Detox: Day 2

So detox day 2 was a tough one. I don't think I got enough sleep the night before and add that with not eating anything but fruits and veggies I was very tired. I moped around all day at work, not wanting to do anything. I had to cover phones from 2-5pm for our stupid receptionist who thinks she can leave whenever (I have issues with her if you can't tell). While watching phones, I believe I may have fallen asleep sitting up. Luckily, one of the partners came walking up the hall and coughed so I opened my eyes. I made it home and ate some zucchini, asparagus and broccoli. I cheated and had an egg cooked with Pam. Which an egg isn't really cheating, they said if I needed protein I could eat an egg white. Well no way on the egg white. I guess I fell asleep on the couch from about 6:30-7 and then fell asleep watching the office at 10. That's how tired I was, I fell asleep watching the office. I did drink my 64oz of water though!

Transitions

Tomorrow at work I start Transitions. It's a 12 week weight loss program through my firm's benefit coordinator. It's been described as Weight Watchers with supplements. I am supposed to keep track of what I eat while of course following certain rules for what I can eat. I also will be taking supplements for the 12 week program. Of course exercise will be part of the program. After the 12 weeks I am supposed to be able to have "transitioned" into healthy eating and living and be able to keep off the weight I've lost. I'm very nervous for the first week of the program because I was informed today that the first week is a "detox" week. This detox is a diet of fruits and veggies only. No salt, butter, oil, sugar, etc. I'm allowed herbs and spices to put on my fruits and veggies. But I can only cook them by steaming them. No baking, no microwave. Or eat them raw, which will not be happening. The true test will be Sunday, which of course is Super Bowl Sunday. Besides Christmas and Thanksgiving, this is the third biggest eating holiday. Yes, I'm calling it a holiday.

So tomorrow is the start of the program. As of today I am 5'8" and 170lbs. My BMI is 25.8. I have no idea what my measurements are. We get to figure that out tomorrow (not awkward at all). My goal is at least 150lbs by the end of the 12 weeks.

Wish me luck with my fruits and veggies!

A mystery.

It is a mystery to me as to why James likes to fill cups with water, put a straw in the cup, drink some of the water and then leave the cups around the house. Today as I was cleaning, I cleaned up 9 cups just from him. How do I know that they were his cups? Well besides the fact that I'll at least put my cups in the sink, they all had straws in them. These cups will accumulate on his night stand until there is no more room. I ask him, why can you not take your cups downstairs and put them in the sink? He says he can't remember to do it, which I think is a bullshit excuse. I mean come on, you can't take your cups down stairs when you are done with them. Oh, that's right, he doesn't ever finish the water that's in there. I'm going to start calling him Bo. For those of you who haven't seen "Signs", or those who need a refresh, it's the little girl that keeps leaving half empty cups around the house. In the end of the movie, those water cups save them from the aliens who, as it turns out, are deathly allergic to water. But is that really going to happen? I think not. So until the world is invaded by aliens, it will remain a mystery as to why James leaves cups of water around the house.

One cup on the desk.

3 cups on the night stand

2 cups in the bathroom. (there were 3 more on the coffee table which = 9)

Finally!

Last month I had decided that I need to learn how to use my sewing machine. I feel bad every time I see it sitting in it's box in the closet. But the last time I tried to use it (the first time ever) it did not go well and I got very angry (see here). James even suggested that I put it away for a while so I could calm down. There was finally a Sewing 101 class that I could attend at JoAnn's Fabric. I called JoAnn and she signed me up for this morning. I got there early so I could pick out the supplies I needed. The class was from 9:30 to noon and there were 5 other girls in the class with me. Lisa the instructor was awesome! I didn't bring my instruction booklet (duh) with me and she couldn't figure out how to thread my machine (cause it's front loading?) so she went around asking the other instructors how to do it. I can now thread my machine, sew a straight seem and a zig-zag seam. And I made a pocket!! I'm very excited that I know how to use this damn thing. I even bought some quilting squares to practice on. I am now part of the sewing machine users club!

