FREE MONEY $$$$$$$$$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, not really free but it sure feels like it. I am saving a little over $300 a month as a non smoker.Yesterday I celebrated 2 months without a cigarette and I feel good. I promised myself that if I quit I would make sure to spend the extra money. So far I have signed up for a massage a month club, gone out for some nice dinners, started drinking the GOOD wine sometimes and made a couple more www.Kiva.org loans. I am enjoying every penny I spend. Yesterday I did something I haven't done in at least 2 decades. I had a 2.5 hour dinner. You see as smoker you are always rushing thought that meal in a hurry to get outside. There were times when I would go out and smoke between an appetizer and main dish. What a treat, huh? I'm not missing it all. I find myself lingering at meals, ordering an after dinner drink and just enjoying myself. Who knew. I have always liked to bike, but am finding myself doing 6 miles a day and enjoying it even more. Actually with the exception of a couple times a week when I get a itch, I am enjoying everything a lot more. If it seems like I am bragging, I am. I am very proud of myself and still surprised by this transformation. I love spending $300 a month pampering myself rather then poisoning myself. I should have thought of this a long time ago, but it takes us stubborn folks a long time to come around. This is a picture of me as a non smoker coming home from Eeyore's bday. Look Ma, nothing in the hands. I'm happy and I hope you are happy to with the changes in your life.

A Bitter Pill

I have never been big on the doctor or popping pills, so a few months ago when a pharmaceutical ad caught my eye, I was surprised. The ad was for Chantrix, a nicotine receptor of some type that helps people quit smoking. What caught my eye about the ad was that the spokes people seemed real. I believed they were ex heavy smokers. Then an old pal of mine,Rob who lived in our basement in San Francisco for a couple years and now resides back in England told me both he and his girlfriend had quit using Chatrix. Now if you know Rob, he is what i would consider "a real smoker". I was amazed and inspired.The picture above is Rob, good to see he hasn't given up all his old ways. I told myself I would give it a shot this spring. Spring came and Terry gently reminded me about my promise. So I made an appointment to see the Doc and get a perscription. At the Doc the nurse starts going through the usual routine, step on the scale ( i hate that part) blood pressure etc. As she takes my blood pressure she starts making weird faces. Oh Oh. Lets try the other arm. Have you ever had high blood pressure before, she asks. Um no, but I think my Dad did or does. She then tells me to sit and relax and they will try again in ten minutes. Oh yeah I'm feeling real relaxed now that you gave me that news. So the Doc comes in and trys this time. He has better bed side manner and refrained from making faces about how high it was. So that's it my blood pressure is high, scary high, level 3-4 high. So I did what any mature adult would do. I went to the car and started crying and feeling sorry for myself. Here I tried to do something good and go get a pill to make myself healthier and I get a slap in the face. Terry tried to console me and say we would get through this. Terry a guy who lives for his heavily salted ribeyes starts talking about cooking fish and changing his diet too. Then we headed to Costco to get the Chatrix prescription filled because apparently they have the cheapest phramcy in town. At Costco I hit up every cheese sample three times. I am my mothers daughter after all and cheese is good for all that ails you, right? I then went home and called my Mom so I could whine to her, which actually did make me feel better. Then I decided to give myself a swift kick up the ass and stop feeling sorry for myself and make some changes. I have been eating bagels and cream cheese for breakfast for the last two and half decades. And I might add it was never the serving suggestion amount of cream cheese. I blame it on living in NYC in the early 80's. You see I have always exercised and I was always thin until my late thirties when I started to spread a little. Because of that I thought I could eat whatever I wanted and that was never fast food for me, more like cheese cheese cheese. Well I was wrong. So I had to make a lot of drastic changes in my diet. Fresh fruit smoothies for breakfast. No more turkey on rye for lunch (with cheese of course).Now its organic greens with tomatoes, onions and a little goat cheese(a gal has to live a little). Today I retire my old clunker of a Cusineinart coffee maker. yes Ill still have coffee but I bought one of those Pod makers so 8 ounces a day is my new limited. The good news is I have lost four pounds and to be honest my smoothies are really good. Next Monday marks my next BIG change. Easter will be my last day as a smoker. You take the Chatrix for 2 weeks before quiting. It's not an easy drug to take. It can make you feel quite ill, but I reckon it might take some powerful medicine/poison to wean me off a addiction I have had for over three decades. That's whats going on in my world, now whats going on in yours?

