White Christmas December 25, 2007
Posted by smartblondece in Oregon, Weather, snow.add a comment
Snow on Christmas Day is rare in Portland. It snowed Christmas Eve in 1998, but melted before Christmas Day got too far in. In 1990 there was a dusting. And the last measurable snow was in 1938. Today’s snow is a “dusting” but let me put it this way. It was enough to make the deck very white and put a good coat of snow on the roofs. For Portlanders, this brief spell of snow, this dusting is snowfall. We will either celebrate, or groan, as we watch the large wet flakes fall upon our city. Commenting on how they blow about or if they are sticking to certain surfaces. We marvel in the novelty of snow. What seems mundane across much of the North American Continent is a fleeting wonder in this city. We know that snow falls in the mountains. We will ski year round upon Mt Hood. We are familiar with and generally love snow. It allows us to live in this lush green climate that Oregonians adore. But to receive it in the Willamette Valley only comes a few times each winter. And as it only ever lasts a few hours, a morning, or as we had today, an afternoon, we stop and appreciate the beauty of those white flakes, coating everything, as though to hide the world under a fine dusting of powdered sugar.
Yet another weight loss goal December 18, 2007
Posted by smartblondece in can't say, exercise, weight.add a comment
Maybe eventually I’ll talk about this openly in Blog form but not sure I’m quite ready to talk about it yet too openly. Thursday I went to see a doctor about a “problem” I’ve been dealing with for quite a while (Since about the age of 14 or 15). Unfortunately my insurance company is run by a bunch of men who don’t see this as much of a problem, and are requiring it be much worse for the procedure I need to be covered (Most insurance companies don’t require it to be so bad). Bad news in all. If my parents are going to pay for it to be done I will have to wait about a year for them to save the money required. In the mean time my parents want me to lose 20 pounds (just under 1.5 stone for you Brits out there) to see if it will make much difference, and if not it may help my case with the insurance bastards. So basically I want to maintain what I have (151 lbs or 11 stone) through the holidays. Tonight wasn’t so good. My mom had her office Christmas party at our house and I did all the cooking, and setting up. I have a bad habit of munching on whatever is close at hand. I think I did an ok job with eating as much raw veg as possible but I also ate too many crackers, a bit too much dip as I set up and I really should have just stuck to the lemon meringue and not gone near that HUGE chocolate cake (That crazy 7 lb American Chocolate Cake from Costco… because anything that big must have the adjective “American” in the name). Because what happens with a HUGE chocolate cake is even a small slice is HUGE. Wishing I had a car, I’d drive to the health club which is unfortunately to far to walk or run to. Maybe I’ll see how long it’d take me by bus. It’s too wet to use the track across the street at the high school. Or maybe I’ll just dig out my mom’s videos that are collecting dust in her room (hehe… at least I’ve maintained my weight loss, she’s gained back 10 lbs).
Chinese Water Torture December 18, 2007
Posted by smartblondece in Oregon, Rain, Weather, What?!.add a comment
So the drain outside my window at my moms house never worked. Thankfully as it turns out now. Because it now works. This September my mom and step-dad added onto our garage and redid the entire roof. Oh, and fixed that flipping gutter! But, you say, this must be a good thing. The water can now properly drain off of the roof. You tell that to my lack of sleep. When it is pouring this is fine. It sounds a bit like a water feature outside my window. But when you get drizzle, which if you’ve never been to Pacific NW in the winter is the dominant weather, you hear “Drip… Drip… Drip… Drip…” I would never complain as much if this were a regular dripping, but it’s not. There may be a very short silence between two drips then a very long pause, in all irregular. Now try to lay in a silent room, have a hard time falling asleep in the first place and try to deal with it. Even when I’ve managed to fall asleep it is not very good quality. I love the rain. I hate my mother’s rain gutters!
Update at 1:32. Didn’t think it could get much worse. It did. The rain is now pouring. SIDEWAYS. Into the sides of the aluminum gutters. F*#%ing noise!
476 lb teen December 9, 2007
Posted by smartblondece in What?!, weight.add a comment
34 stone, seriously, at 19! BBC did a documentary on a teen from Lincoln. Tonights section is on the psychological issues after her stomach reduction surgery. Really this woman is a psychological disaster. And I must say her mum is oblivious. And she isn’t helping her daughter much. She’s continuing to keep the junk food in the house, which is frankly, cruel, and when they go to the store together she’s encouraging her to eat pizzas (and lets face it when your stomach is 100 ml that is a lot of dough) she hasn’t encouraged her daughter to cook, for that matter she doesn’t cook herself. Everything is ready made, which really isn’t very good nutritional content, even most of the healthy stuff. I think this is hard for both the mum and daughter. (HAHA the buses are identical to those in Brighton!!!) The daughters habits have changed, and she has a hard time digesting certain foods. But the mum is tempting her with crisps and such which are easy for her to digest but not what she should be eating. Seriously, steam (or boil since the Brits love it so) some veg up and help her more! Thankfully this girl is finally getting some therapy, and is learning to deal with anxiety and stress in ways other than with food.
Protected: Happy now. December 2, 2007
Posted by smartblondece in can't say.Enter your password to view comments
Protected: Nothing you need to know… December 1, 2007
Posted by smartblondece in can't say.Enter your password to view comments
We WON & Rain! December 1, 2007
Posted by smartblondece in Oregon, Rain, Weather, snow.1 comment so far
WE BEAT UofO!!! AT EUGENE!!! In double overtime! It was cool. I called Kristin and apparently demanded a ride (Thank you, Kristin! I love my favorite sister. “Your only sister!” she cries at me) . We did not watch the game. Well ok we turned it on and off and watched Elizabeth I with Helen Mirren and Nanny McPhee. Oh and the end of Bend it Like Beckham.
It is POURING. Tonight is supposed to be a big storm. 100 mph winds and all. My parking lot has flooded now. My apartment is flooded. On the way home the rain was half snow. It’s like 37, and there is a snow advisory for the coast range.
