Corporate toady?

Huh? Sorry, I just heard that on TV in a context that was really weird. Kind of like saying Sponge Bob and Fidel Castro in the same sentence. Just weird. Anyway!

The gals did not take a single picture in Vegas (uh huh sure) - not even somebody sleeping with their mouth open or coming out of the bathroom wearing a towel and brushing their teeth. Hmmm. They were all very tired and apparently the magic date of 7/7/07 didn't bring any of them that intangible special something that would have allowed them to win big and race home to retire. Sigh-h-h. Maybe next time.

One thing came out of it though - and I'm not saying it was a positive thing. Joan discovered gambling. Joan has lived in a few different countries, has had several different jobs and been all over this country - but had never touched a slot machine. It is my understanding that when she did - she immediately became hyp-mo-tized. Ysabel and Linda could barely pull her away. Somehow her germ phobia slipped away as she pushed those dirty buttons touched by scads of people before her - some whom I'm sure didn't wash their hands after going to the bathroom - and she remained seated - fixated on the blinking lights and spinning symbols in front of her.

Me thinks it's good she doesn't live close to any major gambling territory - or she would quickly become a regular at the local pawn shop! :) Almost scary. Joan - step away from the machine. Don't. drink. the. kool-aid!

So. Nutrisystem. I am having a lot of trouble facing all those salads. I am not doing bad on the fruit, and thank God I am allowed to have V-8 instead of a vegetable serving, but that salad twice a day is killing me. The idea is to keep eating all day, small portions of healthy foods. I get that. But a salad at lunch and a salad at dinner for someone who doesn't really like salad that much is pretty hard.

There have been days lately where I have been getting my lunch ready for the next day and just cannot bear making another salad. So I skip it. But it is a filling part of my lunch and without it I am not satisfied. I didn't realize how much you need to contribute yourself in terms of fresh fruit and salads and the like. Call me lazy but I thought it was - pre-packaged foods - take it out of my hands for a while - eat what we tell you and you will lose weight.

Well. I am going to do it for a second month - only because now that I have sampled a lot of the different meals - I have a much greater idea of what meals I will choose which will make things a heck of a lot easier. I cannot keep looking into that box and seeing split pea soup which I hate and did not want - thinking that I am going to have to eat it. Because I won't. It's that simple.

I do want to tell anyone who is thinking of doing this diet plan, DO NOT TRY THE CHOCOLATE CAKE!!!! That was the dessert I chose the most of and it is simply awful. Awful. Tonight I thought I would try to make it a bit palatable by sinking a nice Hershey's kiss in the middle of the batter before sticking it in the microwave. Not even that helped. I was expecting a nice melted bit of real chocolate gooey goodness in the center to be the redeeming quality but somehow the cake ruined the kiss. Amazing. Don't bother.

I will say though that even if the food is not great for the most part, I am getting into the habit of eating meals on a more regular basis as well as trying to get the rest of the food groups in there. I have always been bad about the fruit and veggies - carbs are my lifeblood. But I am learning better habits so if I get some lasting changes out of this it will have been worth it. I was in a bad habit spiral, and it was getting worse. I needed something extreme to snap me out of it. Along with starting to walk again - I think I will continue the process on my own when this is done. This has been a slo-o-o-w-w process for me, I haven't lost tons of weight but I just need to keep at it. Especially the walking.

And I need to go here. Bermuda. I just need to go where the sun shines and the clear water laps at my toes and where I don't have to think beyond SPF 30 for a while. Ah-h-h-h - the sand is as fine as sugar and almost as white .....

Enough complaining!

So - I am done complaining. Had a rather relaxing day at work today. One of the gals, Linda, is having a birthday - 7/7/07. She - and a couple others - Ysabel and Joan, decided there would be no better time to go to Vegas. Working only a half day today so they would be able to leave and get to the airport early for their afternoon flight, the mood was very light and enjoyable.

I received a phone call later in the day - Ysabel - whispering into the phone - giggling - "we're on the plane!!" Oka-a-a-a-y. Have you guys been drinking already? Maybe a little. :) They are SO ready to have a good time!

Ysabel travels a lot, mostly with her husband, sometimes with her daughters, she is very comfortable in most situations. She will be the leader and the one to take charge if anything goes wrong. I know Ysabel better than the others, known her longer and worked with her longer. I affectionately call her "miss bossy pants" when the situation calls for it.

Linda worries a bit, is happily divorced and plans to stay single, she likes to party, loves to dance and have fun. She's usually pretty agreeable when it comes to compromising with a group and I think she will take it pretty well if she is thrown a curve ball and has to change direction or plans.

Joan - well - Joan is a trip. She is actually very sweet and in some ways a bit naive. I'm not sure how long she has been married but she has a daughter in Jr High which gives me some idea. Apparently in all the time she has been married she not only has never gone on a girls only trip - but never on a girls night out - period! She's also a bit of a germaphobe which Ysabel just may have to deal with. I suggested that Linda and Ysabel carry sanitizing wipes and lotions with them so they can whip them out whenever Joan has a "moment". She was already planning on what she would do when they get up to the hotel room - call the front desk and have someone come up and change the sheets, blankets, and bedspreads on the beds.

This should be interesting. We all work together, but we have never socialized outside of work. Not sure why we haven't exactly, because I really do adore the gals. So - the first time ever going out together being a trip to Vegas - could have some fun results. At least I hope so! I am SO looking forward to some stories when they get back and that old thing "whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" isn't gonna fly. I want all the details. :)

I was invited but I couldn't afford it right now. When I did get my hands on some extra money I decided to spend it on my diet instead of going on a trip. I'm not a great traveler anyway and I'm not big on Vegas. My Mom used to live there and when I first got divorced my kids went there for part of the summer for the first 3 years I think. I would have to fly out to get them and I would take a mini-vacation while I was there. We would spend one day on the strip going to casinos and what-not - but the rest of the time we mostly stayed at my Mom's and visited. I preferred that.

I hope the girls have a wonderful time and come back with some stories. I am thinking the interesting parts will mostly be about how they interact with each other more than anything else. And OH! I hope they get pictures!

*****************Go for it Ladies!!*****************