Ok, so I have been pretty lazy about taking any new pictures of myself but today I finally did! My friend Jerry called just as I was wrapping it up so I took a couple while talking to him- the email that I sent with the pic probably didn't work, so here it is!

I just re-inserted my link here into my Keen listings, so I hope my lookers are stopping in to see my latest pedicure and other news-worthy stuff. I am purposely avoiding heavy subjects as I'm not sure how to adequately express so much emotion and leave that to those that can. So, I'm going along, working out at the gym- I discovered that when using machines to weight train my legs a most of them can be modified and used with one leg at a time. What a huge difference that makes! It feels so good to really focus on each leg separately and not have to worry that I'm cheating and using them un-equally.
My friend who is recovering from neck surgery is going to be on her own this weekend so I am going to surprise her with a slumber party. So, going to come up with a funny dvd or two, maybe a face mask, I think both of us bleaching our teeth with those big wax strips like the oral-b ones will be funny and beautifying too. Any ideas? Shoot me a comment, I'd appreciate it!

Strip-aerobics with Carmen Electra sounds titallating doesn't it? Well, the dvd I have isn't really as exciting as one would assume, in fact it is quite basic. She goes over the steps one by one, then there is a chance to do them in 'real time', but during the real time she says nothing, so if you are an impatient person like myself and want to skip the slow part, you are pretty much sol. However, just watching her is a good reminder to suck that gut in :) Also, I got a pedicure! How bout those red toes and matching lips- yikes, typos are challenging at 4am.

Hi! I am back from a long weekend, feeling rested up and ready to start some trouble! I slept to late to go to my spinning class today, that means extra time on the rowing machine tonight, unless I decide to take one of the late classes. I'm afraid those people will be way to hard-core for me, yeah, it's go at your own pace but kind of hard to do when you get caught up in the noise and excitement of the teacher yelling and the high energy music. I think I just talked myself into it!

I made gravy for the first time! With flour and everything- was inspired by Rachel Ray and it turned out really good. Since I'm on the subject of food, I promised my friends that I would blog about the experience we had last Sunday at a mom and pop type diner while I was out of town. We were in Dunedin, Fl and went for breakfast at a place called the Covered Bridge. There were empty tables (dirty) and after standing around in the small entrance for 10 minutes we finally seated ourselves. A few more minutes passed before a waitress appeared, scowling, to take away the glasses from the previous guests and wipe off the table. Our drink orders were taken in the normal amount of time, as were our breakfast orders.
I wasn't in the mood for breakfast so I ordered chicken and dumplings instead. 45 minutes later my bowl of 'chicken and dumplings' was deposited on the table- it was bright yellow sludge without a single scrap of chicken in it to be found. After spooning through it searching for chicken in vain, I gave up. 20 minutes after that my companions breakfasts finally arrived on the table, by the frowning unapologetic waitress. My friend offered me some of his steak from the steak and eggs he ordered, which I, starving, gratefully accepted. The steak was cold. Never have I been more happy (albeit hungry) to leave a diner as I was to leave the Covered Bridge.

I can't leave you with negativity, so I will add that the Kozy Korner diner in Clearwater Fl was everything the C.B. was not. A friendly hostess greeted me and my guest as soon as we entered the foyer, she seated us and brought out drinks immediately. Our server was nice, kind of Flo-ish from the old TV show, I forget the name of it. The food came out in good time, was hot and yikes there was a lot of it, the restrooms were clean, and we got out of there in 35 minutes or so- with no rushing at all. So thumbs up to Kozy Korner, next time I'm down that way I'll stop in.

Up all night! Hmmm, and I am doing absolutely nothing- posting in the hope that inspiration will strike at any moment. Well, I injured myself EXERCISING, am mostly better now. It was a weird twisted back thing that had me sleeping on the floor cuz the bed was too soft for a couple of days. I didn't realize how much relatively heavy lifting was involved in regular life until I couldn't do it. My rugs desperately need to be vacuumed that is for sure, don't even get me started on the looming mountain of laundry either. So, I went back to the gym today and worked out in spite of it- also I felt better by now, the incident was last Friday. Tomorrow looks like cleaning day. So, I am on the lookout for a man or strong woman with big warm hands to give me a massage- are you out there?

