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About this blog

THE SWEET SPOT My journal on my expedition to Bandlandia and my adventures there. I plan to stay forever (been to Onederland many times, but I never stayed long). Join me!:see

Entries in this blog

 

10/28/09 Pumpkin Patch

Halloween is a big deal at our house. The house has been decorated for weeks, the front porch has been ablaze with lights nightly and the giant web is up in the two story foyer. We’ve got our electronic bats, spiders, and ghost ready to hang on the front porch, the black light ready to shine on the web, and the scary music CD’s ready to blast out the window.   The neighborhood is rife with giggles as we ‘Phantom Ghost’ each others homes secretly leaving goodies on each other’s porches. We finally got ghosted last night and DS2 is so excited to be able to ghost two new houses tonight with the plastic pumpkins we bought and filled with goodies.   We went to the pumpkin patch two weekends ago with our ‘kids’…there’s a huge orchard/pumpkin farm nearby and there are corn mazes, pony rides, cider making and all kinds of activities for the kids. We were laughing as rode the hayride out to the pumpkin patch this year…we were the only ones without a small child, but our 22 yo DD and 14 yo DS2 wouldn’t have missed this for anything…my kids love family traditions. They picked their pumpkins, ran through the maze, and drank their cider just like every other year.   Every year we have pumpkin carving night. We each carve a pumpkin while we drink hot cider and I wash the seeds and toast them. I’m always looking for new pumpkin carving kits and ideas to inspire our work. We've done this kit...kind of like the old-school light bright that works with colored pegs you hammer in. We've also used a regular houshold drill to make cool designs. We've done lots of 'silhouette' ones like these...a cat against the moon, a spider, a skeleton, and lots of faces. They're easy if you buy or print a pattern online...you can carve right through the paper pattern as you go. You can also carve words (we've done "BOO" and "OSU" before). Picking the right pumpkin so you can use the stem as part of the design is also something we've done...they make for a pretty interesting faces.   I'm looking for some easy clever ideas this year. Here are a few I found. Pi... These masks add a nice touch... Love this... Clever food... Cute, but not sure how it would play out at night... Or if you're really good at carving... I think I found my design. The PBing Pumpkin...it's just too fitting...
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10/27/09 Goal Limbo

I’m coining a new phrase here on LBT. Because I’m going to need it. Soon. How many threads, posts, and blogs have you seen here about LB’ers who are getting close to goal (usually starting about 30 lbs. out from goal, depending on their BMI) and are facing a whole new set of challenges. Their BMI is lower, as is their weight. Although they’re at their Sweet Spot the amount of food they can eat and still lose weight is no longer working for them. The same goes for exercise. Yeah, they’ve hit plateaus before, but that doesn’t even come close to this…it’s much worse…the weight loss stalls and slows down to a painful crawl…a death march even. I’m paying more attention to all those ‘30 and Goal’ posts (sounds like a football commentary, doesn’t it?). They feel guilty for complaining or even asking for support here…How can they not feel guilty for even seeking support when they’ve lost a ton of weight and are now in clothes sizes they haven’t seen in years…for some, since grade school? How can they justify needing support when others are struggling just to start losing their weight? After all, they’re so close to goal…and look at all the newbies here just starting their 6 mo. diet…or those that are now in ‘Bandster Hell’ and are just trying so hard to maintain and wait for those fills. What right do they have to complain? They’d look like FOOLS for complaining! They’ve lost a ton of weight…they’re almost at goal…they look better…they feel better…they are so happy with their weight loss…I’m with you…WHAT THE HECK DO THEY HAVE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT? Except…now…I’m almost there… These Banders get that. They feel the same way…they feel happy and frustrated at the same time…they’re happy with how far they’ve come, but they’re frustrated with their slow progress getting those last 30 or so pounds off. Should they feel happy or sad? They don’t even know how to feel about it…and it‘s not like the NSV’s are still pouring in to make them feel good as they‘ve now been this weight for awhile. Maybe they even feel a little like a failure and as though they’ve let others or themselves down with their slow weight loss. These Banders feel like they have to apologize for even complaining. Over and over they feel like they had to justify why they had a right to be frustrated at all. So how do you go about explaining how horrible it feels being so close to goal and for your weight loss to stall. You lost the bulk of the weight at least somewhat steadily, but now the scale is barely moving and at this rate it might/is taking years to get to goal.   Those people generally get sympathy from others who are in the same position they are, or others that have already been through it (and we know there not as many ‘old-timers’ here…maybe this is why some disappear even?). Don’t we all give great sympathy to those going through ‘Bandster Hell’? It’s because we’ve all been there. I kept thinking…heck, when I was going through that period after banding and before restriction and I was feeling down and needed support all I had to say was ‘I’m going through Bandster Hell’ and I’d get all kinds of support…‘Oh, I’ve been there too’… ‘This is normal’ … ‘Don’t worry it will end soon’ … ‘Try this…’ Mention just two words ‘Bandster Hell’ and you need not have to explain any further…we get it…we sympathize. Here’s the thing…I’ve decided I’ll need an acronym or at least a term for this period in my Band journey. If I can say PB, Slime, Stuck, or Bandster Hell and I don’t need to explain or justify these terms and my being there, then why isn’t there one for this tough, usually longest phase in the Band journey? I looked on several sites and there isn’t one. I need a term so that I can talk about this without having to give a lengthy explanation and justification each time…something like ‘Bandster Hell’. I figure the best time to come up with this is even before I start into this phase. I don’t need your support yet for this, because I’m not there yet, but I will be soon. I looked at words and I found one that really struck home…LIMBO, in limbo: a state of uncertainty or of being kept waiting; a state of oblivion or neglect; a condition of uneasiness or aprehension; a state or place of profound anxiety brought on by the unknown; indeterminate state; a condition of unknowable outcome. Well that works. So I’m coining a new phrase for myself (and anyone else) here so I won’t have to explain or justify why I need support. I’ll soon be 30 lbs. or less from goal and I’m sure I’ll need to continue getting support here. You’ll read this phase name and you’ll just nod your head and know exactly what I’m talking about and hopefully give me the support I’ll still need (because if your not there yet, you know you soon will be). You’ll understand that I have the right to be frustrated or upset because this phase of the journey brings its own set of challenges and it’s own set of emotional issues. I’ll need the same support you give all of us at any point in this journey. You see, I’m headed into that last phase of Weight Loss…and I may be there a LOOONG time so I’ll need your patience and understanding. I’m headed into ‘Goal Limbo’.
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10/26/09 My Best Feature

