Playing Catch(UP) is a beeeeeeeeeeeeep!!

Dang it!! I have not had time to post or anything like I wanted to. I have not had time to read other blogs like I wanted to. Shoot. BUT the good thing is that I am being productive.

My son and I drove to Nashville this past Friday with a friend and her son for college orientation. I think I might have mentioned that my son is going to college there (Tennessee State University). It was a short drive, but tiring nontheless. I am still recouperating from the cancer and subsequent treatments and surgeries and anything extra always wears me out. It was a one day orientation that started at 8 am (we left Memphis at 4 am) that involved seminars and walking around a huge campus. Now since I haven't been banded yet and haven't lost much weight, walking isn't very fun. Now add the BLAZING sun to that equation and you got swoon worthy situations just waiting to happen. I made it though. The sun zapped me, but we made it back home about half past eight that evening. I was pooped, but so excited for my son that we sat up till midnight talking about his priorites and possibilites for success. This is my only child so I got to get this right.

On the lapband front, I have my 3-4 hour meeting with the doctor this Saturday at 7 am. WTHEEEEEECKKK!! Yes I said SEVEN A.M. Dang I don't have to be at work M-F until 8. So that means I have to get up at least by 5:30 just to get ready because its a good drive from my house. Ahhh well, I'm looking forward to it as it means I am moving forward with everything. I think I may have mentioned that I am going to see if the doctor has an opening for early August to do my surgery. This will be after my son leaves for band camp. I will have saved the $500 that I need for the out-of-pocket fee and will have gotten Jon safely off to college. This way I won't have anything hindering my path from here on out.

Whew!! Ok, got more catching up to do.

Me...Beautiful Blogger Award!!

And the Beautiful Blogger Award goes to.....(opening the envelope)....Pamela!! Crowd claps.

"I would like to thank the academy for this wonderful award. Especially for Ronke for nominating me even though she still is recuperating from surgery. Wow, what can I say. Thank you Ronke for such a prestigious honor."

Ok, I am to let you in on seven things you do not know about me, as well as nominate 7 other lovelies! Its hard for me to talk about about myself. Never could do it, but I will give it a whirl!!

1. I am loyal to a fault. If I call you friend, I am like a loyal dog. I'll always be there for you.

2. I have a tendency to be frank and honest with the above mentioned loyalty. If you are my friend & ask my opinion, you get it "straight, no chaser." I don't believe in sugarcoating anything. Now I do have tact, but I'm not going to butter your bread for ya.

3. I love fashion. I always say "If I had the money to dress like I really wanted to..."

4. After I make a post, I go back to it several times to re-edit, after it's been published. Its crazy because after I re-read my own post, I see errors all over the place or just stuff I want to change or add.

5. I wanted to be white as a child growing up or as light as I could get. It was bad because all of my cousin's were much lighter in skin color than I and had long hair (anybody seen "School Daze" by Spike Lee). I think I mentioned in one of Amy's posts that my aunts treated me like the "black sheep" of the family, and not because of my behavior, but because of my skin tone. When I formed a sorority in high school, I chose Chelsea for my line name. I didn't learn to appreciate my skin color until I got much, much older.

6. I took piano lessons from 3rd to 5th grade, but gave it up after my fabulous teacher relocated to another state. I hate that I stopped playing. To this day I want to take it up again and learn to play "Nadia's Theme" by Henry Mancini (Young & the Restless theme song).


7. I have imagined myself excepting awards for my films & television series'(writing, directing, producing). I lay awake at night planning my rise to stardom. Guess that's why I'm always sleepy.

On to my nominating other wonderfully beautiful bloggers in no specific order.
1. Stephanie
2. Pie
3. Joey
4. Sandy Lee
5. DrJeas
6. Cindy Lew
7. Amanda

There are plenty others (Bonnie, Draz, Bianca, Amy W., Maria, etc...) and couldn't name them all (cause they already got the award or something)here, but know that I thank you so much for your support.

When I'm a Billionaire

This is my new theme song!!!

Food Stuff, Recipes & A Giveaway

Happy Monday to you all!!

I'm not going to make this long today. I have a couple of post that I will put up in the coming days that may be long.

I have a question. As I read all of your blogs and prepare for my own WLS, I am interested in advice and recipes. If you can tell someone one or two things that you didn't know before or during your experience what what it be? Also is their a recipe for something that you just have to share. Be it a must eat for when you are on the mushies or just an overall great recipe for someone who has had WLS. Let me know. I am a recipe junkie. I own soooooo many cook books and I am always on the internet for more recipes. I do find though that I don't have enough when it comes to being banded.

Shelly over at www.theworldaccordingtoeggface.com (or you can just click her name) is generous enough to giveaway a fabulous Cuisinart 1-1/2-Quart Ice-20 Automatic Ice Cream Maker!! Go over to her blog, check it out and enter.

Have a wonderful day and week!!

BYOC...Bring Your Own Craziness

** Carmen helped Draz with most of these questions...Draz was brain dead after shopping. Thank you Carmie!

1. If your heart had a singing voice, whose would it be?
The ever great Celine Dion. Every time she sings my heart just swells and I cry. She is phenomenal!!