My pocket!

Stuff in my pocket!

My New Mug

Happy Inauguration Day

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

-Abraham Lincoln

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of freedom."

-John F Kennedy

Quote of the Day

I get the quote of the day from the Foundation for a Better Life and I thought today's quote was worth sharing.

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”

—Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672); writer, poet, first woman to be published in Colonial America

Theater Rules

Last night me and my friends went to see Rent at Shea's Theater downtown. Now, I've been to the theater before and I was taught it was kind of a "fancy" affair that you wore nice clothes to. There is certain etiquette that you follow at the theater. So even though I'm not a consistent theater goer, I thought I'd share some etiquette tips for the theater, or these could be applied to general society.

- Don't sing along with the play to the top of your lungs and then act annoyed that people ask you to stop.

- Don't take your bag of Skittles and crinkle the wrapper all the way to your mouth, tip your head back and pour the Skittles into your mouth. This is gross and noisy.

- Don't take your box of Butterfingers, crinkle the box all the way to your mouth, tip your head back and pour the Butterfingers into your mouth. This is gross and noisy and is making me want to vomit. (Same person)

- Don't get the twitches during the play because you are now on a sugar high. Stop scratching your head constantly and moving it around like it's about to fall off.

- Don't keep raising your hands and putting your elbow on your neighbors shoulders, the people behind you can't see.

- Stop checking your cell phone. The bright light is distracting. You are not as popular as you think you are because I can see that you have had no texts or calls each time you check.

- Take your stupid bluetooth out of your ear and put it in your purse. You will not be using it during the play and the light blinking every three seconds is f-ing annoying.

- Please wear underwear to the theater. We can see your ass crack because your beer belly is too big to pull your pants over it to keep them up. You have now turned me off Sour Patch kids.

- Don't buy a water bottle at intermission and tap on it. I will ask you to stop because it is super annoying.

- If you want to rub your significant other's leg, please do it quietly or at home.

If you do this, please stop

For the love of sweet Lincoln's mullet, DO NOT talk on your cell phone while using a public restroom. The people in the other stalls do not want to hear your conversation and I'm sure the person on the other line does not want to here toilets flushing. Your cell phone is now un-sanitary, and you need to spray it with lysol. This also goes for conversations in elevators. Please tell the person to hold while you are in the elevator or take the stairs. It's just awkward for everyone involved.

Ooooooh, a heat wave

No, actually not a heat wave. It is the exact opposite. Today's high in Buffalo is supposed to be 12 degrees. Right now it is 3 degrees with a wind chill of -9 degrees. Humidity is at 83%. Let me just describe to you what -9 degrees feels like. If you go outside with no layers on it feels like you are outside naked and the cold wind is blowing onto you, the coldness goes right through your clothes. This is why they tell you to layer up. Any part of your body that is not covered by something (ie your neck between your scarf and hat, your face, the skin between your gloves and coat) will feel like it is literally frozen and will start to hurt. If you are not wearing gloves (or your fingers are exposed from your circumcised gloves) your fingers will hurt from the cold and you will not be able to use them. Not even to hold onto your ice scraper that has now broken because the ice is too thick to scrape. Your ice scraper will now look like a southern man who is missing most of his teeth. When the cold hits your face with 83% humidity, you will lose your breath it is so cold. You will want to breath in deep and feel like you can't and you won't get any air and you will start coughing and feel like your lung is about to come through your throat. This is why people wear scarves around their face and mouth. Even your toes are cold and hurt when you move them. The coldness of -9 degrees with 83% humidity makes you feel like your bones are cold and you feel like you are never going to get warm.

Follow Up

Right after I posted about being crazy, my sister sent me this. Apparently she knows I'm crazy too.

:: BREAKING NEWS ::: In 2009 the government will start deporting all the mentally ill people. I started crying when I thought of you. Run my little crazy friend, run! Well, what can I say ?? Someone sent it to me, and dammit, I'm NOT going alone !! Have a Nice Day!!!