What’s your best feature? How many posts have I read here from obese women saying they’re sick and tired of hearing they’ve got ‘such a pretty face’. I’ve always been told it’s my eyes, but they're not my best feature.   OK, I’m not usually a ‘cutesy’ or what DH would call a ‘hokey’ person (he's dating himself...and what does that mean LOL). I haven't named my cars or my houses. I’ve seen lots of people here who’ve named their bands…weird? Maybe. After all, we have names for all our other body parts right? I haven’t shared my band with anyone but DH so how could I openly call it ‘My LB’? Out of necessity (or so I’m telling myself, well, and you) I gave my band parts names…naw, they‘re more like code words that happen to be names. After all…when I was having a problem with my band in front of others and DH would ask me ‘WHAT‘S THE PROBLEM?!!’ How could I answer (and no, I haven‘t had to use the code names much at all, maybe twice ever)? Shhh…don’t tell anyone…and I’m NOT being cutesy, or hokey, or weird (OK, maybe a little). I answer in code (depending on the problem)… ‘I forgot to call Phil!’ or ‘I need a Fluffy pillow for my back!’ I’m sure you’ve guessed…Phil is my port (I know, no elaboration necessary on that one)…and Fluffy (my first Avatar phrase here was ‘I’m not Fat, I’m Fluffy!’ It was something my DS2 always said about me…cute, but it hit home too) so Fluffy…yeah, she’s my band and gets even Fluffier with each fill as I get…well, less fluffy. Phil and Fluffy…they’re a good couple…sure they fight sometimes…first one is happy, but then the other one isn’t…then vice versa…then they’re both unhappy…but mostly they get along (sorry, it’s the drugs talking). It’s like having new family members…they’re there to help (sometimes annoy) and support me and that’s just what they’re doing. I think they’re my new ‘best feature’.
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10/24/09 My Family Rocks

Just a brief update. As you know, the ancient laptop I've been using (used one we got for DD to use while she was in France since she has a desktop-now in her room) has been giving us fits all along. It has been in and out of 'computer rehab' for a year now and the latest intervention sent it to rehab for more psychotherapy about a month ago...there's a desktop in the basement, but I've been missing the convenience of the laptop.   My family just called me downstairs (so I drug my bum out of bed). They'd gone out, bought me my very own new laptop, and set it all up for me (they wanted me to 'Give it a try!' so here I am)! DH said he'd found out Friday that the hard drive on the old one wasn't worth fixing this time (I hope the rehab facility gives it a nice memorial service). My first computer that's just mine (and they didn't even know it was my 6-mo. Bandiversary this week LOL)!!!   My Family Rocks!:wink:
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10/22/09 Six Month Bandiversary!

Sorry, I can't share my 'cake'         Today is my six month Bandiversary! I can't believe it's been six months already! The six month diet pre-op seemed to take foreverrrrr (sorry newbies)...this past six months...OK, Bandster Hell was a little slow, but time just sped up after that. I wonder when I'll ever stop feeling like a newbie? I still learn something new here every week...the band journey is consistent in its inconsistency so there's always something new to learn.     OK, you can have just a bite of this one (it's SF).         Let's see, what's happened in six months with the band? I've:   - Become an April 'Bunny' (and Hef still makes us weigh in weekly)   - Had 4 fills and now have 5.9cc/10cc LB   - Had to return to the hospital the week of banding; overnight on my 50th birthday (no problems)   - Gone from a size 22 jean to a size 16   - Made it through Bandster Hell while starving (but still losing weight)   - Had a few gain weeks   - Lost 46 lbs. since banding (65 total)   - Had a few plateaus   - Gone from a 34.8 BMI (37.7 originally) to 27.2 and moved from an Obese to Overweight BMI   - Paid my full insurance deductible   - Moved into Onederland   - Learned how to slime and PB like a pro   - Reached weighing less than DH   - Attended the Semi-Annual SWA (Scale Whores Anonymous) meeting   - Made lots of LB friends   - Reached my Sweet Spot   - Developed Acid Reflux   - Stopped 'Dieting'       What's happened in six months in my life? I've Celebrated:   - My 50th Birthday   - Our 27th Anniversary   - Our DD's College Graduation and her first (and second) 'real' job   - Our DS1's HS Graduation and his move to college   - My father's 80th Birthday               and I've:   - Seen my DD buy her first car and get her first speeding ticket   - Visited my Alma-mater- OSU game- and watched them lose in the last minute   - Watched DS1 get on another Honor Roll and in his second expensive fender bender   - Been on vacation twice (SC and AZ)         The LB is like life...there are ups and downs, highs and lows...it's a lifestyle...and I'm loving it!     P.S. FYI-I posted what I found out about hair regrowth as a comment to that blog. Click HERE    
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10/21/09 Feel the Burn

