Whatever tickles my fancy

Okay, so today on the menu is my pick. So I thought I would be random and post a Friday 5. This one is really well suited since I just started my new job this week. In case anyone out there is wondering, I work at a brewery. No, I don't make the beer, I just work in the office. But that doesn't mean I don't get to drink the beer! Haha!

Here goes:
1. What is your favorite drink of all time? Does it hold a special memory to you or is it just because it tastes good?
Favorite drink of all time... hmm, probably Cherry Coke or Dr. Pepper. Cherry Coke because it blew my mind the first time I had it, and they only release it on limited runs. Kind of like VANILLA COKE. That shit was the bomb. Now, Dr. Pepper does hold a special memory. There used to be a girl who lived a few houses down from my parents. Her name was Kristen and she would stay every other weekend with her dad. Well, she was an amazing person and an awesome friend. I wish I could get in contact with her. Her father moved away, so I lost contact with her. It was very sad for me as a child.

2. Tea or coffee or hot cocoa?
Depends. I am a true tea lover. But some mornings, just require a coffee!

3. Best summer time drink?
Beer.

4. Worst soda brand ever?
No name brand.

5. Water: flavored, bottled, carbonated, or regular old tap?
Any kind. Preferably cold, and that has gone though some kind of filtration.

My favourite quote

I have many favorite quotes. They all reflect alot of my different opinions. For example, I love the quote by Red Green, from The Red Green Show, "If the women don't find you handy, they should at least find you handsome." This explains my father to the "T".

And then there is of course the opening line to Pride and Prejudice, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

And then the following from Catcher In The Rye, which describes me, "She had a nice voice. A nice telephone voice, mostly. She should've carried a goddamn telephone around with her."

I'm sure there are many others, but those should give you a little taste of how hojo thinks :)

My favourite book

This is the easiest question of all: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

My favourite television program

My all time favorite TV program of all time is a three way tie between: She-ra Princess of Power, Jem and the Holograms, and the made for TV Christmas Special: Muppet Family Christmas!

I was born in 1985 -- all good cartoons came from the 80s. And the Muppets just rock, period.

My favourite movie

Okay, so this is another post that involves many choices.

Pride and Prejudice:
An obvious choice, because I love the book. And I think Keira Knightley did an awesome job as Elizabeth. No man could ever replace Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy though.

Finding Forrester:
This movie just really touched me. I don't know why.

Across the Universe:
Really awesome movie, set to Beatles music. Perfection.

500 Days of Summer:
Another really interesting that makes you think about life, and love all at once.

On to learning a lil something about my new place of work, and then bed time. I can't wait to report in tomorrow :)

My favorite song

My favorite song… this is a hard one, because there are so many… and they always change.

I think I would rank Golden Slumbers by the Beatles, from Abbey Road as one of my all time songs.

I also love Harvest Moon, by Neil Young. Because I’m pretty sure that is the first vinyl record I ever heard, or at least it’s my first memory of my dad playing a vinyl record for me to listen too.

And a new favorite song is, Shiver by Shawn Desman. Another Canadian artist I know... but I can't help supporting home grown talent. Just to prove it: I also like to listen to Mariana's Trench! Yes I know, how teenage of me! Listen to the lyrics of Shiver, I think you'll know why I like it.

Awesome News!

Okay so, I have been working for a tax / accounting office since January. It wasn’t a glamorous job, but it was a job. And after a stint of being unemployed it was good enough.

But, I got some amazing news last Thursday… I got a new job, a permanent, well paying job that is actually going to utilize my skills.

I start Tuesday, and I cannot wait!

I also saw this on a blog a couple days ago – and since this is the first day of August, I thought it would be fun to try and get into the habit of blogging daily. So, here is the layout:

Day 01 — Your favourite song
Day 02 — Your favourite movie
Day 03 — Your favourite television program
Day 04 — Your favourite book
Day 05 — Your favourite quote
Day 06 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 07 — A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 — A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 09 — A photo you took
Day 10 — A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11 — A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 13 — A fictional book
Day 14 — A non-fictional book
Day 15 — A fan-fic
Day 16 — A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 — An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19 — A talent of yours
Day 20 — A hobby of yours
Day 21 — A recipe
Day 22 — A website
Day 23 — A YouTube video
Day 24 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25 — Your day, in great detail
Day 26 — Your week, in great detail
Day 27 — This month, in great detail
Day 28 — This year, in great detail
Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 — Whatever tickles your fancy

Ok so let the fun begin!

Haven't updated in awhile

I know I haven’t updated this blog in forever. Not that I haven’t been counting my calories, or working out, drinking my 8 glasses of water; because I have. I actually injured my foot, (not while exercising), and haven’t had anything much to really update about since I have been healing.

I also have decided that while the main focus will be about me posting updates about weight loss and healthy eating, I also want it to be about the things that make me feel beautiful. Like, a good manicure/pedicure. As featured in the header photo.

The color on my toes is by OPI and is called “What a Doll!” the nail color is “Panda-monium Pink”! I had a job interview today that I really wanted to ace, so I went and had a mani/pedi. Good thing too, because well I think I got the job! I thought the toe color was going to be a lot darker, but I am pleasantly surprised by the lightness of it. I don’t like putting too, too dark colors on my toes. My skin tone is so light, it looks gaudy.

I promise to start being more faithful to this blog again. I am almost fully healed and am looking forward to getting back to my yoga/pilates work outs.

I have been keeping a steady weight at 205; which brings me down 10 pounds from my starting point.

This makes me happy.

Talk soon,

Hojo

Day 7 - AM

Alright, I skipped my check in yesterday. Many apologies, I was out and about getting my tattooed touched up. Holy heck - I don't remember it hurting that much the first go around. YEESH! On the flip side, Urban Ink Tattoo & Piercing is a pretty sweet shop. Go visit it if you are ever in Port Credit.

