Squee!

Nerd Alert: This post contains copious amounts of squeeing and uncontrolled excitement as Dillypoo lets her Harry Potter freak flag fly.


This darling little witch visited me today at the office. She brought me treats purloined from her recent visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

I'm sure my high-pitched squee could be heard in the dentist office downstairs when I found this magnificent pile of presents waiting for me after lunch:

Oh my goodness! OH MY GOODNESS! I was so excited I almost peed myself! I had to dash to the ladies room before I could officially begin ripping into everything (too much Diet Coke at lunch).

Pumpkin juice! And a ginormous chocolate frog! Oh, but they were tasty and, dare I say it? Magical! My stomach did flip flops afterwards (although that could've been the combination of too much sugar and pumpkin spice instead of enchanted candy amphibians).

I wore the magnificent t-shirt the rest of the day:

It was perfect! I've been partial to phoenixes ever since entering menopause, that time in a woman's life when she periodically bursts into flame only to be reborn five minutes later.

Fawkes is pretty cool, too.

But I reserved my biggest squeal of delight for the box. I had no idea what little missy witch had brought me:

Can you hear it coming?

SQUEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! A Marauder's Map!

The Harry Potter nerd in me was overcome with childish delight!

And then, as if that wasn't enough Harry for today, THIS was released:


SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Flashback

This morning I had time for a little reflection as I sat in the park waiting for my walking buddy.

It's been a little over a year since I started walking in the park. That first day I felt very much out of place among the joggers, cyclists and walkers. I didn't have any real workout clothes and I carried a bottle of water and my iPod in a purse.

As I became comfortable with being in the park, I began to acquire exercise equipment in an effort to feel more legitimate. Like ankle weights and a pedometer. And I ditched the purse for a ginormous fanny pack:

But I still felt like the fat girl in the park, the one who didn't really belong.

I kept at it, though, and overcame my self-consciousness at being the blob among athletes. I ditched the fanny pack, awkward shorts and ill fitting t-shirts. I bought real jogging shorts and some of those athletic tees that wick away moisture. And eventually I realized I belonged there. The park was mine.

I had become the trim athletic gal I envied last summer.

I thought about all of this as I sat in the car waiting for my friend. I watched a woman pull up and park behind me. She got out of her car in a pair of ugly long shorts and put on a ginormous fanny pack. And as she adjusted her iPod, water bottle and cap, I realized I was staring at myself from last summer.

As she walked away down the path, I gave her an unseen smile and thumbs up. Way to go, girl, and welcome to the park!

Destination (Not) Hogwarts

Hogwarts is open!

I wish I could say I snapped this photo, but I can't. A co-worker took his family to the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park this week. He's the lucky photographer. These are the lucky little wizards:

I am green with envy:

I had planned to go there for vacation this summer. There's a Harry Potter conference in Orlando next month. It's been on my calendar for three years.

But I decided to go to Germany with The Professor instead. I leave the same weekend the conference opens.

I won't lie. It was a tough decision. Because I'll miss Honeydukes:

Chocolate Frogs and Every Flavor Beans and Cockroach Clusters and Peppermint Humbugs and, and, AND EVERYTHING!

I'm going to miss Zonko's:

I love the kid staring at the Puking Pastilles display. But that should be me!

(Ignore the fact that the muggle is a child and I'm a 40-something grown-up. The Harry Potter books aren't really for kids, which you'd know if you've read them.)

I'm passing up Hogsmeade:

...for a small town in rural Germany. I'll be surrounded by herds of cows instead of herds of thestrals.

It's a sacrifice I'm not sure The Professor fully appreciates. He just rolls his eyes whenever I whine, I mean mention, it.

Of course, I'll be looking for Durmstrang while I'm there. Just don't tell him that.

Barging through Europe

My parents just completed their Grand Tour of Europe. They spent five weeks touring France, Belgium, Germany and Italy.

They took more than 6,000 photos, but I only have this one:

But it's my favorite! Isn't it awesome?

They arrived home last Thursday, exhausted but bursting with almost as many stories as pictures. Like Daddypoo agreeing to a horse drawn carriage ride in Paris, even though he's allergic to horses.

And the Smart car that pulled onto the sidewalk to park a foot away from their table.

And the street brawl between a shopkeeper and a gypsy.

And, quoting from one of the few e-mails they were able to send, enjoying a little "sparkley befor lunch and dinner, and wine during dinner" but not being "drunck by any means."

Yeah, right.