Sex and women wanting it was the hot topic of a phone conversation I had last night. A friend of mine is on a couple of internet dating sites, and has contacted a woman in his area. She told him that she is looking for a 'knight in shining armor'. He said that his armor is tin and rusty, which is funny, but I think he should just 'be' that man she wants him to be. The reasoning behind my stance is, the woman who has such a romanticized view of the man she wants is bound to be disappointed anyway, so why not just go for the illusion and have some great sex while it lasts.

The fictions that surround our lives such as the romantic wedding Disney ideal of love are impossible to sustain for any lengthy amount of time, I contend that a woman who professes to want that is looking for something that is socially acceptable yet highly unlikely because she wants have have some hot sex and this is the way women are conditioned to get it. It's "OK" to have sex with someone as long as you are 'in love' with them, according to society. So, brainwash oneself into this romantic love affair, realize later that it isn't all that romantic because hey, we live on earth not in a fairy-tale, break up with the person and start over. It's the only way society allows women to have sex with more then one person without being labeled a slut.

Then, my friend says that I am putting down women. Obviously he missed my point. I am not putting down women, it is normal and natural to want to have sex with multiple partners in one's lifetime. I would strongly prefer that it not be necessary to engage in the silly drama of falling in love every time one wants to go for it with someone else, however it is easier to go along with societal expectations (no matter how stupid) then to just be honest and go against the grain. I can't blame him for what he said, he is following the party line that a woman who wants sex is bad.

Sigh. The bright side of this is that as long as wanting sex is bad, it will have an illicit thrill that might die if we all just accepted it as a natural desire, and illicit thrills are cool.

Juicy Jackie is looking good at the gym! Right behind you hon, cute stuff to work out in sounds like a good idea. Speaking of the gym, yesterday one of the personal trainers there asked me how often I was coming in, so I told the truth 5 or 6 times a week. This started a lecture about how I needed to reduce my frequency to 3 times a week or I would surely become burned out. Did I listen to him? Well, if your definition of listening includes hearing what a person says and nodding afterwards, then yes. So, today I go in a few hours earlier and there he is working out in the main room. OK, I decide to take a class. This is the story of what it took to get me into my first Spinning class. Yowza!

The instructor was great and told me to stay only for half an hour (so now I'm committed to 30 minutes of this!) I would have anyhow, as the bike next to me was claimed by the cutest little 80 year old lady you ever hope to see. The seats were just as uncomfortable as you can imagine- but, the class was fun. Beware of the flying pigs outside, I had fun on a bicycle and plan to go back next week.

Cat news first- the vet thinks it is her cat's liver, but is still unsure of the problem even after studying the test results. She wants to get a second opinion; I don't think that will help as her vet specializes in cats and has been at it a long time. That is not the kind of thing she will want to hear, and I don't know what to do or say. It's so hard to be supportive when one thinks their friend is bent on doing something that may be ultimately self-destructive, in this case spending a lot of (needed) money on a potentially lost cause.

On a lighter note, as they say on the Today show- the workouts are going well. It's only been a week and I can already see more definition in my leg muscles. That's most likely due to less fat collected there then other body parts, but hey it's awesome to see anything happening this quickly! My theory is that going to the gym has been preventing me from shopping as much as usual- when my clothes start loosening up that will change drastically I imagine. So, better legs and less debt- so far so good!

Sad event today- I gave one of my friends a ride to the vet's office with her cat, and the kitty isn't doing well. The vet is an old-timer, and he has no idea what the problem is, so is treating the visible signs of infection and took blood to send out for a battery of tests. I'm no vet, but that cat is very sick- looking into her eyes is like looking at an expensive stuffed cat that is old and worse for he wear, no spark or focus. She was clearly the sickest cat there today.