2. What is your most disgusting habit?
I the most gaseous person I know (except for my son). I can blow a room up. I hate admitting that. I have so much Febreeze in my house its pitiful. I don't know what I'm going to do when I ever get a husband. He won't leave the room because of my snoring, it will be because a bomb went off in the bedroom. And I would be mortified if I farted in my sleep and he heard it. Embarrassing much.

3. Carmen and Draz were talking about Chicago and their fears...for those of you going (and those of you not you can answer as if you were going)...what is your biggest fear?
That nobody will like me or talk to me and if they did, it will be minimal or out of obligation just to make nice. I don't normally care what folk think or say about me, but for some reason I think I would be wondering if anyone would even befriend me. And just for the record....this is SOOOO not like me.

4. This isn't so much a question but a challenge. Name one thing you will do for just one day next week in the name of health and commit to it on your blog and to us.
I will not eat any fast food this pay period. I will save that money for important stuff. I get lazy sometimes and don't cook. I will challenge myself to plan ahead this week coming up (starting Sunday) and plan all my meals.

5. Whose blog or comment stuck with you the most this week?
Stephanie's post about the Biggest Loser and how unhealthy their practices were set me off. I have to admit, I just got angry. I read the blog that Stephanie got it from and just sat there saying "I knew it!!" I used to refuse to watch weight loss shows such as BL and Celebrity Fit Club because they were unrealistic. If it was that easy folk wouldn't be fat a all. Everyone would be skinny and we would be as society deems one of "The Beautiful Ones."

Also every blog I read that makes me realize that this journey is hard, but indeed possible to voyage with the help, kindness and overall honesty of the very authors that write them.


***I would like to say a big HEY to all my new followers!! If I'm not following you please, please let me know in a comment. I don't want to miss your journey.***

Pics of Me & Happy Friday!!

Happy Friday everyone!! For some reason its been a long week. I have been trying to make the best of things. Wednesday I hadn't noticed it, but my co-worker asked me why I kept breathing. I didn't really know what she meant so I asked her if I was breathing hard as in labored breathing or sighing. She told me it was a sigh. She said I had did it about three times. Its funny how when things are happening around you, you don't realize what you are doing to articulate it nonverbally. I just didn't realize I was doing that. My co-worker asked if I was ok and I said yes. I just had things on my mind. Mostly money and the problems lack of it can cause. Also just thinking about the people I would help if I had a lot of it. My family, friends, random people who I didn't know.

I think about Pie and Bonnie who symphathizes with me about working a job that continuously leaves you uninspired. How I want to do what I dream of, but when you're in any city other than L.A. or New York its gonna be hard. If you could see me I'm sighing now. Its just so unconscious. I think about my job and wish that I worked for Oprah. I'm a writer and I would love to work for her magazine. I can see it now. I would write these riveting articles that would help the mission of O Mag..."To help women see every experience and challenge as an opportunity to grow and discover their best self." Yep, I pulled that straight from the mag, LOL. For what it's worth, I can't stay down long. I know I am destined for greatness and part of the challenge I spoke about above is this journey I'm on to become a more healthier me with this lapband.

Ok enough with that. My post was supposed to be just some pics (please excuse the amateurish way I posted these...trying to get the hang of this thing)I scanned of me. They are pics of me at a young age and much smaller (weight). You will see a gap in the timeline. I hated taking pics when I got bigger because I always knew that the camera added 10lbs.

My sister Renay & me as a baby

My brother, sisters & I @ the zoo. Thats me on the right with the up/down socks. Look how skinny my legs were.

Me on a hot summer day.

This is me @ Christmas. These were wonderful times.

My 6th grade school picture.

My 11th grade school picture. I laugh at this now. This was my awkward stage.

Thats me in the middle with my sisters @ the Mall of Memphis. Look how skinny I was. I think I was about 16 or 17 in this pic.

Me in the blue. This was @ my brother's wedding reception 2002. I've always thought I was pretty, but taking pictures was never my thing because of my weight. That's my mommy with the long hair. She always kept her children looking good.

I had to do a throwback of my mommy. I don't know what year this was, but she is so pretty.

Happy Hump Day!!

It's Wednesday y'all!! I know some are saying...and your point. Well, we are half way done with the week. I'm trying to motivate myself. It ain't working. Do you ever have a day when you just feel like you could just go back to bed. Today is that day for me. Not to start over but to just sleep in. So many things I wish and pray for and one of them is to be rich (or financially comfortable) so that I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to go to a job that I am not using all of my gifts and talents. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful and by no means should I complain because there are people in this country who are not employed, much less have the great benefits I have, but I do complain. Its hard to be creative person and be in a place that you literally sit and do nothing all day. Ahhh well, it is what it is.

Yesterday I had my EGD and it went well. I now have booked my 3-4 hour appointment with the doctor to discuss going foward. So I have a question for you all....

Before you were banded, did you ever feel like or think, what if I'm not successful at losing this weight even with a band?

I ask that question because I've done this diet thing so many times and now that I'm so close I'm a little scared of the what ifs. Anyway, have a great day my band buddies. Onward and forward.