So - AWESOME news for week one - I have successfully dropped 5 pounds. Go me! Incredible personal feat for me. I didn't think I would see such a magnificent number happen is such a short time. Just goes to show you how cutting portions and not eating a bunch of junk really makes all the difference.

Anyway, I'm off to visit Patti's Bubbles. The laundry room in downstairs of our apartment building is flooded. So I have to take my dirty skives elsewhere.

Talk again real soon.

Day 5 - AM

Sorry I forgot to do a weigh in this morning. I got distracted with other things: my lovely MOTUC figures came in a GREAT BIG BOX... so I had to open them and drool on them. The kittens also had some fun jumping in and all around the box, but Sakura ruined it by puking. Oh the fun little kittens have.

Yesterday I only consumed a whopping 1050 calories. Which was so unintentional! This truly proves that it's just all the EXTRA crap we cram down out throats that truly packs on the pounds.

I acknowledge that that is very low, but would also like to say that I am in no way starving myself. I am eating a snack approximately every 4 hours. And if I feel hungry, I drink water. Often times a sign of hunger is actually our bodies crying our because we are dehydrated. If after that I am still hungry, I snack on veggies, fruits or a granola bar.

Lunch is as usual a turkey wrap on whole wheat, with lettuce and cheese and reduced fat whipped dressing (aka mayonnaise).

Dinner is going to be interesting though. I picked up some GRASS fed beef. Which is much,much better for you. I am going to make a spicy stir fry with it.

Any who, must get back to work now.

Talk soon.

Day 4 - PM

Tonight for dinner we had bison burgers. It’s supposed to be very good for you. So for anyone who has never eaten bison before, allow me to tell you:

- It looks like ground beef

- Sells like ground beef

- Feels like ground beef

- Tastes like ground beef, but way juicer and more flavour

We paired dinner with some low calorie french fries, which were actually quite good. All in all, a good meal.

While I was at the store I also picked up some dried fruits (berries: cherries, cranberries, blueberries) and prunes. I read these are great for beating the afternoon snack cravings.

I also picked up dinner for tomorrow, grass fed beef, which has all kinds of goodness which scientists have shown reduce belly fat. Beef is also high in iron – which I hope will lead me to be less tired all the time. I actually have it marinating in the fridge right now.

I am going to weigh myself before bed. So I’ll have an update tomorrow.

Sleep tight.

Day 4 - AM

Hello all,

Sorry for not checking in yesterday. Had people over in the evening and got a little busy. Still haven't taken my measurements. I will try doing so this evening.

Today I'm kicking coffee. I had my last cup yesterday morning. Hopefully, I can go for more than a day without it! We'll see.

Don't have too much to report in, except that bean burritos with rice -- are sssooo tasty. But so not worth the almost 800 calories/burrito. So, as you can probably figure - calorie count was 600 over.

I haven't stepped on a scale either, as I hate the one at home. It's always wrong. I  am thinking of trying to convince my boyfriend to invest in a digital scale.

I think feeling some form of responsibility for writing down what I put into my stomach - is actually helping to cure snack cravings. I think to myself - do I really need to eat that - and then I put it down. Unless it's carrots or a fruit. As far as I'm concerned those are off limits. Usually I get in a snack like mood while making dinner (since the gap between lunch and dinner is so long). But instead, I had a handful of grapes and was good. I think satisfying the act of doing so must be good enough for my brain.

Anyway -- gotta get back to work. Will report in later.

Day 2 - PM

Still feeling good. No more slip ups today.

I made a delicious Thai dish for dinner tonight. My sister was over, we were creating a costume for this pub crawl she is taking part in on Saturday. I am really looking forward to seeing the final ensemble put together!

I really must say, I am awesome. I still know my way around a sewing machine. Yay me.

As predicted, the butter-tarts pushed me over my 2000 calorie/day mark. I also definitely didn't drink enough water today.

The season finale of Glee was tonight -- and it was so good. Why oh why do TV shows make me cry all the time?

Off to bed now. I'll report back tomorrow.

Day 2 - AM

Good morning world,

This morning I cheated and had a butter-tart with my coffee. I thought I could get through at least the first week without a temptation for delicious sugar, but I have been clutching my bottle of Midol all morning. So, this time I just had to. I know it's the worst excuse of all, and not one I like to use. As a girl, I hate to use that for anything.

I will allow myself that one cheat for today. I have other nice sweet things to eat for lunch, like some wonderful cherries and grapes. And a banana that will hopefully be ripe by days end.

I'll report back later.

Day 1

After two weeks of filling my face with crap at Comic Con's, I am making the conscious decision to start eating better. My weight has ballooned to well over 200 lbs and I find this truly scary. I am heavier now that I was 8 years ago.

I don't know if I'll ever be a size 8 again, and I am okay with that. I just wish to start on a healthy eating path, to reduce the fat on my belly and butt. I know there are many health concerns within my family and I need to control my habits now so I will be healthy throughout my life.

Today is the first day. I have written a basic meal plan for breakfast and lunch. Dinners will be difficult to control since they are always the hardest to plan. Hopefully Rino will join me on this journey, as he too is trying to get in shape to pull off being Kratos for Halloween this year.

In conjunction with this blog, I am also using FitDay to help me track my calorie intake, as well as log activities and keep a weight goal. I also have a gym membership to Xtreme Couture, but my trips are few and far between. Hopefully this week we can get back into a weekly groove of at least 2 days. Ideally 3 would be best - but there are lots of way to exercise around the house. It's just cardio that is SO annoying.

So as the blog title suggestions - thank you for coming by.

Talk soon.