*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book                 Bet you didn't know you have another 'sphincter' hee-hee                                        
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10/20/09 Farmageddon

I’ll have to say I’ve paid more attention to the flu this year than any other…well, except the years we’ve gotten it. How can you not pay attention…it’s been on the news for almost a year now. I knew that the Swine/H1N1 flu was going to be worse this fall (because the news told me so), but how much can you really do to ‘prepare’? I’ll have to confess that I’m the one in our family who’s best at the medical stuff…I don’t freak out, but calmly go about treating minor things or running to the ER for major ones… DH…not so good…remember that whole ‘parents that are a doctor & nurse’ syndrome…and remember how he was suddenly ‘having flu like symptoms’ each time I went into labor…yeah, I caught on the third time…strong man, but medical stuff…not so much. Need a patient advocate?…I’m a good one…given time, I find out the right questions to ask, I don’t waste the docs time with things I can find out on my own and I’m an informed Mom who feels better about what’s going on because I know what’s going on…DH…not so much…I had to give him the short list of questions to ask when I woke up from my LB surgery…only because I was afraid I wouldn’t remember talking to them.   The one thing that secretly (shhh!) freaks me out a little bit medically…pandemics…I blame it on that movie ‘Outbreak’. Ever since I saw that I’ve been secretly (shhh!) afraid that it’s going to wipe out the human race…and hey…boo-boo’s I can see...I can butterfly and steri-strip a deep cut like a pro (I had a nurse mom too)…but germs…I can’t see those. Now I don’t want to add to the mass-hysteria…I’m not overly freaked about this flu…just aware.       DS2 and I both have Asthma…we’ve both had pneumonia…him; several times and me a half dozen. I’ve had some major respiratory incidents; notably a 12 week continuous BAD cough that had me about ready to curl up in a ball in a padded room from sheer exhaustion. DS2 has had some weird (not severe) auto-immune things in the past. He seems to get sick easier than the rest of us now…and he’s not a complainer, so when he gets sick he’s usually really sick. So hearing that this flu strain can have rare severe respiratory problems associated with it made my ears perk up. I’d been calling our Internist, the Pediatrician and the Doc I set up for DS1 at his school since early September trying to schedule all our shots (we always get the seasonal flu shot). The Ped. won and got the seasonal flu shots in first and DS2 had his at least 3 weeks ago. DH got his seasonal one at work last week. I believe DS1 had his already as well (I forget the schedule I sent him). I’m going this morning for my seasonal shot as they finally got it in...and DD, well she's off traveling again so she asked me to make an appointment today...airplanes and flu...yikes. and this is how we all got Swine Flu   I picked DS2 up at school yesterday afternoon for his annual physical, PFT (breathing test) and H1N1 shot and stood in the office listening to all the moms there to pick up their kids from the nurse. Apparently, the Swine flu is now rampant at the school. DS2 greeted me with an ‘I don’t feel so good.’ Uh-Oh. The lastest celebrity victim...as if there's any question 'who done it'.   Off to the Ped. we went. The huge waiting room was as full as I’ve seen it. Coughs and sneezes were sounding off everywhere. Darn, I wished I’d bought those masks that Dad recommended we get (he’s got lung problems too). Side note: At last year's neighborhood Halloween party I went as the Stock Market and DH went as a banker wearing a golden parachute. This year, I'm SO making the next one (maybe add a curly tail?...or maybe I'm still too fat and someone won't 'get it?!! Might be risky!): They were so backed up we had to wait 45 min. to get in. DS1 was about to kill me by the time we got in as I was using the wait as a 'teachable moment' reminding him not to touch anything, not to touch his face, how long/best way to wash your hands, how the kids weren't using their elbows to cough/sneeze into, how many MPH a sneeze comes out at and how far it goes...and I threw him some hand sanitizer. So we went through his long 2 part PFT testing…no problems (and no fever…whew)…and then I made sure we got in his H1N1 shot before leaving; we had another appointment and so we rescheduled the physical for Friday morning (it was now 1.5 hours past the appt. time). I asked her if they could do anything for all those kids here with the flu and she said they were only seeing the ones with severe respiratory problems…hmmm. Well, here’s hoping he got that vaccine in time…and that I didn’t infect him by taking him to the Ped’s! He was complaining of a headache this morning, and the slight sore throat is still there but no fever so I had to send him (I'm waiting for that call from the nurse). Stay well everyone…I’m off for my seasonal flu shot…
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10/16/09 The Life of a College Freshman (and his Non-Helicopter Mom)