To make things more difficult my friend has advanced anxiety disorder, and so cannot afford to continue paying for treatments that don't work, so she is freaking out with guilt over the cat and worry for her expenses. When I got home my cats seemed concerned, they have not been play-fighting but actually taking turns just hanging out close-by. I hope everyone that has pets who reads this gives them an extra little kiss today, and if you have a friend with anxiety disorder take a deep breath and give yourself some space to relax by yourself or with one of those perky people for some balance.

I adore chocolate, but am in the process of losing ten pounds forever, so yesterday at the grocery store I picked up a box of slim-fast shakes thinking to use one of them for my daily craving. Mixed feelings resulted. The chocolate-y taste is there but the ultra thick texture is hard to deal with. I'm going to save those for desperate times. Now, chocolate flavored Cool Whip is the bomb!

Hi Kevin/Bob/Ricardo or whatever name you are today! Hope you return from your out-of-body experience in time to chat with me later tonight. Also, Mr.AI fan, where have you been? On our last conversation you were having a hard time dealing with a jerky supervisor, we have all been there, so I'd love to know how work is going for you. How did you enjoy "Tears of the Black Tiger" indie guy? Not that it will be playing in my area anytime soon, while we have many many screens devoted to "Wild Hogs"- which I heard was good, still not planning to see that one though. Unless the person that recommended it gives me a call-back and fills out the review a bit more :)

There are special websites for men who like to wear corsets, just sayin'. Survived the bridal shower, barely avoided drowning in the sea of estrogen while playing 'fun' games. It wasn't that bad, and I will avoid them in the future. Jokes about whether or not to swallow are amusing for only so long- for me that is about 0.5 seconds.

Today I had a lunch date, we shared a dozen oysters- love freshly shucked oysters! My seared tuna wasn't as good, kind of tough in that may have been previously frozen way, so I didn't finish it and enjoyed a few of his buffalo shrimp which were perfect, lightly breaded and with real blue cheese dressing. My choice of coffee for a beverage was a mistake, a cold beer would have been better.

The race today is Busch Series, which I don't really follow, so not going out of my way to watch and that is about as eventful as today has been so far. Ooh, almost forgot the weather report- amazingly beautiful! Sunny, cool-ish, I had my run without being too sweaty or having any cold bits. There were some hotties out today working those muscles too.... It makes up for the intense cloudiness of last night which prevented my viewing of the red moon.

Ahh Deacon, such a romantic! I agree with you, unfortunately some couples are a bit more mercenary about things like gifts, etc. Would you prefer a white corset? I lean towards the jewel colors myself, but the innocence of white plus the wickedness of the shape enclosed would be an interesting juxtaposition.

I want to thank my UK friend for starting off my month with such an interesting call- and I must hear what you ultimately decide to do. That will depend on which head you listen to. Tomorrow I am joining a gym, I can't wait- that kind of thing is fun for me, weird I know. There is something so liberating about being sweaty and breathing heavily in a rather public place that I like, but if the 'trainer' they will inevitably push on me for my first visit thinks he or she is going to weigh me in front of everyone, no way! I'm 133 and sticking to it ;)

Thank-you Deacon! I'm glad you peek in on me now and then, I'll try to send some sunshine your way. It is fabulous here right now, sunny and cool enough so that make-up doesn't melt off your face. This post is also a vehicle for me to put up some pictures that will hopefully entice someone to call! This is the corset I bought for myself while bridal-shower shopping.

Daytona 500! Did you see that race?! What an awesome way to start the season, bump off the frontrunners, have some cool but safe crashes, shake everyone up. I hope that crew guy that was in the way is all right. And, I finally got to have some retail therapy thanks to Dillard's clearance sale. I bought a camo cami <- cute, a denim mini, a cami with retro polka dots and a pair of sleek chocolate brown wedge heel boots that I wore right out of the department. They were quite comfy for the first couple of hours but I did develop blister-like sensations after a while. Just as well, I was close to broke anyhow. My intentions to go to two malls ended then, but it wasn't over.

