Losing Bogie, take 2

Here's another pic of Bogie. The person with him is me. I was trying to get him to kiss me.

Abby the Feral Tabby, take 2

I never realized until I held her how glad I am she doesn't bite. When she's trapped and scared she just lets you do whatever to her. Cause if she wanted to, she could bite and claw and do some serious damage.

I'm at work now. I hope she will be feeling better when I get home and that her collar is still on. I've decided to keep feeding them in the vanity room so that it becomes "normal" for them.

It was sad and funny at the same time to watch Abby try to climb up the cat tree after her nails were clipped. Poor baby didn't have quite the traction and had to work a little harder. After that first time, though, she got it down and didn't have trouble after that.

She was really keyed up, climbing up and down the cat tree, walking all over the apartment. Poor thing couldn't sit still.

She's tried to get the collar off by the "conventional" methods: lowering her head and walking backward, scratching at it, shaking her head. Poor thing.

A bright pink collar on a light orange cat doesn't really flatter her, but if it'll stay on it's worth it. She can get off the nice black collar with the fake diamonds.

The vet is happy at the progress she's made with me - it makes his job easier. She has come a long way in her reactions to him. The last 2 times she hasn't tried to run, and this time after I trapped her she hardly meowed at all. Meowing and running don't work, so she scrapped them. She still tries to hide, but that's normal. I've seen Xena do some pretty funny things trying to keep herself from facing the vet. (Last time she tried to crawl UNDER the floor piece in her carrier - and was actually succeeding. The problem is the bag was dragging on the ground when she did that so I had to pry her out.)

Abby's 3 year anniversary with me is next week! :) They will get tuney fish. :)

Abby the Feral Tabby

I held her for the first time today!

Ok, so she was trapped in the vanity room and the vet had come and just given her a shot and tried to put a collar on her (again). I asked about clipping her claws and he said okay. He picked her up by the scruff and told me to hold her by the scruff and support her underneath. I did! Oh my gosh I could not believe I was holding her! I know she was scared out of her mind, but I was holding her!

She did very well with her appointment. She nearly got away when I tried to trap her, but I got the door closed fast enough. She hardly meowed at all and mostly just sat in the window in the room looking out.

When Dr. Martin went to get her she tried to fit in the tiny space between the screen and the window - and was succeeding - and dug her claws into the screen, ripping it as Dr. Martin pulled her out of the window. He placed her on the vanity table and did what he had to. When he was done he opened the door and she sprinted out of the room and under the bed. She's a very unhappy cat right now.

I also had him cut Xena's claws to save her the stress of a trip out to her regular vet in the carrier.

I put out some wet food as a treat, which Xena was happy to eat, but Abby is still hiding under the bed with that, "I am scared of you, Mom" look on her face.

Losing Bogie...

After having to put Kassie down less than a month ago, April has now found out that her other dog Bogie has terminal cancer. This is the part of the e-mail she talks about it: We got the biopsy results back for Bogie, and bad news was that he has terminal cancer. Something called hermangiesarcoma (sp?) that means he'll live 2-4 months without chemo and 5-9 months with it. Chemo costs about $3000 so not sure we want to go for that since it will not cure it-- there is no cure for this cancer, it's too agressive per the Vet.

Bogie was fine and then just collapsed one day. Why does she have to lose both her dogs so close together?

The picture here was taken at the wedding in August. It's the only picture of Bogie I have on hand (he's in the background). I think I have another one on my other computer.

Gosh, haven't posted in a while

Guess I just haven't had anything to say. My weight has jumped 5 pounds in the last 5 days. I was doing so well and then I just started gaining. Sure I was off plan one day, but I shouldn't keep gaining after I get back on plan! I'm convinced by body hates me. It doesn't help that I apparently ate either something wrong or not enough real food on Friday and felt like my intenstines were tied in knots Saturday. Not painful, just uncomfortable.

The first of my Christmas presents arrived - Eleanor's present of an orthopedic pillow. I got a great 2-for-1 deal so I have one for myself, too. :) I can post this because she doesn't have computer access and will never see my blog to know what I got her. After using an orthopedic pillow I will never go back to a normal pillow ever again.

My sugar alcohol free chocolate bars arrived, but I found out the mocha and latte drink mix I ordered has tons of sugar alcohols so I won't be able to use them except maybe on my cheat day. Sugar alcohols seem to stall me so I have cut back on eating food with them. Hense, why the chocolate bars are great - these only have Splenda, which doesn't do anything to me.

Got sick of meat so I'm on a tofu kick right now. Last week I fried it in Carb Options marinade. Yum. I get the extra firm, cube it, and fry it up. It's been on sale the last two weeks - $1 for a 14 oz. package (excluding water).

