more about weight and ideals

According to the interwebs, if my wrist stays the same, I should have a waist of just over 25 inches. I have about ten inches more than that. But also according tot he interwebs, waist and hip should be about ten inches off eachother, and I do have that, so... I'm horribly fat, but in perfect proportion?

I don't know why I look at those charts. I keep wanting to have some sort of goal, something to compare to, but all it does is make me think that the charts want me to be way too skinny. When I weighed 100 lbs, which is 20lbs less than they say my ideal is, I had a 24 inch waist.

But also also according to those charts, my neck is good, and my arms and calfs are below where they want them to be. So... it's just my butt that's huge. Got it.

I lost two pounds this week, and I'm pretty sure it's because we haven't turned the air on yet. It's warm in here, and that makes me less likely to sit around eating when I'm home. And it's hot outside, which makes me less likely to want the heavy, starchy things I usually eat at work. I've pretty much switched naturally and without any trouble at all to what I call my Summer Diet-- I just don't want solid foods more than once a day, I don't want heavy starches, I don't want heavy or greasy meat. I want juice and apples and berries and sorbet and lemonade and sweet tea and yogurt. So I've been eating less, drinking more, and sweating like a pig, and I'm down two pounds. That doesn't sound like much, but I'm really short-- it shows. Already, my waist is narrower, and that corner of my hip that was starting to look like a shelf is starting to smooth out again.

I think I'm okay with this. I'm aiming for 130 first, to see if I can get it, and I'm under 150 now, so it seems easier. Then I'll see about 120, which is what I weighed when I started college and what the charts say is the upper end of ideal-- it's where I was comfortable. Less than that, and a stiff breeze can knock me off my feet. So there we go. I'm still on my same plan, even after all those charts.

sf in real life: A New ET-Seeking Project To Locate Dyson Spheres And Halo Worlds - Space - io9

A New ET-Seeking Project To Locate Dyson Spheres And Halo Worlds - Space - io9

How awesome is this? Even with science basically telling them they're loons, people are still out there looking for other life in the Universe. As someone raised on Carl Sagan, I fully endorse this, and as someone who write and reads scifi, I think it's super-awesome. Cuz here: Sooner or later, we'll be too many for this planet, or we'll mess it up, or we'll use all the resources, or we'll realize that we need to be more spread out to avoid an asteroid or something, and space is the only place to go. It's natural that we'd want to know what's out there and what they did to get there.

Mulberries Treat Insomnia, Arthritis, and More

Mulberries Treat Insomnia, Arthritis, and More:

I just posted gushingly over on the Food Blog about the mulberries all over the yard, and while I was looking through the google hits that came up as I was looking for pictures, I found this lovely bit of info, from the article linked at the top:

"The mulberry itself is called sang shen, and enriches the blood and yin. It can be used to treat dizziness, tinnitus, insomnia and premature graying of hair. In Chinese medicine, the dose is 6 to 15 grams a day, and is often used in syrup form, taking advantage of the berry's natural sweetness. It is known to contain carotenes, thiamene, riboflavin, vitamin C, tannin, linoleic acid, and stearic acid. The berries can also be used to treat constipation (when due to blood deficiency.) (2)

Mulberry leaf is called sang ye, and is used to treat fever, headache, sore throat and cough. It is also used to clear red, sore, painful eyes, both internally and externally as an eye wash. (3)

Mulberry root bark is called sang bai pi and stops coughing and wheezing, while also promoting urination to reduce enema, especially of the face. In European herbal traditions, the root bark is used as a decoction, to get rid of tapeworms. (4)

Mulberry twig is sang zhi, and helps relieve arthritis in the joints of the arms. Clinical research has also shown an immune effect from drinking an infusion of mulberry twigs: patients with reduced immune function showed an increased rate of lymphocytes (white blood cells that defend the body against disease). (5)"

today is brought to you by...

big orange felt poppies, whatever the heck Maybelline thinks Irish Mist looks like, WTF Bangs, bad overcast-weather headaches, financial aid angst, and purple fingers from picking three ziplock bags of mulberries this morning.