Back in the 1980s, my mom was captivated by Barging Through Europe, a 3-part series broadcast on PBS. It was a wonderful documentary about touring Europe's rivers by boat.

Although we've searched for a copy, it doesn't seem to exist other than in memory. But replicating that tour has been her dream for the past 20 plus years.

So they did it, although they didn't exactly barge their way up Europe's waterways. They cruised comfortably on a viking ship:

(Image found on the Viking River Cruises website.)

And when they weren't "drunck" on the boat, they were touring castles, cathedrals and museums. They spent a magical 90 minutes in the Sistine Chapel one night and stumbled upon the Mona Lisa in a gallery almost empty of tourists and queues.

They ate incredible meals, drank several bottles of vino and discovered a passion for prosciutto and fizzy mineral water.

My parents may never be the same!

(I've got to get more photos from their trip!)

Life Lesson No. 5

Don't close your eyes when doing underwater handstands with a nine-year old. Pool bottoms are closer than you think and they're not always smooth.

Spuds Rule!

Hooray for the Potato Diet! Dillypoo lost 1.2 pounds this week!

I now weigh 156.2 pounds. That's 46.4 gone and leaves me 8.2 away from goal.

This past week saw several milestones for Dillypoo:

I exercised six out of seven days. I skipped tonight and went to dinner with The Professor instead. To a vegetarian restaurant.

I walked 15.5 miles and ran another 6.5. My legs are still wobbly, but in a good way.

I bought not one but TWO dresses. Short, casual dresses. They show my legs. My hairy, haven't-seen-a-razor-since-1983 legs.

This week I'm going to add whole wheat pasta to the menu. One can eat only so many potatoes before they lose their appeal.

Three Potato, Four

Sunday's lunch:

A veggie burger with low fat cheese on a sandwich thin and homemade french fries. Mmmm!

Today's lunch:

A baked potato with canned chicken, salsa and low fat cheese with peas, sugar free Jell-O and cherries (duh).

I'm trying to get creative with the potato diet. I have limited resources at the office, though. There's only so much you can do with canned meats and veggies.

One more day and we'll know if it's working!

Fairy Houses

Did you know that the Tooth Fairy lives in Granbury, Texas?

It's true! The Divine Miss E built her a fairy home last summer:

Last week, while tending to Auntipoo during her eye-surgery recovery, she discovered proof that The Big T herself had moved in.

Sitting high on a shelf in the kitchen was the Tooth Fairy's hiding place for lost teeth!

Miss E isn't really supposed to be poking around on the high shelves, but taking care of a patient is hard work. A bit of exploration seemed like a good distraction while the patient was napping.

Which is how she found this:

Tooth Fairy treasure!

The only obvious conclusion was that the Tooth Fairy lived nearby, and most certainly in the fabulous fairy house in the garden.

Miss E was breathless with excitement when she called to tell me this news last Saturday.

Her assumption seems very plausible to me. If I were a tooth fairy, I'd want to live in Auntipoo's garden, too.

Two Potato

Dinner:

I know, I know. It looks a lot like Thursday's lunch, but I happen to like this dish. Lucy the cat was intrigued, but Dillypoo doesn't share.

Shoo!

Today is day three of my quest to add carbs to my diet and this is my second potato. I ate brown rice and quinoa yesterday.

I almost didn't eat dinner tonight, though. Dillypoo and The Professor went to a baby shower this afternoon where I noshed happily on beer, a hot dog and Doritos.

And a deviled egg or three.

And Doritos.

Let's just say that while I didn't lose complete control at the party, I did consume my daily points (and a few extras) on not-so-healthy choices.

Did I mention the Doritos?

But this evening I got back on track and went to the park. Where I ran two miles!

I broke it up by running a mile, walking a mile, running a half mile, walking a half mile, running a half mile and walking a half mile.

But that adds up to two miles running and two miles walking! And I did it in record time:

Which is why I decided to eat dinner even though I was out of points for the day. My body needed some healthy fuel as reward for my workout and to maybe balance out my afternoon choices.

And if you'll excuse me, I need to take some Tylenol.

Did I mention I ran two miles?

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Last year it never occurred to me I'd ever be comfortable in shorts and dresses:

And yet I'm wearing both this summer.

Last year I set low expectations about exercise, not wanting to start something I didn't think I could commit to:

Now I'm chasing ducks in the park four or five times a week.

Last year (and every year previous) I was your basic pasty white maiden:

This year I had to buy liquid foundation in a shade darker because I'm spending so much time out doors!