There's been a mix up with the Vicki boxes at the ABC forum this year. Conflicting reports on whether the person's name I was given is participating or not and she hadn't posted a bio so I had every reason to think she wasn't participating. Latest word is she is participating, but still no bio up. This is my third year participating and I have never had a problem before. I guess it's because we have someone new running it who hasn't kept after people to make sure everyone posts their bio.

I updated my Amazon list to include some music CDs I need for my iPod. I only have 178 songs on it and I know most of them by heart! Need. More. Music. (!!!)

My body hates me. I'm up 5 pounds today from my lowest weight last week. My intestines were all twisted up yesterday and are only a little better today and I feel so bloated. It's like I ate something wrong on Friday and my body just rebelled.

The vet comes over to give Abby her shot tomorrow. That means no dinner for the poor thing tonight so she'll be more hungry than she is fearful. God, I hope this works out. Everything with this cat is a one shot deal and you better do it right the first time cause there won't be a second time.

Three books on Terri Schiavo

Terri Schiavo's family writing book about her life, brain damage

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Terri Schiavo's parents and siblings are writing a book about their struggle in the epic end-of-life case that divided the country and captured the attention of everyone from the Pope John Paul II to President Bush.

Full story here.

The article also mentions a book by Terri's husband, due out the same month as the family's book (titled Terri: the Truth), and an already published book by Mark Fuhrman titled Silent Witness: The Untold Story of Terri Schiavo's Death.

30-Days of Prayer for the Muslim World

The Muslim month of Ramadan begins soon. Let's all pray for Muslims in this world during this time. A Christian lady from the Middle East gave me this link.

http://www.30-days.net/content/index.htm

Lots of information on this site not just about daily prayer points for Ramadan, but also information on the basic beliefs of Islam. Pray for Muslim and become educated, all at once!

I've placed a link in the links area on the left. It will remain there until Ramadan is over.

God bless you as you pray!

Coming out of my shell...

I now have a neat Halloween theme for my diet forum! Coming out from my past has been slow and trying to find the place of this one beloved holiday in my life has been hard. This year I come out of my shell a little more by using this theme.

So I present the Halloween theme at
The Atkins' Weigh

Check us out!

What Flavour Am I?

I tashte like Alcohol. Heh. Heh. I taste like beer. I like beer. Buy me a beer. I'm not drunk, I can drink plenty without... What was I saying? Beer. What Flavour Are You?

I may also be coffee.

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

You are a Black Coffee

At your best, you are: low maintenance, friendly, and adaptable At your worst, you are: cheap and angsty You drink coffee when: you can get your hands on it Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

"Crazy Dinner"

Yesterday I participated in a tradition at my church, the "Crazy Dinner." It's not done often, though, so even though I've been at the church 6 years, this was my first time. It was also Anita's first time, but her adult son had done it once before.

Old timers at the church served those who hadn't experienced this before. Teens weren't allowed because they will be doing this at a later time. The kids were shipped off to Jack in the Box.

We were given a menu with "selections" of real food disguised with titles like "Pig's Eyes" (which turned out to be green olives), "Eve's Delight" (apple pie), and "White Cloud" (large marshmallows). There were 24 choices. Some of the choices, such as "Manure Spreader," turned out to be utensils - you had to "order" your utensils. We filled in 16 blanks on an index card, ordering more or less blind. I had an idea that a couple were desserts, so I steered clear of those. (For example, I had seen the pies earlier snooping through stuff and figured that "Eve's Delight" was most likely apple pie.)

It was supposed to be fun, but I didn't know there was salad and that we could eat whatever we wanted after the activity, so I didn't have much fun trying to stick to low carb when there were few low carb choices. So I didn't really have fun. When we were released to eat whatever we wanted, I got a drunken log (pickle) and a lot of salad. Salad is all I can eat at church potlucks - salad and sometimes the soup.

Overtime=no workouts

No exercise. One of my co-workers asked me to come in 2 hours early so he could go to church, so there went the time I was going to workout. Tomorrow I am doing 4 hours overtime, so no workout then either. Looks like this will be another week getting in only one workout.

I made my goal of 145 for September. Barely...but I made it! I ended July just over 147, so hopefully I am losing again. I'm using the diet pills to control my appetite and they seem to help. I can eat less without totally screaming for food. I know I gained in August - mostly water, but I gained a lot. Bleh. My ultimate goal is 140. I hope to make it by the end of the year. I ran out of Leptopril, but will be buying more on Sunday (when my Gold Card discount kicks in).

I have never weighed this little my entire adult life!

Oh, and I downloaded FireFox with Greasemonkey and a user script from WhiteMare on Delphi and now I can do fonts and colors on my Mac, both on Delphi and About (although it doesn't work perfect on About) without hand coding the HTML. I can't change my sig on About, though.

Going up...

Up to 145 today. Oh well.

