So much to be thankful for

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Not only it is a gathering surrounded by a meal, but it is an opportunity to reflect on those things that we are most thankful for without all the pressure of gift giving around Christmas and Hanukkah. Plus Thanksgiving is completely inclusive -- everyone is welcome and while it is a national holiday, people throughout the world can also celebrate their thanks.

So what am I thankful for? Here are a few of this year's items

1. I am most thankful for my health
2. I am thankful for my wealth of friends and family
3. I am thankful for abundant sunshine -- It is absolutely gorgeous today!
4. I am thankful that I have a job and and roof over my head
5. I am thankful for not only having a job, but having a job that I love and fun people to work with
6. I am thankful for wine
7. I am thankful that I was born in this country where people of any color, religion or sex have the same opportunities
8. I am thankful for pets, animals, etc. and especially for my precious dog Max
9. I am thankful that despite these tough economic times, I have money in my pocket and in the bank, and that the outlook for future is more optimistic
10. I am thankful that more people want to preserve this earth for future generations to share

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Here's the Skinny

Post Baby and Pre Baby Pics -- not much of a difference to me

So when people tell you that you are too thin and start telling other people the same thing, are you a) too thin b) people just got used to you as your usual plump self, or c) are they are really just jealous with your weight loss and need a reason to make them feel better?

I am thinking that this friend and one other fall into the b and c category when passing judgement on me. You tell me. So post baby, I am five pounds less than my pre-baby weight, 140 at 135. I am 5'6" and wear a size 2/4 now. I have been naturally blessed with a long torso which makes me look thin, not to mention the flat chest that I too am so naturally blessed with. That usually makes one appear a bit smaller as well.

Another fit friend suggested perhaps we have become a society which embraces obesity and unhealthy eating habits. She said that some of her friends and colleagues snicker at her when she orders the "healthy" option at a restaurant for lunch. If you have seen me eat, you will know that no friends of mine are snickering -- especially after I chose the blue plate special at lunch today. While I love to indulge with the best of them, I just happen to limit those indulgences.

You know I think that there is a lot to be said for her theory on our cultural acceptance of obesity. Think about it. Do you call someone names or say something when an over weight person sits next to you on an airplane or at a football game? No, you refrain from being rude. So those of you who feel the urge to comment on my weight, calling me names like rail and tapeworm (yes, a guy at work actually calls me that to my face), I think that you need to lighten up literally because my "lighten up" attitude dealing with your comments is gone, fatso.

Where is the world are you?

I did not fall off the face of the earth, but I did get lost and am in the process of digging my way out. After two conferences and one more to go the first week of December, a birthday, Thanksgiving and much, much more, I hope that I will recover and be back to blogging.

So somewhere in the past two weeks I did get a chance to do a little reading and if anyone is up for seeing Twilight, let me know. I finished it in one plane ride -- quick, simple read. It was ok, but in my opinion, it didn't live up to the hype.

Ciao

Taming of my mane

Anyone tried a dry shampoo lately?

As the winter and windy, dry weather rolls in so does dry, brittle hair for me. To avoid the over processed look and to take a day off between shampoos, I decided to give this new dry shampoo a try.

In the past I used a bumble and bumble hair powder product to take care of my greasy roots, but since the rest of my hair is dry due to the amount of thinning this thick mane requires, this new product was suggested.

So far, so good. I like the smell and the way it makes my hair feel (soft to touch to control brittle ends); however, I think that I will have to continue to shampoo daily because it does little to cure greasy roots. I find this product more useful as a hair regenerator after a sweaty workout. At $25 a bottle, I may have to wait before I fully endorse this product; however, there is a cheaper version of a dry Shampoo by Samy for $6 available at Ulta, but rumor has it that Wal-Mart carries it too.

random

Energy mom has had a lack of energy these days because she has been trying to do too much.

I ran a 4 mile race last weekend and had my own Curt Schilling moment . I finally figured out why my toe was hurting after the race. Um, somehow I got a cut on my fourth toe, but managed to finish in a decent time, 31:50. Considering I didn't run it full out because I woke up that morning with a terrible stomach bug in addition to the toe injury, I think that I finished strong.

Good news for my spirit - I went down another pant size so I am now officially smaller than I was when I came to college. I think this calls for a celebration so no working out the next couple of days for me.