So we've been talking about teens lately here on LBT and I've had some new updates in my middle one's (DS1) life at college this month.   He's pretty sure he already wants to change his major…not a big surprise as many college students do. I give PSU a lot of credit for immersing them in a course in their major their first semester. He’s decided that an Engineering Major (in CS)- is not for him as it doesn’t involve enough people interaction and he doesn’t want a job where you sit at a computer all day. Well, that’s good to know sooner rather than later. He’s bright and has time to figure out what he wants to do…my DH was ‘Undeclared’ until they came and made him pick a major his junior year. We reviewed his plan and listened. I'm trying so hard to NOT to be a 'Helicopter Mom' (the ones that hover and solve all their problems for them; I know college is as much about becoming an adult as it is about school). DS's already been to get advice from three of the Profs in the Engineering Dept. so they’ve got a plan (and I'm not worried...yet).   He joined a fraternity (put a wrench in all our plans to see him as he has 'pledge duties' and events, but I'm NOT hovering)…when we called him last night he was scraping out the deep fryer at the fraternity house with another Pledge. They’d run out of dish soap and were contemplating whether floor soap would work LOL (OK, I had to make a few suggestions on this one...I'm the Clean Queen). He’s the Treasurer of his Pledge Class, so it's good he's getting involved. I was glad to hear the fraternity has mandatory study hours for him…sounds like a balance…we’ll see...DH and I met as Greeks…we know. So yesterday afternoon I get an urgent call from him wanting to borrow all our camping gear …and I need it in two hours…Oh, and I need the big 4 room tent because we have 10 guys. Me- OK, where are you camping? I’m thinking this might be a pledge class thing. PATERNOVILLE! he says excitedly. So after several stressful hours of packing up his long list (tent, tarps, lantern, sleeping gear, board games, etc.) and adding a few of my own (bags and bags of chips and food, an extra blanket, and a small gift for my God-daughter/his cousin there…I have to keep my informants happy), two of his friends (that go to a satellite of PSU near here) came to pick it all up on their way to Main Campus.   So you’re asking…WHAT THE HECK IS PATERNOVILLE? Well, I can tell you. Penn State has long given out non-seat specific tickets to students (they all sit in one section), and in order to get front row seats on the rail, students started camping out a few days prior to games. PSU became part of the Big 10 and in 2005 with the biggest and longest (6 day) campout in anticipation of the Ohio State game, the name ‘Paternoville’ (for Coach Joe Paterno) was finally given to the tent city when one student hung a banner with the name. Paternoville now has its own student government with officers and continues to grow. There are all kinds of rules like: you have to pre-register, max 10 in a group, one per group has to be lined up at the stadium at all times (they take turns…after all they’re expected to still go to school) what day/time they’re allowed to set up (Thursdays for most games, it’s a week before for the OSU game), etc. …and they’ve got it down to a science. The Paternovillers get special wristbands and on game day the stadium workers wake the camp about 6:30am with the loud speakers playing the sound of a rooster crowing, by 7am the tents have to be down. Well, it snowed yesterday at PSU and Paternoville was cancelled for this week’s game due to the weather. We bought tickets for our whole family to go to the OSU game there on Nov. 7th and stay the whole weekend to visit (as did my God-daughter's family...can't wait to see him...I'm NOT hovering)…I’m sure it will be another Penn State White Out. We’ll be easy to spot in our Ohio State Alumni scarlet and gray and no, we won’t be staying in Paternoville …but I know who will (pic attached)! Ahhh...the life of a college Freshman....
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10/14/09 What Goes Around Comes Around

I just had to share a little laugh I had today. I got my hair trimmed yesterday (same style I've had the last 4 mo. or so) and I was showing the new gal how I wanted my hair with swoopy bangs and curled back...you know layered and flipped back like the 80's.   Today I was trying on some more old pants from the closet and found this old pair of 18's I can barely fit into (I'm in a 16 at the stores now...more generous sizes...love that). They are those old high waisted jeans...hit me way above the belly button right on the port (which I put high enough that pants wouldn't hit them LOL). They would be described these days as 'Mom Jeans' yikes! I'm so glad shirts are long right now so I can camouflage the old styles, but when DD gets home from her business trip I think we'll have to go through a few of these and decide what looks too outdated.   I was standing there in the bathroom mirror thinking I was styling like the 80's again! Well, I don't weigh 135 anymore and the hair isn't as 'BIG' (especially with half my hair falling out from the anesthesia…I think that finally stopped) but you know what I mean! ...and when will I start liking any photo of me...ugh.   Pic 1- Me 1980 and my BIG hair, sorry you can't see the high waist jeans Pic 2- Me today and my still huge hips/thighs, pulled my shirt up...see how high these are!
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10/12/09 I?m Seeing Red

