sizes in clothes. This has been a problem. Most people would say it's a good problem, but that's not quite how I look at it. This is why:

This is just one of about four or five loads of clothes that I have had to get rid of over the past few months. You should have seen my load of jeans that I gave away. Phew! I could barely carry the bag! These are all clothes that I was wearing up to about six months ago, but can't anymore because they make me look like an old, frumpy, bag lady. And I hate it! I hate giving stuff away. I look at this pile and think of all the wasted money. Granted, I got a few (or more) good years out of all these clothes, but it still frustrates me.

On a better note, I have gotten the chance to buy a whole new wardrobe. It started when I got my new job back in May. In fact, I really should have gone shopping before I even interviewed for my job. I got the interview so quickly that I didn't have anything to wear, so I was stuck with an old pair of black pants that were totally baggy and a blouse so big that it made me look like a sack of potatoes. Ugh. I can't imagine what they thought of me.

So, by now I have replaced most of the clothes I've given away. I'm also scaling down my "shelf items." You know, the clothes that don't quite fit but you keep them anyway in case you gain or loose a few pounds. Forget it! I have no plans on gaining any back, so I only have items that will allow me to notice if I expand more than a couple centimeters. No more security blankets.

Here's the best I can do with before and after pics on such short notice. Not that there's THAT much of a difference. I think all the pounds came out of my chubby cheeks :)

BEFORE

ABOUT 1/3 THE WAY THROUGH

NOW

Happy Halloween

This is me last Halloween (with Kim as the Mad Hatter).

This is where my costume has been since the day after Halloween.

It might be hard to make out, but it's crumpled on the floor behind my closet door. I know. I should be ashamed. Technically, it was hanging on a hanger from the back of the door for about 3 or 4 months. But, something happened and it fell down and I just never picked it up. I remember looking at it in April and saying to myself; that's pathetic. It's been sitting there for 6 months. I have to pick it up. But I never did. I think I had the same thought in June, July, August and now here it is September.

Honestly, I'm kind of afraid to pick it up because I fear spiders may have built a nest in it. I really need to fix a busted seam under one of the arms too which I haven't felt like doing. That was damage done while jumping on a trampoline at the party I was at. My goal is to work on it this weekend, but we'll see how it goes.

I'm actually going to miss it once I pick it up. It's kind of like that cobweb in the corner of my room. It's so high up and I keep looking at it thinking that I need to get a broom, but I just never do. Other important things tend to come up. Like blogging.

UH

I was listening to the Today Show while I was getting ready this morning and was driven crazy by this one interview. Watch it here and see if you can uh, spot anything out of the ordinary.

Updates

I haven't written in a couple weeks so I figured I'd get back into the swing of things with three updates from previous posts:

1. I had my body fat tested at the gym today and it was NOT 80% as the guy in my dream told me. In fact, I'm in the average range for body fat percentage and BMI, which has never been the case. Seems like losing those lbs have paid off!

2. It's been more than two months in the making, but I finally had my feature about that house in Santa Cruz published. It ran yesterday in the San Jose Mercury News. Click here to read the article. They cut my nice, long, beautifully written feature into a few paragraphs and there are no pictures, but oh well.

3. My eye is still twitching.

Attn: Two Guys Sitting Next to Me on the Stationary Bike at the Gym

Dear sirs,

While I can appreciate your affinity for biking and watching television, I would appreciate you from refraining from talking to the TV while sitting next to me at the gym. Yes, both of you. It freaks me out. To clarify, "talking" also includes moaning, sighing, shaking your head or one word comments every few minutes. You may not have noticed, but the people on the TV (in this case, experts analyzing the election) cannot actually hear what you are telling them. They do not care whether you agree or don't agree with what they are saying, what your opinions are, or even how many calories you are burning per minute. Plus, you look like idiots. So, please let me suggest these more appropriate TV-talking locations: your house and....well that's pretty much it. So, thank you for your input and good job on your tough workout. From now on, I will be sitting at a bike far away from you two TV talkers.

Sincereley,
Michelle

Labor Day Weekend

What a great loooong weekend! Here are some highlights from my drive up the coast.