Be warned: Besides the stomach virus I developed over the weekend, my work computer got some crazy virus and is over at the computer graveyard. The scary part is that I have a major project that I have been working on for almost six months and practically everything that I have worked on cannot be restored. If someone sends you a message telling you to check out your photo on this website, please don't fall for it. I did when I received three others from different friends and when I went to check it out, it sneezed on me and now my computer is being quarantined. Oh yeah, and the loner that I was issued also has a virus and I have not even hooked it into the network or any type of Internet. Ugh!

Well I am going to catch up on some Tivo and reading because my dear husband cooked dinner tonight and cleaned up so I am free to get a little r & r.

Our friends' father passed away over the weekend so that really put things into perspective for me and my family. Who cares if I don't have enough energy to get all this done? I know our time here is limited so I am going to go make the most of it.

Ciao

Makeup for this Granola Mom

I was taught to wear makeup in a way that looks like you are not wearing any at all. Keeping that in mind, I have long held a passion tinted moisturizer.

Since my face took on a whole new look after giving birth to the little man I have been in search of a good foundation. I want something that covers that mask of pregnancy and freckles without looking cakey and it needs to have a hint of sunscreen and color.

Has anyone tried this new primer and do you think it would work without foundation or would I need the foundation for coverage? Also, since I am "Casper the Ghost" white, do you think this primer will make me look like I stepped out of one of those spray tanning places?

If anyone has tried, let me know.

Letting it all out

Inspired. That is how I feel now that our country has elected the first African American President. Just the election alone has led to our country saving face in the international community. To hear the President of Kenya mark the day as a national holiday; to hear the praise from Gordon Blair and the words of encouragement from around the globe, including support some of our nation's enemies, I am filled with hope.

Now is the time to put partisan politics aside. The Democrats who have a majority in both houses and now the executive branch must learn from the mistakes over the last eight years. We cannot isolate ourselves. We HAVE to work together. Listen to one another. No more unilateral decisions need to be made.

Hope is alive for the United States......I wish that I could say the same for my state.

It is a very sad day for Oklahoma rate payers who lost a very progressive and hard-working corporation commissioner. I bet if you asked in exit polls what the Oklahoma Corporation Commission regulates, maybe one in 50 people could answer the question correctly -- perhaps that is even being a bit optimistic.

Energy policy, which is not really a partisan game was politicized yesterday. Republican cadidate, Dana Murphy beat out incumbent Jim Roth for his seat on the commission. She ran a very personal negative campaign, which forced Roth to go negative as well.

Thank you Jim for being an advocate for energy efficiency and for Oklahoma rate payers. Our state still needs your leadership so I hope you don't disappear after the new year.

I still do not understand why our corporation commissioner should be up for state-wide election? Shouldn't commissioners be represented from different districts? Just a thought.

Also can someone explain to me why our state was the first to declare a victory for McCain; why McCain won easily in all 77 counties in the state? Also does this correlation have anything to do with the fact that our state ranks among the highest per capita in teen pregnancy, obesity, child abuse, poverty.....do you see a trend?

Oh well, at least we have something for our country to look forward to and perhaps our state is right around the corner.

Let's keep hope alive!

Bow Heads

So it must not just be me -- now the urban dictionary has even defined the term bowhead, which is a woman who wears a bow in her hair, who often has an annoyingly perky personality and may be overly interested in things like her sorority
i.e. Buffy is such a bow head that she gave up her scholarship to marry and join the junior league.

OK folks, you will not find this overly enthusiastic sorority alum, junior leaguer putting this ridiculous piece of flair in my luscious locks. No, those bows were meant for little girls and puppy dogs who return from the groomer.

Can someone please tell what is the deal with this new fashion craze? I know that fashion wise the latest styles and trends reflect the 80's, but in the 80's I was a kid and was allowed to wear bows. I cannot remember my mom who was in her early 30's in 1980 sporting this do. Nor do I remember my older sisters who were 8 and 12 years older than me donning fabric in their hair. Wait a second, I do remember them (and me too) wearing rainbow shaped hair clips with ribbon on them. Do you remember those? I will try and find a pic and post to the site soon.

Let's just hope this crazy fad doesn't last nearly as long as those hideous Ugg boots, which in my opinion means ugly. And if you catch me mainstreaming in these areas, be sure to say, "I told you so."