Bah Humbug Thursday

Because I can't very well call it Wednesday if I'm posting at 1:12 Thursday morning, can I?

My last official Weight Loss Wednesday entry was on March 7, when I delighted in a lovely reading of 135.8 pounds. Then I went to Chicago and had a grand ole time. Two pounds of grand, to be exact.

It's been downhill ever since.

LAST WEEK'S (SECRET) WEIGHT: 138.2
CURRENT WEIGHT: 138.8
POUNDS TO GOAL WEIGHT: 13.8

I don't know what happened to bring about this new blasé attitude, but for the last two weeks I've eaten whatever I liked without paying mind to the consequences. It all started the Thursday before our Chi-town extravaganza, upon Luke's receiving a totally well-deserved but completely unexpected cash bonus from work and our decision to celebrate with a dinner out; it snowballed on Friday with a trip to Steak 'N Shake after our Jerry Seinfeld show and climaxed several times during the weekend over mushroom pizza, my dad's barbeque ribs, and bagels at Panera to hold us over for the drive back home. The following Friday I gave in to my burning desire for two dollars and forty-two cents' worth of grease and potato at Chi-Town Dogs and Beef, maybe to relive happy memories from the city, I don't know, and then on Monday we dared to step foot in a local burger joint because nothing sounded good at home. The finale last night? Spinach dip. And if you think it's good with one cup of Parmesan cheese, imagine the ecstasy that follows an extra fourth. I don't know which was more offensive to my scale's delicate senses, the extra three pounds or the unabashed flatulence.

We were doing so well there for a while. I thought I'd finally become the master of my nutritional destiny, perfected avoiding the triggers that lead to junk-food cravings that in turn lead to spending money and ultimately credit card balances that give me nightmares to this day. One weekend away and it all went to pot. But for some reason I don't have it in me to muster up the appropriate level of concern, partly because I'm still living off the high you get from a smart hair cut and therefore have convinced myself I can wear the extra pounds so long as I keep my salon appointments, and partly because so many other things are out of wack that reflecting on my life's path over a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone from Baskin Robbins doesn't sound so bad.

What am I thinking about? I'm thinking about how Luke and I have accelerated our plans for family expansion and are curently moving full speed ahead in all things baby. About our very recent decision to hold off on buying a home right now and how this will probably lead to caring for an infant in this eensy weensy one-bedroom apartment, not to mention my dermatologist's "skin therapy" is leaving tiny red dots all across my nose and forehead and I'd much rather use the perscription money for a pedicure. Nothing's wrong, exactly--the baby news is quite exciting!--but it's like someone took the Earth from their gym shoes and sprinkled it all over our short-term road map. Dirt is everywhere. Everything feels unsettled.

Still hanging in there with Lent. I've slacked off a little on the Bible reading but haven't missed more than four nights altogether, and the characters on All My Children continue to manage fine without me, though sometimes I miss it so violently I can't hear. Luckily, Blockbuster Online has filled in some of that screen time; this month alone we've seen The Departed, Lady in the Water, The Night Listener, and two episodes off the second disc of Big Love, which, can I just say, made my night when I saw a Suze Orman cameo and Lionel Richie "Hello?" cover within just twenty minutes of each other. They almost made up for the absence of Bill Paxton's butt cheeks. I'm setting high standards for episode five.

The weather's still exhibiting Sybil-like tendencies, but the recent time change means the sun doesn't set until around eight o'clock here, so I'm sure it's only another couple of weeks before Luke and I can leave our own sneaker dust on the path of the city's various greenways and the trails winding through our state parks, which should increase my motivation to get physical (physical) once again. Plus, I've signed up for a free, six-course home-buying series at the local university over a series of lunch hours spanning March and April, so the more I learn about credit reports and mortgages and escrows and such, the less willing I'll be to blow our down-payment money on smoothies from the mall. At least, here's hoping.

(Speaking of credit reports, OMG. My first class in the home series focused on money management and credit maintenance, which whatever, Suze has so already told me everything I need to know, but it did encourage me to obtain a free copy of my credit report for the first time ever. By law, every individual is entitled to receive one free copy a year from each of the three major credit bureaus, but until now I was afraid to. It's kind of like going to the dentist; nothing's wrong as long as you don't go, right? But suddenly I knew I couldn't be a baby about it anymore. If there's an error on my report, it needed to be fixed before Luke and I stepped foot in a bank to ask for wads of dough. Luckily everything was in the proper order, and the report itself was surprisingly easy to read, but I was still blown away at the sheer amount of detail. I can tell you the highest balance accrued on the Fashion Bug card I had for two years in Rensselaer or what I paid towards my Limited statement in June 2005. I know all the different ways my name's been spelled in U.S. mail and how many different addresses I've had. Twenty-two pages. It's all there.