To finish my vacation adventures (sorry for my acrophobic ‘safety’ issues in the last blog LOL)….   After driving out the East gate of the Grand Canyon, we stopped in Cameron for lunch. We headed down to Sedona with side trips to the Wupatki Indian ruins (we decided we’re not ‘ruins’ people after stopping at several as we thought they all looked the same) and then to Sunset Crater; an old volcano (we both loved the lava fields…my geologist DH was in heaven). We also stopped at the overlook in Oak Creek Canyon to get a great view of the switchback road we’d be driving down and the cliffs.   We checked into our hotel, grabbed a glass of wine and walked to the edge of the mesa the hotel is on where we sat on a rock to watch the sunset overlooking the red rocks of West Sedona and then to dinner.   We were up at dawn to watch the sunrise and hiked around the base of Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte. Got some breakfast and then we decided (well, I picked two and let DH chose) to do a harder hike (labeled ‘Moderate’ instead of ‘Easy’); and he picked Doe Mountain. I thought it would be OK, since the hike was only a mile and a half up about 500’ to the top of a mesa and then several miles around the mesa top…and heck, I’d just done so great hiking into the Grand Canyon and all (what I didn’t know then…). We arrived at the trailhead and signed in (in case you disappear from the face of the Earth they know where to start looking for your body). We saw some others on their way up and passed a few on their way down. The trail was steep switchbacks on one side of the mesa and was a pretty good, but skinny path. I was doing OK until about 1/3 of the way up and then as I followed DH the trail seemed to deteriorate. We were suddenly on a VERY narrow path, but we could still follow it, with the cliff on the side and then it got even worse…we were ducking under bushes and near the top we were climbing straight up rock faces and trying to wedge our fingers and toes into the crevices so we could climb. About this time I’m cursing the Red Rock Ranger station for labeling this a ‘Moderate’ hike…and screaming ‘If they call this ‘Moderate’ what the heck do they call ‘Hard’? I about need some ropes and carabineers to get up these rocks as it is! This is supposed to be HIKING! NOT rock climbing!!!’ Well, I made it up the last steep section with DH bracing me at points and then up the last rock ‘chute’ to the top of the mesa. The plants here were very spaced out with wide areas between them. We followed the ‘trail’, which quickly disappeared, but it was no problem as the instructions said it circled the edge of the mesa, so we just stayed near the edge. We got to the edge overlooking Sedona and sat for a snack/water and to take some photos. About that time I had to ‘go’, badly…so I found the tallest ‘bush’ I could to crawl under (about 4’ tall) and had DH be the lookout…we hadn’t seen anybody since the beginning of the trail. Sure enough here comes a helicopter! I scrambled to finish as DH said he was told to lookout for hikers, not helicopters…smarta$$. Off we went to circle the edge back to the trailhead. There was no path to be found, but we knew we’d find the trailhead down if we just stayed on the edge. After another hour and it looked like only ½ the mesa circled to us, we ran into the lady we had seen going up the trail before we’d started. She was completely lost and had been circling the mesa for a long time. After some discussion on not being able to see our parking lot/cars from where we were and our experience from where we’d just been, we decided to forgo the other ½ of the mesa’s edge and cut across it to take a peek on the other side (she was an experienced hiker from Colorado).   We were joking along to each other about how we were glad we’d signed in below…perhaps a helicopter would come by before dark…could we spell ‘HELP’ with rocks…etc, etc. Another ½ hour picking through some thicker brush and getting stabbed by cactus plants and we came to the other side. We saw the cars far below and set out along the edge to where we thought the trailhead would be. I swallowed my pride and discussed how much more difficult I’d thought the trail up was (wondering how I was going to get down all those rock faces) and to my surprise she complained as well and described the same problems coming up. Soon we saw another couple and after calling to them, to our relief they were at the top of the trailhead (they had just gone a short way onto the mesa and returned the same way…thank goodness someone had some sense). DH and I then realized it would have taken us several hours more to get here if we had circled the entire mesa…it was MUCH larger than we thought and the top loop could not have included the entire mesa.   We started down the path with our new group and we weren’t 2 minutes down the second switchback when I knew we were walking much further West than we’d been on the way up (I could tell from looking at our cars far below). Just as I thought that the lost Coloradoan said the same thing! Suddenly, we were all describing our rock climbing on the way up and the other couple was laughing at us…apparently, the three of us had gotten off the normal trail! They thought they’d seen the point where we’d made a wrong turn on the way up because they’d almost done the same thing. Well let me tell you, we were laughing the whole way down…it was a much longer trip on the way down then the route we’d taken, but at least I was walking and not climbing! I should have known better than to let DH lead…he’s got a terrible sense of direction, and like any man, he’d never admit he was lost or ask for directions. We were happy to cross our names off the sign-in as we returned and I parted from our company with ‘Thank-you.’ and ‘Happy Trails!’ as they laughed. We cleaned up back at the hotel where DH and I used tweezers to get out the small cactus needles and he even had one huge one that was about 4” into his thigh…that’ll teach him not to ask for a women’s help!   We drove up to Oak Creek Canyon for our last trail that afternoon. It’s its own microclimate of lush foliage and tall pines along a creek in the middle of that desert. It was a cool, tranquil FLAT hike…just what we needed. We said goodbye to the red rocks of Sedona and to Arizona as we woke to our first rain (made it easier to part) the next morning for our flight home. It’s a beautiful place. Pics 1- Sunset Crater lava field 2- Bell Rock 3- On top of Doe Mountain Mesa 4- Oak Creek Canyon 5- " " "
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10/12/09 I?m Seeing Red

