on a lighter note

over the last couple of weeks, I've lost 10-12 lbs. Mysteriously. I'm not sure where they went, and I've been eating like a drunk frat boy (last night I had several pints of Shiner, fried pickles dipped in ranch, and split a deluxe fried seafood platter with E. I woke up this morning a pound and a half lighter than yesterday). And I haven't been working out hard (once or twice a week, thanks). How is it that all the times when I actually tried to lose weight it was harder than heck to get it to come off, and now I'm doing all the things you're supposed to do if you want to be wicked fat and it's falling off of me? I haven't weighed this little since sophomore year in high school.
I think the real reason is that I'm ridiculously stressed. My body has kicked into a sympathetic fight or flight response... my pulse as I sit here and type is somewhere around 100. I've also woken up the last few days around 4-5 AM and laid in bed unable to go back to sleep or even close my eyes. Which is pretty annoying since I'm now on a rotation where I don't have to be in until 8 AM typically (psych). I'll be honest, psych hours are pretty bad-ass. Plus they ask me how I feel every morning.
Take Luck!

Good

I am blessed to have so many friends and mentors who are so there for me when something in my life doesn't go according to plan. It's incredibly comforting to know that when something goes wrong, there are people around me to pick me up, put me back on my feet, and help me come up with plan B. Thanks.
and if you're curious, the something wrong has nothing to do with E and much to do with a deleted rant that was here yesterday.

Hilarious.

The above notice was posted on the community events board at the Starbucks on Mockingbird between Abrams and Skillman. I love when people do random stuff like that to put a smile on stranger's faces! Oh and by the way I didn't black out the number cause I don't know how... but I trust that my blog isn't read by that many crazy people who'd actually call it. I hope I'm right.


Here are a few pictures from the dog park. We take Reagan at least once a week, more if it's nice out and I have afternoons off of work. Here's the baby smiling and saying "thanks! this is awesome! I freaking love this!" He always scouts the perimeter to make sure that everything is secure. then he marks over other dogs, and then he comes back so that we can tell him he did a good job. Sometimes we take him to the swimming part, where he tries to guard the coastline. But he really can't keep up with the Labs or Golden Retrievers... especially when they work as a team:



In non-animal related news, I made a pretty spectacular German Chocolate Cake for E's birthday. It was so good that I'm thinking of making it as his groom's cake for the wedding. I got the recipe from the New Best Recipe Cookbook. It's awesome... it gives you explanations of exactly why each ingredient was chosen and what will happen if you diverge from their planned proportions. I was intimidated at first, but I got past it and now I'm a definite devotee.


I'm on psych now, where a 5 hour day feels like a 13 hour day, and where some of the doctors need medicating as much as the patients do. awesome.

Cake

Last Wednesday E and I went to have our cake consultation with some lady who makes them. It was going pretty well... she sketched out a picture of a cake that I thought would be pretty, the cake itself tasted good, and she was incredibly friendly. Then comes the quote... Total for wedding cake and groom's cake? $677! for a small wedding! we're only having like 85 people there! I was so tempted to go home and try to squeeze the cake into my budget because the decoration sounded like it was going to be exactly as awesome as I had envisioned it, until I remembered that:
a) it's just a cake, even if it does have fondant molded and swirled to look like real turquoise beads
b) I don't remember what any cake has looked like at any wedding I've been to
c) my absolutely favorite cake in the world is the Berry Chantilly from Whole Foods. That was actually my first choice from the beginning but they don't make them tiered.

So after much discussion (like five minutes worth), E and I decided that we could not get behind spending THAT Much money for a cake that honestly tasted only okay, but wasn't as good as what I can get from whole foods. We're still debating exactly what is going to happen with the cakes, but one thing is certain: the Berry Chantilly WILL be making an appearance. I may even try to tier the thing myself so it looks all fancy. So take that, wedding vendor world. I am going to circumvent you and stay within my budget if it kills me. Because there's no way on earth that we're going to take out a loan to pay for a party.
On an unrelated note, what is up with people who wear the perfume "Angel" by Thierry Mugler? I swear that every single woman who wears that perfume is the same woman who thinks it smells so awesome she should spray herself six times when half a spray would do. Leaving the scent of your perfume behind when you leave an elevator is not hot. neither is me having to shift my position if I'm down-wind so I don't get bitchslapped by your angel-scent. Simmer down with the spritzing. it makes me feel ill.

cake topper

I've been browsing the internet for a cake topper that was non-cheesy, where the people don't look like their faces are melting, and where the bride isn't blond and the groom dark-haired. Haven't found one yet. I have however found these gems...







I mean, really? Fairy fantasy toppers? crystal dolphins? knocked up ladies and men being emasculated? on a CAKE TOPPER? There are very few decent things that are out there. I may end up leaving it bare out of sheer frustration.
We have our cake appointment on wednesday. I'm probably not going to eat before it. yum.