This is from after that two pounds of mulberries-- see the staining? It's a shame my webcam is sort of washed out; it was a nice color.

Later this week, or maybe next week, I'll be making jam with them and an apple (for the pectin), and then I'll share it with everyone. The trees went from 0-falling fruit literally overnight yesterday, and I was working both jobs and missed probably as much as I got; the harvest is crazy good this year. All season last year, I only got, like, a cup and a half!

so it's almost my birthday...

and even though I'm telling people I'm turning 46, it's actually a more... important number. You know what it is if you know me.

And since this is about a month ahead of time, I'd just like to say: I'd like a nice party. Preferably not on Memorial Day Weekend, which is crap to have a birthday on, and preferably not planned by me, because I'm not good at planning parties and no one will come. And I'd like nice new things-- clothes and books and such-- that I can use for school, or else, anything off this list (or things inspired by it).

Barring that, I'd like a night where we all get together and eat good food and drink fruity rum-based drinks and wear pretty dresses or the male equivalent and everyone tells me how awesome I am. Because it's my birthday.

And thus starts my countdown. C'mon guys. It's a special year, and I'm tired of my birthdays being lost in the shuffle of that stupid weekend.

what i learned today

- I've managed to loose just enough weight that I can fit into the middle-skinny jeans that I found when I was cleaning my room today! None of the corduroys, and none of the dress pants, and none of the real skinny jeans, but the ones in the middle, that I wore to work when I worked at the restaurant before I got a lighter-workload job and gained weight!

- The knock-off nerf dart guns are way way stronger than the name-brand.

- I really can't leave WalMart without buying all sorts of things I never thought I'd need, and yet totally do.

- City of Glass will never ever be in paperback, only because I've been waiting for it for months and I want it to match City of Bone and City of Ashes, and because both Walmart and Target and the publisher all hate me. Also, that's bad sentence structure and I don't care because it's fan-tantrum and it's better than most of it's kind.

what I learned today

- The Magic Eraser is no match for large numbers of scuffs on stairs, no matter how hardy Mr Clean promises me it is

- The lady up the road is convinced that Gou is going to attack her kids, even though he's never intentionally hurt anyone, and would probably do nothing more than knock them over because he doesn't realize they're little

- Pollen is my arch enemy

- Uncorrected proofs are hard to read because of their uncorrectedness

current favorites this moment: 3-28-2010

*

Avon products: I'm in love with the Calm and Composed face lotion and the loose powder eyeshadow. Even if the blue makes me look a little Barbie and the Rockers until it settles in.

Daylight: I'm so glad that the morning sun comes through my windows-- I was scared that when I moved rooms, I wouldn't get any sun at all, since the one window is under the porch awning and the other is directly onto the stairs.

Yesterday's sweet tea for breakfast: Hot tea is bitter and gross the next day, but sweet tea is lovely and has just enough power to get me going. And it requires no effort!

Kittens coming home: Somehow they both got out last night, which is especially distressing in Archie's case, because he's deaf and kind of dumb, but they both came back to the door at dawn and meyowed until I let them in. They're covered in under-the-house-schmutz and they smell like fresh outside-ness, but they're both fine.

Science Magazines: I always loved them; it's just that now I have a teeny bit of extra money to buy them, even when they cost eight dollars a piece (which is not a favorite). It's nice being up on science again; I want subscriptions; maybe I'll save up and get several. Maybe I'll start a science news column on Examiner if they'll let me.

Not a current fav: Having to work both jobs because they're both packed for the Rhythm and Ribs festival that I can't even go to because I'm working.


* Picture from http://lachatnoir.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/shiny.jpg, borrowed gratefully but without permission.