Have you ever seen your credit report? Because you so should. Really.)

(...And one more: Have you seen Isabel's rockin' post about TLF? If not, GO. Go now.)

Comments

[Katie]

Two things:
1) I need to see your haircut. I think I started out at the same length you are, but I also think my hair is a lot less thick. I started growing my hair out in November 2005. It's the 2nd picture of me on this post: http://katieswords.blogspot.com/2006/11/last-day.html
I think in one of your previous posts you may have mentioned growing your hair out. If you do, and you're starting out where I did, be prepared to go through a LONG time of the ugly phase :-) I'm just hoping it will all be worth it in another year or two. The octopus clip is my current best friend.

2) My credit report from TransUnion has some of my husband's old addresses listed as MY previous addresses! With the one address, we were engaged at the time, so we may have signed up for something using that address. That's understandable. But it also lists an address he had before I even met him! The TransUnion credit report also lists my MAIDEN name as my current name, and my current (married) name as a former name. Experian and Equifax got it right though :-)

[Isabel]

Thanks for the shout out. We must get as many TLF readers we can. Remember the sequel starts TOMORROW!

Ken and I got our credit reports right before we signed on our first house also. There were so many things on mine that were wrong!! Come to find out, someone had stolen my identity and bought a cell phone and then never paid for it. I was lucky that that was the only thing they bought. But still. It was a MESS to get that little thing taken care of.

Not to mention all the crazy ass shiz I found that my ex husband had signed us up for. There were a ton of store credit cards (we had never used them, but he had signed us up for them). It really was a mess to get all of it taken care of. But I was so glad that we did it BEFORE we tried for the house.

What I'm saying is that you are very smart in doing all of this now.

Good luck with EVERYTHING. (hint, hint)

[Art Nerd]

But Frema, I'm scared. I know there must be an error on my credit report- do student loan agencies always screw people or what?? I know, I know, but the wuss in me wants to have my credit union handle it for me.

Multiple climaxes, btw, are always a good thing. ALWAYS.

[VirginiaGal]

I've got a 2nd honeymoon of sorts to St. Lucia coming up in April (3 short weeks until we leave) and that's still not enough incentive for me to get off my butt and get moving; even though me in a bathing suit or shorts right now = very. bad. things. I feel your pain. Maybe the thought of not being in shape before abstract baby becomes a reality will do it for you too as that's the other theoretical motivator for me also.

[Audrey]

I saw your comment over at Amalah's Club Mom gig about how you and Luke were actively going for baby number 1 and I am so excited for you! I can't wait to read all about it. Best of luck with everything!

[Rachel]

I would definitely advise checking your credit reports at least once a year. I checked mine last year and found that our local cable company had a collection account on there. An incorrect collection account. I had paid said balance 3 years before that when my service was turned off. I was able to get it taken off, but I will never know if it adversly affected me.

[Molly]

What an action packed entry! I too, am beginning a relationship with Suze Orman. I never thought I'd say that, but I'm really starting to like her with the way you talk her up and from seeing her on a few recent shows.

[Silly Hily aka The Hilarazzi]

I just figured I had good credit because my husband and I always get low interest rates. I've never actually seen the report though. Interesting.

[angela]

Ugh, credit reports. Almost as exciting as, I don't know, reading the dictionary cover-to-cover?

[jenabeeb]

I know I am not helping matters here, but you mentioned mint chocolate chip ice cream. Do you like Fannie May mint meltaways? Deans has put out that flavor of ice cream. It is DE-LI-CIOUS!!

Whenever the "good news" appears on here, I am sure the whole internet blogging world will rejoice. Can't wait!

[Lindsey]

I DID see Isabel's post...it was awesome! We were discussing (through e-mail) how we can get more people to know about you and about TLF. We are such devoted fans/stalkers/groupies (gimme gimme gimme that groupie love)

Anyway, I totally feel your pain with the food and weight gain. I have had the same attitude as of late. When I'm eating the bad food I don't care. When I'm watching the scale go up I get mad and act all suprised...how could THAT have happened??

[takin' chances]

How did you get your free credit report, oh wise one? :)

[Brittany]

Oh my heck! I've never seen my credit report! What is wrong with me??? My life could already be ruined!! RUINED!!! And I have no idea!!!

Crap!!

BTW, hooray for cash bonuses!!!

(and what's Isabel winking about??)

[Brittany]

Oh! Pardon me! Isabel wasn't winking. She was hint, hinting.

[Happy Working Mom]

Thanks to Isabel to linking me here! I love reading about your daily adventures and the Tragic Love Series is something awesome I look forward to on Fridays. Congrats on the baby thing...I hope it's a short journey for you!