I said Yes

My starter marriage lasted most of two decades, so why am I about to embark on marriage number two.
Perhaps its because I had a lot of rum colas on vacation.
Perhaps it's because he's a hand holder.
Perhaps it's because he grills a perfect rib eye.
Perhaps its because he's a sentimental romantic.
Perhaps it's because he tells me I'm beautiful daily.
Perhaps it's because he's a good Dad.
Perhaps it's because he does a good job vacuuming.
Perhaps it's because he plays Daddy taxi to my teenager.
Perhaps it's because I still love him madly.
Perhaps its because he's great at fixing things around the house.
Perhaps it's because I miss him when he's gone.
Perhaps it's because he likes my dogs, even the full retard one.
Perhaps it's because he gives the best foot rubs.
Perhaps it's because we were meant for each other.

I said yes in the Dominican Republic and the date will be 3/19/2011.

The People of the Dominican Republic are beautiful.

They are, they really are. They sing and smile even when they are working. Terry and I spent an indulgent week in Punta Cana,Dominican Republic. A lot of that week was spent at a high end resort, but I must say are best day was spent off the resort visiting a school, ranch, sugarcane fields and mixing with the locals. The Dominican Republic has the lowest suicide rate of the Caribbean. They also have 33 political parties. Wow, imagine the possibilities. They have had a strong middle class every since they be headed their last dictator.

Life of Riley

I have always been found of that saying and it certainly applies to my life right now. For the third year in a row I have been blessed with having 2 months off work.You see the nature of my job is selling software to CPA's. There are two months during the year that CPA's are heavy into tax season. The last thing they want to do is speak with me during that period.I made a deal with my bosses a few years back to take the time off, fore go my salary and just receive commission during that period.Yes its a little less money but I get to pretend I'm a stay at home Mom two months out of the year. I change my alarm clock from 6am to 7:30 am. I clean the house, make better dinners, exercise more and am just generally in a good mood. I have worked all my life from a very young age. I only took 2 weeks off when Andrew was born because we had just bought our first home in San Francisco. So this time off for me is a very very big deal. I have lots of things planned day trips, projects and trying new things. In two days Terry and I take off for a week in the Dominican Republic. So while folks in Austin are still dealing with cold temps, Ill be drinking a Mojito and most likely getting fat. The Life of Riley is the life for me. The only difficult thing about it is when it will come to an end on April 15th. Until then I plan on enjoying every moment.

Bang Bang Bang

If you would have asked me my opinion on guns three years ago, you would have gotten an earful. I have always considered myself an anti gun person. I have my reasons, one being my brother took his life with a gun. At the age of 40 I had never held a gun nor had the desire. When I moved to Texas and mentioned my Left Coast view of guns folks laughed. The truth is most people in Texas own a gun. I was listening to a radio show the other day in the car when the DJ said something along those lines, folled by, "Hell even the hippies are packing in Austin". I would have to agree. About two year ago I was out on a friends 26 acres in Dripping Springs and i fired a rifle. I took two shots. Terry and I were out there with our sons who wanted to target practice. So I fired twice and hit an old trash can. I didn't have an epiphany, I just did it. Last Sunday as school break was coming to an end I said to my son today is family day. Anyone who has a teenager will tell you that when they reach this age they would rather hang with their friends rather than their Mom any day of the week. I gave Andrew three choices, going bowling, going to see Avatar or going to the shooting range. It just kinda came out. He first told me bowling was stupid. What a surprise then thought for a moment and said shooting range. We drove out to Lone Star Range in Lockhart TX with several of Terry's sons guns in the back of the car. Something happened out at the range, something really strange. I started enjoying myself. Enjoying myself a lot. On top of that I had a teenager smiling at his Mom and trying to show her the ropes. He doesn't have any more experience then me but I think he enjoyed showing me how to load and unload after Terry showed him. It's hard to find things that my son will do without the usual, that's lame, but I think I'm on to something. Maybe I have a little 14 year old teenage boy in me, because I can't remember when Ive had so much fun. While I'm sure this is shocking to many who have known me for a long time, but Sunday night I uttered the words, I think I want to buy myself a gun for my birthday. Or maybe I am just becoming a Texan after all.

Elite

I woke up this morning to an email from www.Yelp.com saying I was nominated for elite status for 2010. This is my 4th year of being yelp elite. And what does it mean? Somebody in yelpland likes my reviews. Over the years i have gotten a yelp hoodie, tshirt, chap stick and other chakees. Once a month I get invited to the yelp monthly shin digs which almost always means free booze, free food and a chance to hang out with some cool peeps. Sure it's a little silly but it was nice to wake up to that email and feel a little special. Sometimes is pays to be opinionated.