I know I'm crazy

I've come to the conclusion that I'm crazy. Not crazy as in "I'm going to shank you with a sharp object crazy", but more the "I'm making up reasons to make myself crazy crazy". I haven't always been this way. These innocent thoughts were developed over time into crazy nightmare thoughts. There were some incidents that caused me to start thinking differently. (I won't go into those details) The following are just some of the reasons are why I'm crazy:

1. When I go to sleep at night I think that my house is going to burn down. So I have to sleep on the side of the bed next to the window in case I need to escape. I also have to have the door shut so the smoke doesn't come in and asphyxiate me. (Probably my most crazy thought.)

2. I think I smell smoke. All the time. Which means I always think something is on fire. I'll even wake up in the middle of the night thinking I smell smoke and have to calm myself down. (I have something about fire)

3. When I get a sore throat, I think I'm choking to death because I already have an enlarged thyroid.

4. Sometimes I think James has died somewhere. If he doesn't pick up or text back, for some reason I think he's dead. One time I even looked online where his class was supposed to be at UB and went there and looked for him because he was 40 minutes late coming home. I called my BFF Kristin while doing it telling her I was crazy but I kept going. He had forgot his phone and went to the store to buy milk and bread.

5. When I fly on a plane I think it will crash. Everytime. I will be sick to my stomach the whole day we are flying.

6. I carry hand sanitizer in my purse and use it after touching things in public places. I remind myself of Bob from What About Bob.

7. When my furnace goes on, I think it's going to blow up from a gas leak.

8. I don't allow James to have his grill near the house, it has to be on the opposite side of the deck. This is because I think it's going to start the house on fire.

9. I have to have the radio or tv on at all times while at home. I can't be in silence.

10. When I know I have to undo the alarm at work, I start shaking and get sick to my stomach. I've yet to have the cops come because I don't punch the code in time, but it still scares the be-jeezus out of me.

I know I've inherited this craziness from my aunts, they admit their crazy too. They give James an insight into our future. He should beware!

RIP Mitch

I'm sad to say that James's snake, Mitch, passed on to pet heaven last night. James had been saying that he didn't look well and he only ate one of the three mice he put in his cage. I thought he was just being temper mental. Then last night James went to give him more water and said he looked like death and I disagreed. At about 2am I got up to go to the bathroom and I checked on Mitch and he had passed. I unplugged the light to the cage and tried to go back to bed. I couldn't sleep knowing that I'd have to tell James. So I went downstairs and watched some Little Miss Sunshine but still couldn't fall asleep. At about 4am I went back up stairs and finally fell asleep. When James woke up I had to tell him about Mitch and I felt really bad. James hasn't had good luck with pets. His first Iguana died in his water dish. His second Iguana, Chong, we had to give away because he was so mean. His bearded dragon, Spizike, died cause it was too cold in our apartment. Then Blue, one of his turtles, was stolen from his kiddie pool on our back deck. But, Roger, our other turtle, is now 25 years old and goin' strong.

RIP Mitch

Blow Dryer, Blow Out

This morning my blow dryer decided it wanted to blow up. As I was using it to dry my hair (why else would I be using it?) it shot a flame out the end and then it made a loud, gun shot sound after which a spark came from the plug where it was plugged in. It woke James up and he came running from the bathroom and accused me of trying to burn the house down. This is because I haven't let him live down the match fiasco. I examined the plug from which the gun shot came and saw that the cord had melted away from the plug area. I was not finished drying my hair and most of you know I have massive, curly hair. I decided to let it air dry for a little while and just straighten it wet. Oh, boy, did the steam fly from the straightener. I wouldn't recommend doing this. Also, I'm pretty sure I had a small heart attack when I saw the flame shoot out and then with the gun shot sound.

Resolutions

Normally I don't make New Year's resolutions but this year I felt the need.

1. When the dentist asks if I've been flossing, I want to be able to honestly say yes, instead of saying "sometimes", which is a complete lie.

