You Win Some, You Lose Some - And Happy Thanksgiving

Well, as you can probably see by the fact that it's been almost a week since my last post, I threw in the towell on NaBloPoMo. Life has been a little hectic these last few weeks in November, and I made a decision to let this one go.

HOWEVER, just today my bloggy friends I uploaded my manuscript for the official word counter at NaNoWriMo. And yours truly? A WINNER:

I'm so excited to have been able to participate and win this year. The best part is that my novel is actually nowhere near finished, there's still so much story left to tell, that I can hardly wait to get back to it and continue to develop and expand on what I started this month. I'll be taking a break from it (and from all technology) this weekend, but have great hopes for this little novel of mine.

This coming weekend I will be working a youth retreat and will be disconnected entirely from the interwebs...leaving the blackberry at home and all. I'm looking forward to the spiritual retreat and a weekend that I know will be good for my soul and my heart. The prep work for this retreat has been tremendous and is on going even today, on Turkey Day, but will all be worth it in the end.

I ask that if you pray, you keep us, the team putting this thing together, and the teens attending the retreat, in your prayers.

I'll be logging off shortly, to return on Monday and jump into the Christmas season with all of you...I'm so excited about the holidays this year, I can't wait to fully delve into them.

For today, I leave you with this:

Happy Thanksgiving Bloggy Friends!!!

Only The Good Friday - The One About Turkeys and Savings

It’s that time again, Only The GOOD Friday, time to spread some positive thanks to Shelly at This Eclectic Life.

I’ve actually had to dig deep for this one this week folks, because it’s cold out, I’m no longer on vacation, and there have been some pretty grim things surrounding me this week as well.

BUT, since it is “ONLY THE GOOD” Friday, and we’re supposed to spread joy, and good, and positivity, I kept digging.

And digging…

Really, I’m not in a bad mood today, so there’s got to be some good to spread, right?

And digging…

Life is good, I’m a positive person, I know I’ve got some good to share…

And…

AHA! I’ve got it.

Next week is Thanksgiving. Time for family and turkey and traditions.

One of my fellow SheWhoBloggers is having a Holiday Contest over at her blog Lucky Dorito, and I think it would be great fun to participate. She’s looking for Our Favorite Thanksgiving Traditions, do you have one? Head on over there and see what it’s all about it. I’ll be participating, and putting up my tradition post next week, so come on back to check it out. And if you do participate, let me know, I want to read all about your favorites. By the way, there's PRIZES, and one of them? COFFEE... I thought that might get your attention!

Of course, with Thanksgiving, comes Black Friday, what my friend Shopaholic and I have coined “The Shopping Olympics”. We shop all year just so we can train for the Shopping Olympics.

But, if you’re going to venture out to the Black Friday sales, you must be prepared. So I thought I’d share with you a website that sends you all the ads and specials going on not only on that day, but from now until Christmas pretty much. CHECK IT OUT: BFAds.Net

And in keeping with the sale information, because is there anything better than saving money, I’ve got another great website for you. You know those circulars and flyers you get in the Sunday paper? Well, I don’t know about you, but I love looking through those things. However, I don’t actually get the Sunday paper. But, now you can check out all the circulars and sales on-line. Here.

OH, and one more thing…if we’re going to be spreading the good, and sharing and all that, how about you do a little something for someone else in the process? It will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, don’t you think?

Shelly, she who started Only The Good Fridays, is collecting “charms” for her Good Medicine Project so she can send some medicine bags to kids with cancer at Camp Sanguinity. You don’t have to do much, but it will make such a big difference. Hop on over and see what it’s all about, won’t you? I’ve got my charms ready to go, just need to put them in the mail, which I will be doing next week.

Okay, well, that’s it, that’s my good for today. Go out there, spend time with you family, have some turkey, make some kids smile and save some money.

Happy Friday.

The Tattoo Verdict

So, if you recall, before I went away on my little escape to paradise, I left you all with a quandry: To tattoo or not to tattoo?

Still a bit high off my meeting with the one and only Donnie Wahlberg, the celebrity crush of my teen years, I was debating whether I would permanently mark my wrist with a memory of his autograph there etched. It looked like this:

I even had a poll on my sidebar, and asked for your opinions. I'll have you know that several of you told me I should just go for it. Some of you told me to be a bit more conservative and just get the star. And others told me I was nuts, don't do it.

I considered all your opinions, and made my own decision based on two things. 1. The pain factor, as I was told the wrist is one of the most painful places to get tattooed and 2. timing. As I was leaving for Florida the next day, and would be at the beach for most of that week, timing was of the essence in this decision making process.

However, as fate would have it, on my walk to the beach, from my friend's apartment, I walked by not one, but TWO tattoo shops.

So...ladies and gentleman, I present to you, my wrist:

No...I didn't do it. I very honestly considered doing the star, but then...well, the beach was calling my name.

I might still get it done one of these days, the star, I mean. I have a photo, I know where it should go.

But for now, I remain ink free, there at least.

I still have this one on my back.

That'll do for now.

A Weighty Issue

When I began into this whole "getting my body and health back" plan, I really didn't know that I would be capable of the success I've had.

I thought I'd lose a few pounds, feel a little better about myself, but then give up, as I've always seemed to do in the past.

When I set my initial goal weight, I really saw it more as a "wish" than as a "goal".

But now, here I am, three months later, and only about 2 lbs. away from that goal weight. Not only that, but I've become so focused and determined, that I added an additional five pounds to that goal weight (or should I say subtracted), so that I now plan to go even lower.

I feel great, I look great, and there's no stopping me now.

But then, last week, I went on vacation.

Now, I don't know about you, but a vacation to me is a sure fire way to come home with an extra 5 to 10 lbs. EASILY.

So, I made a plan. I was going to walk a lot, and choose the healthier options on all the menus, all week long. I couldn't make any promisses about my alcohol intake, however. But the food, the food I was going to watch.

Because my typical "Weigh-in" day is on Wednesday, and I was leaving for Florida on Tuesday, I stepped on a scale at home before I left, and figured I'd lost about 1.3 lbs in the week after my last weigh in, and the time I left for vacation.

So, now I just had to try and not completely blow it.

Then I arrived in Florida, and entered full vacation mode. And made a conscious decision to throw caution to the wind, and eat whatever my little heart desired. Still trying to maintain a healthy "ideal", I hit a grocery store and stocked up on fruits, baby carrots, yogurt and 100 calorie snack packs for the beach.

But other than that, I broke all the rules. I ate pizza, I ate cheeseburgers, I ate pasta alfredo, I even ate fried foods, which I don't even eat when I'm NOT on a diet. And you know what? I enjoyed EVERY BITE.

We won't discuss the alcohol intake. Let's just say, there was plenty.

I also did walk. A LOT. Every day I walked to and from the beach, around the beach, and everywhere you can imagine in the Ft. Lauderdale area.

I returned home knowing I'd definitely put on weight. I had no doubts in my mind about it and I was fearing that walk of shame to and from the scale at my weigh in tonight.

Lo and behold, the scale smiled at me tonight. I'd dropped .2 lbs from my last weigh in.

This means I did put on a little over a pound while in Florida. Really? I'll take it.

So now, I'm back on track, and even more full of motivation, because if I could manage to go on vacation and not completely derail myself? Well, there's no stopping me now, is there?

A few more photos

Too cold, tired and overwhelmed with "back to reality" stuff to form enough thoughts for a post tonight.

So, I figured I'd just share some more photos, so you can go back to the beach with me...Enjoy:

Le sigh...