When I returned home my new cell phone was waiting for me, whoohoo. It has speakerphone which is very good for someone who has attended one too many Ministry concerts in her past.

It's Thursday, the day I was looking forward to so I could shop. Shopping happened, but not as planned. See, I'm invited to a wedding. I have nothing against people who want to get married, I do think it is an extremely misogynist tradition that dates back to the trade of women as if we are cattle, but never wanted to be married. Now I know why people do it. It isn't because the woman wants 'her day of non-stop attention" or so the groom will be more likely to get promoted. OK, it totally is, but it is also because of PRESENTS!

When can adults request their very own, to order, Xmas and birthday all in one? On their wedding day. This is inherently unfair to those of us who decide marriage isn't for them, but sometimes you still have to go to the wedding. So, what to do? Well, today, while perusing the bride's request list (registry) at Frederick's I decided that every dollar spent on someone else's request should at least be matched by one spent on myself for completely guilty pleasure.

So, one bra and panty for the bride, one corset and fabulous long robe for me!

I need some pictures up here don't I? It's Tuesday, and anyone who knows about such things knows that you don't shop department stores until Thursday to get a better deal- when they are starting the weekend sale. Can I hold out for 2 whole days, or will I succumb to the URGE to shop?? A plan is needed. Looking around, I see that organizing and dusting my house is a good idea, but can it compete with the thought of wandering around Nordstroms? I will let you know.

In other words, I love to get comments, but not when it is SPAM! Give it up, comments are moderated and I will reject every piece of spam I get.

Fashion week angst! It is Fashion Week right now and the upcoming trends are Anti-BOOBIES! Yep, loose tops, 60's inspired shifts, all garments lovely for the small busted and big-hipped are coming at me in full force! Really, right now I could spit out my unsweetened tea but I won't since I would just have to clean it up. Do you know what a girl with 38's looks like in a shift dress? Ever seen "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"?, well you have probably forgotten the obnoixously pregnant wife of the other son (the not-gay one) but, yeah, thats what big tits+ no waist= equals, dowdy, frumpy ewwww. So I am going to go retro Mariyn esque this year, with the occasional superhero look cuz I love tall boots and form fitting clothes. Trends, well we will see what the shoes and handbags look like.

In other boob related news, I really am convinced that the recent growth of mine is due to something I am consuming. The scary part about that is I hardly ever eat red meat, and do eat lots of veggies and fruit. So, maybe the diet we are all encouraged to follow is high in something weird the freaks out hormones. Or, I should write a book to promote bigger breasts among the readers, hmmm, who should be models thus forcing designers to notice the curvy up top women....

Most Awesome movie I rewatched this weekend is "Vampyros Lesbos"! I told one of my friends about this film and now must tell the world!! Made in 1971 (the best time for movies) this one is visually cool, beautiful women with just enough 70's glam, think undone on the beach w/ eyeliner rather than stiff Elvis era Priscilla and you have an idea. Of course the women are naked or close to it for a lot of the film, the soundtrack is acid inspired if ever one was, and the Vampria's house is a post-mod masterpiece. Add all this to awesomely bad acting and the slowest chase scene in all of films (on the stairs)and you have some gripping 4am movie magic. I loved it so much my eye makeup was inspired, so black eyeliner and mascara here I come! If you do watch the movie I'd love to read comments about it. Also, Yay Dungy!!

I promised someone a special picture that I wanted to have a prop so he would know it was meant for him, but the prop keeps getting eaten! So, here are a couple of pics I took today- it's kind of dark due to POURING rain.

You are Bettie Page

Girl next door with a wild streak You're a famous beauty - with unique look And the people like you are cultish about it

What Famous Pinup Are You?

That's pretty funny! This too..

You Are a Bad Girl

You are 30% Good and 70% Bad You're a total bad girl, from your wild hair to tattooed toes. But you're too badass to even care if you're labeled "bad"!

Are You a Good Girl or a Bad Girl?