2. Make an effort to be on time, to anything. I think this is physically impossible for anyone part of the Vincent family, it just doesn't happen. If I'm on time or early, it's a fluke or I'm with James.

3. Organize my basement. Every time I go down there I am disgusted with how much junk I really have. I would estimate that 50% of the boxes down there are filled with pure shit.

4. Finally graduate from college, which I'm on pace to do in December of '09. What's really motivating me to do this is my grandmother and the excruciatingly painful conversations I have with her when I ask for tuition money. I hear things like "You are still in school?", "I think you are wasting my money", "Do you really need to go to school?", "Are you re-taking classes?", "Don't you already have a degree, why would you want more than one?", "Why do you need a minor degree?".

5. Drink more water. I know I have to since I feel thirsty all the time.

6. Lose weight. I know everyone says this, but now that I have my thyroid under control I think it's time to put forth a good effort.

7. Have more than $1000 in my savings account at any time. I have half of this, I need more.

8. Curb my online shopping addiction. I think I have finally realized I have too many clothes when I ran out of hangers.

9. Have more sympathy for others. Right now, I have absolutely no sympathy for anyone. I could probably spare some at some time.

10. Possibly try to keep my house clean for more than 2 days. It's so hard!

Picture Links

Here are some more pictures of us at the bowl game. Here. Here. Here. Here. Here. Here. Here.

BSC Busters, to say the least.

I love Utah football. Utah 31, Alabama 17. Sugar Bowl Champions.

International Bowl - UB vs. UConn

Over the weekend we ventured up to Toronto, Canadia, to see the University at Buffalo Bulls play in their first ever bowl game. Although, back in 1958 they were invited to a bowl game in the South but they were told none of the black players were allowed to come. The team voted on it and it was unanimous that they boycott the bowl game and declined the invitation. So 50 years later they were invited to the International Bowl. James has been really excited all football season and said if they are invited to a bowl game we were going to go. Before tickets even went on sale we had a count of who was going, where we were staying, ect. (I made a spreadsheet, which I enjoyed thoroughly). The bowl game was held at the Roger's Centre where the Toronto Blue Jay's play. We actually got to stay in the hotel that is built into the Roger's Centre. We did not get a room that looked onto the field though, because it was $400 a night. We left on Friday afternoon around 3pm and made it up there by 5:30 or so. We checked in and immediately started to look for a place where we could watch Utah kick ass in football. We found a basketball sports bar just down the road and ventured out into the bitter coldness of the night. We got there and I asked (told) the manager to please put the Utah game on or we would find somewhere else to eat and watch the game that would put it on. So he ran right over and turned it on for us (me). After dinner I went into the bar area where they put the game on the big projection tv. Some silly (stupid) Canadians were upset with this but I handled (told them to f-off) the situation. I had some hecklers, cause I was wearing my bright red Utah shirt, but I also handled them quite well. Also, Canadians don't respond well to you telling them "Well dude, at least I'm not Canadian". Apparently that's an insult, but they should know they are stupid. They also don't respond well to you just turning around, telling them to f-off, and giving them the Ba-Bye wave. Ha ha, they are soooo dumb. The next day we were all up bright and early for the noon kick-off. We again ventured out into the coldness of the morning to find a Tim Horton's (coffee shop), since we did not want to pay $17 for eggs and toast in the hotel. We got into the stadium at about 11:30 and went to find our seats. Surprisingly, in the Roger's Center row 6 and 7 really mean rows 2 and 3. We were super excited. Since I organized the weekend and purchased the tickets, I rewarded myself by sitting in row 6 with Kristin and Corinne and made the boys sit in the other seats in in row 7. The boys told me I was on tv but it was during a touchdown when I wasn't paying attention to the game. Woops! The Bulls ended up losing but the experience was amazing.

Our hotel room

The view

This crazy hallway was inside our room.

Out watching the Utah game.

Walking back to the hotel in the frigid cold.

A different view in the morning.

Today's Events: The International Bowl!