To finish my vacation adventures (sorry for my acrophobic ‘safety’ issues in the last blog LOL)….   After driving out the East gate of the Grand Canyon, we stopped in Cameron for lunch. We headed down to Sedona with side trips to the Wupatki Indian ruins (we decided we’re not ‘ruins’ people after stopping at several as we thought they all looked the same) and then to Sunset Crater; an old volcano (we both loved the lava fields…my geologist DH was in heaven). We also stopped at the overlook in Oak Creek Canyon to get a great view of the switchback road we’d be driving down and the cliffs.   We checked into our hotel, grabbed a glass of wine and walked to the edge of the mesa the hotel is on where we sat on a rock to watch the sunset overlooking the red rocks of West Sedona and then to dinner.   We were up at dawn to watch the sunrise and hiked around the base of Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte. Got some breakfast and then we decided (well, I picked two and let DH chose) to do a harder hike (labeled ‘Moderate’ instead of ‘Easy’); and he picked Doe Mountain. I thought it would be OK, since the hike was only a mile and a half up about 500’ to the top of a mesa and then several miles around the mesa top…and heck, I’d just done so great hiking into the Grand Canyon and all (what I didn’t know then…). We arrived at the trailhead and signed in (in case you disappear from the face of the Earth they know where to start looking for your body). We saw some others on their way up and passed a few on their way down. The trail was steep switchbacks on one side of the mesa and was a pretty good, but skinny path. I was doing OK until about 1/3 of the way up and then as I followed DH the trail seemed to deteriorate. We were suddenly on a VERY narrow path, but we could still follow it, with the cliff on the side and then it got even worse…we were ducking under bushes and near the top we were climbing straight up rock faces and trying to wedge our fingers and toes into the crevices so we could climb. About this time I’m cursing the Red Rock Ranger station for labeling this a ‘Moderate’ hike…and screaming ‘If they call this ‘Moderate’ what the heck do they call ‘Hard’? I about need some ropes and carabineers to get up these rocks as it is! This is supposed to be HIKING! NOT rock climbing!!!’ Well, I made it up the last steep section with DH bracing me at points and then up the last rock ‘chute’ to the top of the mesa. The plants here were very spaced out with wide areas between them. We followed the ‘trail’, which quickly disappeared, but it was no problem as the instructions said it circled the edge of the mesa, so we just stayed near the edge. We got to the edge overlooking Sedona and sat for a snack/water and to take some photos. About that time I had to ‘go’, badly…so I found the tallest ‘bush’ I could to crawl under (about 4’ tall) and had DH be the lookout…we hadn’t seen anybody since the beginning of the trail. Sure enough here comes a helicopter! I scrambled to finish as DH said he was told to lookout for hikers, not helicopters…smarta$$. Off we went to circle the edge back to the trailhead. There was no path to be found, but we knew we’d find the trailhead down if we just stayed on the edge. After another hour and it looked like only ½ the mesa circled to us, we ran into the lady we had seen going up the trail before we’d started. She was completely lost and had been circling the mesa for a long time. After some discussion on not being able to see our parking lot/cars from where we were and our experience from where we’d just been, we decided to forgo the other ½ of the mesa’s edge and cut across it to take a peek on the other side (she was an experienced hiker from Colorado).   We were joking along to each other about how we were glad we’d signed in below…perhaps a helicopter would come by before dark…could we spell ‘HELP’ with rocks…etc, etc. Another ½ hour picking through some thicker brush and getting stabbed by cactus plants and we came to the other side. We saw the cars far below and set out along the edge to where we thought the trailhead would be. I swallowed my pride and discussed how much more difficult I’d thought the trail up was (wondering how I was going to get down all those rock faces) and to my surprise she complained as well and described the same problems coming up. Soon we saw another couple and after calling to them, to our relief they were at the top of the trailhead (they had just gone a short way onto the mesa and returned the same way…thank goodness someone had some sense). DH and I then realized it would have taken us several hours more to get here if we had circled the entire mesa…it was MUCH larger than we thought and the top loop could not have included the entire mesa.   We started down the path with our new group and we weren’t 2 minutes down the second switchback when I knew we were walking much further West than we’d been on the way up (I could tell from looking at our cars far below). Just as I thought that the lost Coloradoan said the same thing! Suddenly, we were all describing our rock climbing on the way up and the other couple was laughing at us…apparently, the three of us had gotten off the normal trail! They thought they’d seen the point where we’d made a wrong turn on the way up because they’d almost done the same thing. Well let me tell you, we were laughing the whole way down…it was a much longer trip on the way down then the route we’d taken, but at least I was walking and not climbing! I should have known better than to let DH lead…he’s got a terrible sense of direction, and like any man, he’d never admit he was lost of ask for directions. We were happy to cross our names off the sign-in as we returned and I parted from our company with ‘Thank-you.’ and ‘Happy Trails!’ as they laughed. We cleaned up back at the hotel where DH and I used tweezers to get out the small cactus needles and he even had one huge one that was about 4” into his thigh…that’ll teach him not to ask for a women’s help!   We drove up to Oak Creek Canyon for our last trail that afternoon. It’s its own microclimate of lush foliage and tall pines along a creek in the middle of that desert. It was a cool, tranquil FLAT hike…just what we needed. We said goodbye to the red rocks of Sedona and to Arizona as we woke to our first rain (made it easier to part) the next morning for our flight home. It’s a beautiful place.
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10/9/09 It was GRAND!