Who wants to be an Examiner? Attention all friends and neighbors!

http://www.examiner.com/Become_an_Examiner.html
or get here through any of my articles on Examiner (there's a link toward the bottom near the comments)

It's time again for Who Wants To Be An Examiner? Topics I've found that are available this time around that I thought some of you might like:

Liberal Topics Examiner (under Politics)

Math Geek Examiner (under Education and Schools)

Public Schools Examiner (under education and Schools)

Tarot Examiner (under Religions and Spirituality)

Folk Culture Examiner (under Society and Culture)

Telecommuting Examiner (under Careers and Workplace)

Cuban Food Examiner (under Food & Drink)

Cloth Diapering Examiner (under Family and Parenting)-- I'm looking at you, Jamie and Sarah

Dance Fitness Examiner (under Fitness and Weightloss)

Travel Photography Examiner (under Travel) -- someone get dad a reliable interwebs

Pizza Examiner (under Food and Drink)

Bakery Examiner (under Restaurants)

Lesbian Relationships Examiner (under Relationships)

Goth Culture Examiner (under Society and Culture)

Halo Examiner (under Games and hobbies)

Dirty Jobs Examiner (under Careers and Workplaces)

College Life Examiner (under Education and Schools)

Korean Food Examiner (under Food and Drink)

Shoes Examiner (under Style and Fashion)

Horse Examiner (under Pets)

Petfinder Examiner (under Pets)

Duct Tape Art Examiner (under Games and Hobbies)

Game Industry Examiner (under Games and hobbies)

Gadgets Examiner (under Gadgets and Tech)

Beading Examiner (under Home and Living)

Allergy Examiner (under Health)

Parkinsons Examiner (under Health)

Photography Examiner (under Recreation)

Dalai Lama Examiner (uner Religions and Spirituality)

Little Known Facts Examiner (under Neighborhoods)

Origami Examiner (under Games and Hobbies)

Green Culture Examiner (under Societies and Cultures)

Bicycle Transportation Examiner (under Transportation)


... and many more!


If you decide you want to try out, you'll need one sample article that can be your first article if you're accepted, and titles / ideas for three more. When you get to where it says Referred By in the application, make sure you put Samantha Holloway, Jacksonville TV Examiner, or the code x-11396 so I get credit for referring you!

And feel free to send this on to whoever you think can fill these roles well and indefinitely!

Thanks!
Me

PS: Some tips to help you get it:
- good grammar and spelling are very imporatant because there's no editor that will do it for you, and you have to show you can do it for yourself.
- it's supposed to be like a newspaper, so stay clear, explain ideas, avoid the 'I' pronoun, be general, and stick to the facts (if you go for a commentary or editorial one, start there, then extrapolate the way you would in a paper).
- sound as authoritative as you can without over doing it.
- you'll have to write at least three articles a week, but it doesn't matter when in each week-- pick a topic you can talk about for a long time before you run out of subject and have to go looking for new ideas (which makes it much slower and more tedious).

random thoughts: 3-24-2010

I think one of the best parts about a day off is not having to put on a bra until I want to, and getting to wear whatever makeup I choose, and eating whenever I feel like it.

I'm endlessly fascinated by terrariums and the little jars and bottles they live in, but I think if I grew one for myself, it would likely go wild and be less a perfect miniature world and more a wild jungle probably full of miniature dinosaurs.

I need to finish cleaning my room, but I think I'll ignore that today; I want to have a day for relaxing.

Maybe after I get paid on Friday, I'll take a trip down to the Winery and get some Rosa. Life is better with a glass of wine and a lunch in the sun.

Would it be strange if I kept a camera on me at all times and started taking pictures of the neat outfits and hair and mustaches I find around town? A sort of miniature Sartorialist?

I need a cup of tea. Maybe I'll make a whole pot for once, of one of my fancy teas...

The last two days, I've been living with Meg Ryan bangs, and it's... strange. They're not the ones I flattened my hair to get, but they're the ones I've woken up with, and I kind of like them. They make my messy French buns look more French.

I'm pretty sure my biggest problem with my current life is that the schedule isn't mine. I have to always be doing something for someone else, and there's not much time to make and consume a whole pot of tea or to take an hour playing with today's makeup or to wander around the house watering the plants or to just sit and stare off into space. In addition to the usual inspiration-browsing and reading and writing I want to do. Right now, everything has to jostle for time; I want the time to do it all.