Inside the stadium

Corinne and I on row 2! - Yes I am wearing a Utah jacket, I had to represent.

The 1958 football team

Victor E. Bull

Happy New Year's

This year on New Year's our friend Charlie invited us to a party at his fiance Karen's house. This was a very special party that you had to RSVP for two weeks in advance. That's because it was a Beer Tasting party. I like to think I'm pretty diverse in the beer tasting category but I was schooled by my friends. I got 4 out of 10 the first round and 4 out of 10 the second round. I won no money, but I was not in last place! And plus the second round the beers that were chosen were tasting like feet. I was booed for dumping in to the spit bucket but I'm not one for drinking something that tastes like the way feet smell. After the party at Charlie's we went out to a street in Buffalo called Hertel Ave, which has a lot of restaurants/clubs. It had snowed 10 inches that day so heels weren't a good choice. We made it out with out anyone falling to the ground. We got to celebrate New Year's with many of our friends!

For some reason WWE fighting broke out.

Brooke, Kristin and Corinne, BFF's

'09 is the year of Jim's....

Happy New Year!

Corinne and Brooke

Christmas Utah Style

This year I went back to Utah for Christmas. I left on the Sunday before Christmas and came back the Sunday after Christmas. I had some trouble at the airport (I always do, it's like I'm cursed). It was a blizzard Sunday morning in Buffalo and a few flights were cancelled before mine, but they said we were still going to leave. I was supposed to have a 2 1/2 hour layover in Chicago but it ended up to be no layover, me running to my gate, and the pilot holding the plane for me and about 9 other people. I got into Utah about a half hour late, which it is amazing that I even got there the same day. But my bags did not make the flight with me. They were stuck in Chitown. This happens to me all the time so I've been smart enough to pack in my carry on some undies, my face wash, make-up, my hair essentials and my pills. The bags came on the next flight which came in at midnight so Jaime had to drive me to the airport the next morning to pick them up. During the week I was lucky enough to have lunch with Ash because she was in SLC that day and Leslie and Tya came along. We had Cafe Rio which is probably one of the greatest places ever. I also had lunch with my boys Blake, Brian and Eric. It was fun and Good Wood was awesome food. Eric was kind enough to help me finish my sandwich and fries. For those of you that don't know, Blake, Brian and Eric were some of my BFF's from Payson Hike Skool and I love them. Plus Andrew (I don't know where you were that day Andrew!) I also got to hang with the fam at the Foulger Family Xmas party. I got to celebrate my Uncle Kim's birthday at the Macaroni Grill with everyone on the Vincent side. Christmas was good. I got a C Note (always nice), a gift card to the Depot for a new oven, a gift card to my favorite store Banana Republic, a blank scrapbook, a "Mini Van Fun" t-shirt (which Hank chewed on), cutting boards, sweaters, some earings, football socks, and shampoo and conditioner (from Jaime of course). On Christmas I made the rounds to everyone's house and when Jaime and Pete got back we played the original Dr Mario on something called the Yobo. I became obsessed with it because Jaime kicked my ass every time and I didn't want her to keep beating me. So every chance we got the rest of the week we played Dr Mario. Friday I went down to pick Jaime up from work but she was not ready so I went to Nordstroms, Gap and Banana and spent my C Note and gift card. Later that night I went to the Jazz game with my dad where I got to watch Dirk get tossed and the Jazz got it done Jerry Sloan style (as my friend Jimmy C would say). Saturday morning I went to breakfast with my dad and some of the guys that play basketball with him Saturday mornings. This also included my uncle, his kids Charlie and Luci, and Jaime and Pete. Luci liked to eat jam from the packets with a knife for her breakfast. Saturday afternoon I went to Linner with my dad, some of his friends, and Jaime and Pete to Iggy's. We went back to the house to play Dr Mario but Pete got called into work and Jaime continued to beat me the rest of the night. Sunday was a good flight, no delays and I made it back to the B-Lo by 10pm. I was also disappointed that I did not get to do any snowboarding because I have a sinus infection and my Dr said it wouldn't be good. Booooo. When I got back to the B-Lo, James and I exchanged gifts. I said we would do it when I got back since he needed some more time. I gave him Mario Party for the Wii, some Wii controller attachments, a seafood cooking pot, a car organizer and a Utah shirt. He gave me a knife set, some shelving for my craft area (he says I need to stop being so messy). And from his mom and dad I got a new toaster, and from his brother and sister-in-law I got some more cutting boards, a scarf and some circumcised gloves. You can't have too many circumcised gloves.