Last year I complained loudly and frequently about the Texas heat:

This year the heat isn't bothering nearly as much as it used to.

Last year I was a different, larger Dillypoo. This year, I'm smaller, fitter and tanner!

Oh, and I changed up my blog layout, too.

One Potato

Lunch:

One small baked potato with fat-free cottage cheese and tuna, a fresh cucumber from a friend's garden and cherries.

I'm really full and need a nap now. Boss, if you can't find me, I may be under the desk catching a few winks.

You Say Potatoe

Just because I've turned the corner mentally with regard to my weight loss journey does not mean I've given up on reaching my goal weight.

Far from it! I'm very much committed to getting to 148, even if it takes me another 18 months.

Which I sometimes think it will. I've managed to lose 6.4 pounds since January.

Woo hoo!

I think losing this last 10 pounds is so difficult because of the changes exercise is having on my body and metabolism. I know the equation for losing weight is to eat fewer calories than you burn, but I've been burning a lot of calories without seeing much result at the scale.

Which makes me think I'm not eating the right balance of foods.

My new mental state has me thinking of food as fuel, and I don't think I've been giving my body the right kind of fuel.

My engine wants high octane and I'm giving it unleaded, so to speak.

I've been doing a little snooping on the interwebs to try and figure out what an active body needs to stay healthy and lose weight at the same time, and I found this interesting formula:

A good guideline for people that are exercising is to split up your caloric needs into the following proportions:

- 60% of calories should come from carbohydrates
- 10% of calories should come from protein
- 30% of calories should come from fat

Dillypoo has pretty much eliminated fat and most carbohydrates from her diet. I eat mostly protein, fruits and vegetables.

But starting tomorrow, I'm going to try and eat more carbohydrates and healthy fats:

I'm not sure I can cut back on my fruits and veggies (you can't take away my cherries!), but I can definitely increase my consumption of starchy carbs.

I'm going to take a bag of potatoes to work to sit alongside my basket of bananas and apples. Let's see if eating a potato daily for the next week makes a difference at the scale next Tuesday.

I say potato!

Changing Direction

Hello? Anybody still reading this thing?

Dillypoo fell off the blogwagon this week. It was a short fall, but you should see the bruises!

The truth is, I've turned a corner on this weight loss journey. As I inch (ever so slowly) the final few pounds towards my goal, I've realized I'm no longer obsessed with my weight.

Mentally, I've said good-bye to 202-pound, couch potato Dillypoo and embraced the smaller, fitter me.

I no longer crave crappy, fatty foods. Making healthy food choices has become easy and routine. My day is incomplete if I haven't eaten five servings of fruits and vegetables!

Physically, I'm where I want to be. My clothes are already a size smaller than I thought they'd be when I started this journey 18 months ago.

Unbelievably, I've fallen in love with walking. I look forward to going to the park and pushing myself to walk faster or farther. I've completed two 5K walk-a-thons and I've begun running.

Running!

And don't take this the wrong way, but I'm fascinated with my body. All of this exercise is changing it! Dillypoo has definition in areas that I didn't know could be defined.

I'll be honest with you...I'm in love with my arms.

So where does this leave my blog?

I started it as a way to document my progress and maybe have a little creative fun along the way. And it served that purpose well.

I've made a few new friends and discovered some old ones. And I learned that I love writing.

I don't plan to stop blogging, but I guess I've had a bit of writer's block. If my blog is about a weight loss journey and I've mentally almost finished that journey, then what do I blog about?

I don't know, but I plan to keep plugging away. Maybe this next journey will be just as fun and satisfying!

Worst Birthday Ever

Dillypoo has had a an unexpectedly busy week.

Thursday was Auntiepoo's birthday, and she decided to take the drama queen route to celebrate: She had emergency surgery to repair a detached retina.


Party animal she's not!

The Professor and I made sure all of the nurses and the surgeon knew it was her birthday and that she'd passed up cake and ice cream so she could celebrate with them.

Anesthesia is not a bad idea after you pass a certain age.


The nurses gave her a nifty party hat! Such a thoughtful staff.

The party spirit had the surgical team in a good mood and everything went well.



After spending a sleepless night with me and The Professor, she went home to the care of her excellent home nurse:


The Divine Miss E. Chica may just earn another Girl Scout badge for tending to her patient's needs. I spoke to Auntiepoo this morning and the diminutive nurse hasn't missed an eye drop dose yet.

She even made breakfast. Cheesy chicken stir-fry.

Yup. I left Auntiepoo in very capable hands.

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