*Portion of Post Deleted for Lap Band Book       Now, on to my vacation adventures…         I flew out to Phoenix and using the light rail, I met DH at his hotel where he’d been for work. We got the rental car and stopped at Wal-Mart to get the cooler and my water bottles. We stopped to tour Montezuma’s Castle (an ancient cliff dwelling). We drove into Sedona (hotel) and our jaws dropped as we got our first glimpse of the red rocks.         Saturday we watched dawn and then headed up to the Grand Canyon. Like I said; I teared up with my first view. Photos can’t do it justice and it’s way bigger than I imagined…ENORMOUS is too small a word.         I was shocked by how little of the canyon has any rails (not a place I’d take kids…amazed how many people let their kids walk loose). We took the obligatory photos standing on the very edge of the canyon. You don’t really know how thick that rock you’re standing on is…glad I’d lost weight! I watched as a tiny teen Asian girl walked out on the rim rock where I was to get her photo taken…I waited to make sure she made it back as the wind scared me and I must weigh twice as much.         We had our OSU gear on (a game day tradition); I wasn’t at the canyon 5 minutes when I heard someone scream from another path “O-H!”…I laughed and screamed “I-O!” (an OSU chant). This was the start of about 10 comments I got that day from other Buckeyes. It’s a small world! Lesson- wear your favorite team hat/shirt, or one that names your state and you can make friends anywhere…I’m telling you…we get this even outside this country. The OSU saying is that you could scream ‘O-H’ in the middle of a Moroccan market and someone would reply ‘I-O’!         We drove to a few other observation points and then off to our first hotel in the park (Maswik). We walked back up and had lunch on the outside porch of the El Tovar (the huge old hotel) overlooking the canyon. We walked to all the sites on the South Rim center and walked partway down the Bright Angel Trail (yes, it’s the widest, easiest trail down into the canyon there, but one false step and…again, we were was shocked by kids running and one mom pushing a stroller partway down the trail…dangerous). We got on the park’s bus and rode all the way to the Western point and walked a little way down Hermit’s Trail there. We saw general warnings at other trailheads, but this was the only place we saw info. on someone dying there and the mistakes she’d made in preparing (young fit gal who had completed the Boston Marathon before).         We made a short trip up to the Sports Lounge just to see if the OSU game was on and to find out the score…while the bartender checked, a Buckeye came over to tell us it wasn’t on and gave us the score. After sunset we grabbed a seat in the Bright Angel Lounge where a two man band was playing/singing to have dinner/drinks. Again, soon the guitarist/singer commented that OSU Buckeye’s had arrived and that the two of them were from Ohio. They both came over during their break and we had a long fun chat with them.         The next morning we were up before dawn again to grab breakfast (PB incident) and start our day hike. The front desk posted high wind warnings (50-60 mph gusts) and the helicopter and boat tours had been cancelled. I was already nervous about my lack of exercise going on this hike, but I didn’t want to disappoint DH who has walked (with his Geology Field Camp Group) all the way down into the canyon from the North Rim (farthest hike) and back up in a day (something all the trailheads warn you not to even attempt). We went on the South Kaibab trail down into the canyon to ‘Oooh-Ahhh Point'. It was steep with lots of switchbacks and loose sand and pebbles on the trail that made you slide sometimes.         We had gusts of wind that created sand storms so bad we’d all press our bodies against the canyon wall and cover our faces. Still the dirt would be in your eyes and mouth. There were were lots of very steep log/rock steps. My legs were shaking a little and after we made it down I was wondering how many hours it was going to take me to get back up. I had to stop just a few times to catch my breath (my asthma and the thin air in that altitude didn’t help), but get this…I had an easier time on the way up than the way down!!! I was shocked by my ability to keep on marching up!         At lunch the waiter warned us about being careful with the high winds. He told us that this year there was a day very similar where a tiny old Japanese woman was getting her picture taken by her family standing on the edge of the canyon…a gust blew and she fell over the rim (yes, I was thinking about the Asian girl I saw). There was a book in the gift shops about all the deaths at the GC…pages and pages of people and their stories. Here’s a description I found “the book Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon. Describes in grim detail the many ways people have gotten killed there, including falls, cardiac arrest, hypothermia, sun stroke, flash floods, drowning in the Colorado River, lightning, boulder crushings, airplane and helicopter accidents, etc. All too often tourists treat the Grand Canyon as if it is an amusement park in which everything has been idiot-proofed. To the contrary, the only thing preventing a person from walking off the edge is common sense – a slim thread indeed.” I came home and Googled…on average one to three people still die every year accidentally falling off the GC rim (not including the ones who die in the canyon on trails, and from heat stroke, etc.).         Lest I sound overly morbid…I didn't buy the book, but they ought to post better warnings. Over 600+ people have died since the late 1800’s and some 23 people are classified as being murdered in the Grand Canyon (earlier, I laughingly said to DH while I was videotaping him standing on the edge “…and this is DH right before he *ehhemm*… “FELL” off the edge!').         We took the shuttle back out to the west and hiked the rim several miles between overlooks and then all the way back to the lodge we were staying at that night (Kachina- our room had a beautiful view overlooking the canyon). We were walking back from dinner in the dark and there was an elk (first time I’ve seen one) eating the grass about 10 feet from our lodge and right on the rim…DH was hissing at me in a loud whisper as I joined others taking photos (flash, flash, flash) about 10’ from the elk ‘Get away from there!…what was all that you were reading to me on the way here about it being rutting season and the elk being aggressive this time of year?!!’ I couldn’t help myself…I was mesmerized by the giant beast (and darn it…my photos are all black LOL).         We woke early and drove the Eastern road out stopping at all the overlook. It was hard to say goodbye to that beautiful canyon. It’s easy to see why it’s one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World…I can’t wait to see the other six. More on Sedona next…         1- Rim   2- S. Kaibab Switch-backs   3- On the trail   4- Oooh-Aahh Point   5- Up the trail        
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10/8/09 The Band Goes On Vacation

*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book         1- My first glimpse of the Grand Canyon...brought tears to my eyes!   2- View from Desert View Rim   3- View from the East Entrance Watchtower of the Colorado River   4- Sedona Sunrise   5- Sedona Sunset          
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9/24/09 Hope for the Economy