The BIG 27

James turned 27 on December 2nd and I thought what better to give him than a slinky. That wasn't the only thing I got him but it was the present he had the most fun with. Good thing we have stairs otherwise I don't know what he would have done. I also purchased him a belt with the buckle made out of a golf club head. I got the idea for it when I saw Justin Timberlake wearing it on the cover of Golf Digest. He likes JT and golf so it was a perfect present. Although, I think he liked the slinky more. And who wouldn't? For his birthday dinner I took him to the classy Empire Grill, and it was delicious.

The slinky

The belt. I was more excited for the belt than he was.

Bills Game 11/30/08

We went to the Bills game a couple weeks ago. They played a horrible game against the 49ers. I have now vowed not to go back to a game until two conditions are met: girly girl JP Losman is no longer on our team and we are at least winning games. Those things have not happened and I will not return to the Ralph until they do. But we had a good time tailgating in the 28 degree weather...

Ah, a nice 28 degrees.

It was dip day. I made my specialty 7 layer bean dip.

Look at those layers! Perfect.

Yep, that's me. Don't worry, I had on some thermals, a pair of sweatpants, a pair of waterproof pants, another shirt, a turtle neck, a long sleeve shirt, my down feather coat, a scarf, a hat, gloves, three pairs of socks and some waterproof boots. I was sweating!

James was dancing to stay warm. Stupid him only wore jeans, a shirt, a jacket and a coat.

My friend Rick, he claimed these were keeping his nose warm. And that porn-stache was for the disco the night before.

Little James was so tired when we got home.

Matches

Here is a little story about what you should do with matches after they are lit. A little background to this story is that I gave James "special" fart matches for Christmas as a joke.

Last night when James came home from work he needed to "sit in his office" as he calls it. He gets his new, special matches out of his stocking and goes into the bathroom. I go upstairs to put on some sweatpants to get ready for our Wii party. When I come back downstairs, James had finished in his office and I smelled something burning. Here is the rest of our conversation:

Brooke: What's burning?

James: I lit a match out here to burn a candle.

Brooke: Oh, ok. It smells funny, not like a candle.

James: It might be my fart matches, maybe they have a special scent to cover my stench.

Brooke: It's probably toxic and we will die from the fumes.

(About 2-3 minutes pass by)

Brooke: Do you smell something burning? It smells funny.

James: My matches smell like inscents.

Brooke: Hmm, I don't think so.

(As I'm walking to the bathroom, smoke is filling the kitchen and it's coming from underneath the bathroom door. I open the bathroom door and smoke is every where. There is a small flame in the garbage can.)

Brooke: Holy shit! The garbage can is on fire!

(I grab the garbage to run outside with it. James comes running and takes the garbage can outside and puts snow in it. I start fanning the kitchen so the obnoxious, industrial strength smoke alarm doesn't go off. James comes back in.)

Brooke: What the F**k is wrong with you?! Who puts matches in the garbage can?! Why did you not put it in the toilet stupid?!

James: I always do that.

Brooke: And what matches smell like inscents, dummy?

James: Ones that cover farts.

Brooke: I'm going to kill you.

(I open the sliding glass door and the front door to let the house air out.)

James: It's cold in here.

Brooke: No shit. I'm going to make you go stand outside in it. And you always put the matches in the garbage can?

James: Yeah.

Brooke: It's probably best that you don't do that anymore.

James: I agree.