"On September 24th and 25th, the world's financial representatives and leaders will come together to discuss economic policies and address the global financial crisis in Pittsburgh." The G-20 Summit begins tomorrow and the delegates are arriving (our President arrives today). President Obama will chair this meeting of 20 leaders from countries around the world that represent 85 percent of the world’s economy. Pittsburgh was chosen in May by the White House (the last summit was held in London in April). The reason for Pittsburgh? "The reason, according to the White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, was that Pittsburgh today serves as a model for economic and environmental transformation in the United States and abroad. The city has reinvented itself by building a balanced, innovation-driven economy based on its strengths in advanced manufacturing, financial services, information and communications technologies, health care and life sciences, education and research, and energy and environmental solutions." Pittsburgh has the first green convention center (where the Summit is being held) in the nation and the former steel mill town is now known for its higher education and health care and technology innovation. They've been preparing for the Summit for months now here. Streets have been repaved (although many roads are closed) and many local businesses and schools are closed. Downtown looks like a police state (police officers from every suburb are working this event; there was a lot of violence at the London summit that they are trying to avoid here) and hordes of protestors have come to town as well to draw attention to their issues (8 Greenpeace activists were arrested yesterday hanging off one of the city's bridges). No matter what your political or global views, I think we can all agree to have hope that the mission of this Summit is successful (to evaluate measures taken since the London summit and to implement new policies that will stimulate the global economy). We should all keep hope in our hearts that our economy will improve!
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9/22/09 Autumn Begins

Today marks the first day of Autumn here. We put up the Fall decorations this weekend. I usually wait until the end of Sept., but the next two weekends are booked for DH/and or I so we're early this year (I need his help with the outside stuff). Plus I never got the Easter or Memorial/4th of July stuff up this year because of the LB, so I'm ready to dive into another holiday (I'm a holiday freak).   I thought I'd take a few pics of my fall decorations to share for those crafters out there. I love to craft so I try to add one new thing each year (and usually get rid of old tired things). Dag, I forgot the outside...I'll take one this week to share.   - Pic 1: My stairs with basket pumpkins (store bought). DS2 stepped on the big pumpkin coming down the stairs in the dark last night; crushed it in, but DH popped it back out...creases in the back LOL.   - Pic 2: The lighted garland/bows (my neighbors tell me it looks nice at night through the glass front door). Closer to Halloween we add a giant spider web that goes across the whole 2 story foyer and up to the 2nd floor...the kids love throwing hundreds of plastic spiders up into the web (they catch and dangle down) and we have some flys and rats we wrap like a cacoon.   - Pic 3: My foyer table. DS2 and I made the pumpkin flower arrangement a few years back when he was sick at home for a week. I'm not a silk flower lover, but it works for me with fall's bright colors. He grew all the gourds in his veggie garden and we dried them. Oh, and you can see my glass front door I've mentioned before in the mirror reflection.   - Pic 4: My fireplace. I've been a Homeroom Mom for all three of our kids and as an ex-art teacher I always organize the craft. I've done the pumpkins on the right with each of their classrooms over the years. For other HR moms or those with kids (I made these up, but they're easy I swear): just a block of wood with a dowel hot glued on the top pre spray painted orange/green stem and ready for the kids to "pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch" (set them out on the floor) to decorate....raffia bows (we premade with green pipe cleaners -Kids twist around the stem with some silk green leves and older kids can make tendrils with the ends of the pipe cleaners by wrapping over a pencil, some glue-ons (spiders, etc.- they would bring to us to hot glue where they wanted) and for the face either sharpie or black sticker paper they cut depending on the grade of the class (did the black stickers with the kindergarteners- just give them large/small squares and they can cut shapes). We made DH make the big one on the right a few years back (under many protests...he hates to do art), but it didn't look right with one from each of us in the family and not him (the kids love his- candy corn wooden glue-on eyes).   - Pic 5: Acorn trees in the Dining Room. I would suggest doing these to no one! When we moved here about 10 years ago DH collected a bucket of acorns from the backyard (our backyard is up against a large wooded hillside going down with huge oak trees). He brings them in and proudly proclaims...Here, we got these for you to do a craft with! .....Ummm thanks? No clue what to do...I got some styrofoam cone shapes, covered them with fabric and hot glued the acorns on and then sprayed them with a sealant. Well, I kept finding what looked like tiny wood shavings around them...finally figured out there were tiny acorn worms burrowing holes out of them DISGUSTING...bagged them for a year and re-sealed them really well...and every year when I get these out I still have to re-glue acorns on that fall off (have a few missing in the photo- need to get out the glue gun today)....but thanks Honey for the acorns!
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9/21/09 I'll Follow The Sun

Haven’t you heard? Today’s the last full day of Summer; tomorrow is the first day of Autumn (well, at least up here on the top half of the World)! Yeah Baby, get out your bikini and run through that sprinkler one more time…Slip ‘N Slide?...Don’t mind if I do!   I don’t know about you, but this summer went by like a flash. I know it will be one I'll always remember!   Have you ever thought about all that beautiful sunshine and where it comes from? It looks like a speck of dust on the surface of the sun. But this spectacular picture shows the space shuttle Atlantis alongside the International Space Station (ISS) silhouetted as they orbit the earth.   The image was taken in Normandy by French astrophotographer Thierry Legault. He used a digital camera attached to a $7,000 specially fitted telescope. The next image (below) is an enlargement.   The shuttle and the space station can be seen in orbit 250 miles above the earth while the sun is 93 million miles away. Stop and think for a while about how far away the sun is from the camera compared to the shuttle and station. It will blow your mind.     I thought I’d celebrate the last of summer with one last great summer sunset. Here’s some music to click on and play as you enjoy the sunset on another wonderful summer...click HERE. Enjoy…                   Keep reaching for the sun all!!!
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9/15/09 Over 18

*Post Deleted for Lap Band Book                                            
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