I have a bottle of dessert wine in my cupboard that I am saving for goal.

2500 hits!

I just noticed that the hit counter has gone over 2500 hits! Thank you all for coming. :)

Christmas Gift Buying

aka There Goes Another Paycheck

I get paid every two weeks, which means that twice a year three pay periods fall in one month. Since the rent is paid out of the first two paychecks, this is a "free" check. One such paycheck was today.

First, I bought groceries so I can eat next week. Then I went on a bill paying orgy and got caught up on everything. After that, since there won't be another "free" check this year, I started buying Christmas gifts - Mom, Eleanor, and Cynthia are now bought for. I tried to call Mom to ask her what to get Bill, but her phone has been busy for a couple of hours. There will be nothing left when I'm done, and since some gifts have to wait, I need to try to save out some money.

Did I mention how much I hate the consumerism of Christmas?

I'm winning the battle of the bulge!

I hit a new low weight this morning - 142.8! Less than 3 more pounds to my goal!



I even exceded my goal for September:


Still have to get through the next few days and I expect I'll bounce back up, but 145 was my September goal, so as long as I don't bounce above that I'll be okay. :)

I can't believe I've lost 63 pounds. Who ever woulda thunk I could do it? ;)

What Kind of Soul Are You?

You Are a Seeker Soul

You are on a quest for knowledge and life challenges. You love to be curious and ask a ton of questions. Since you know so much, you make for an interesting conversationalist. Mentally alert, you can outwit almost anyone (and have fun doing it!). Very introspective, you can be silently critical of others. And your quiet nature makes it difficult for people to get to know you. You see yourself as a philosopher, and you take everything philosophically. Your main talent is expressing and communicating ideas. Souls you are most compatible with: Hunter Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

New Year's Resolutions check

Wondered how I was doing on my new year's resolutions, so I checked back in my blog to find the ones I made for this year.

http://stumblingtobethlehem.blogspot.com/2004/12/new-years-resolutions.html

And here's the text of the post, with my comments under each point.

To do one of two things:

1) Either get down to 155 pounds OR Get my body fat down into a "normal" range for my age.

Or both. :)

Exceded the first part by about 10 pounds, but it's hard to tell what I considered "normal" body fat. At last check it was 26%, and I probably was shooting for 23%, so I missed that.

2) Run the first two miles of the Bay To Breakers race before slowing down to a walk.

Ran all the way to the bottom of the Hayes Street Hill, just over 2 miles in.

3) Do more work with weights to increase muscle mass.

Nope. Definetly something to shoot for next year though.

4) Continue going to the gym at least 3 days a week.

As much as I can. When I have to work overtime this isn't possible, but I get to the gym when I can.

5) Continue eating low carb, but play with my carb and fat grams to better fuel my time at the gym.

I'm still eating very low carb. This is something else for me to attack when I reach my goal weight.

6) Let go of those who hurt me this past year and give them wholly over to God for HIM to deal with as He best sees fit, and not as human justice desires.

I wish. :-p

7) To read the Bible cover to cover this year. I have a "Bible in a year plan" already printed out.

Right on track. I'm even a little ahead. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and feel a sense of urgency to finish.

What Muppet are you?

You are Kermit the Frog.
You are reliable, responsible and caring. And you have a habit of waving your arms about maniacally.

FAVORITE EXPRESSIONS:
"Hi ho!" "Yaaay!" and
"Sheesh!"

FAVORITE MOVIE:
"How Green Was My Mother"

LAST BOOK READ:
"Surfin' the Webfoot: A Frog's Guide to the Internet"

HOBBIES:
Sitting in the swamp playing banjo.

QUOTE:
"Hmm, my banjo is wet."
What Muppet are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

5469 other people got this result!
This quiz has been taken 15475 times.
35% of people had this result.

Goal by the end of the year?

Dammit. I'm going to make it. All I need to do is cut calories and be strict. I want to be at goal by the end of the year. That's only 6 pounds. If I drastically cut calories I can do it. I want to enter the new year with a weight maintenance resolution, not weight loss for once! Damn. I want this so bad.

The Naughty Quiz

You are 49% Naughty

"You can be a little bit naughty but its nothing you should be worried about. Everyone should be a little bit naughty every once in a while, just remember to be nice as well"

http://www.quizarama.com/naughty_quiz.php

I Feel the Earth Move Under My Feet

But the sky isn't tumbling down. :)

Did everyone feel the earthquake at 4:25 a.m.? It woke me up, set off some neighborhood car alarms, and set the neighborhood dogs to barking. It was only 3.2, centered in or near Piedmont. Kind of exciting since I haven't felt a quake in a few years. It was a very short quake, just a jolt, possible on the Hayward fault.

Anyway, if you live here and your bed was rocking at 4:25 a.m. it wasn't the neighbors making whoopie! ;)

[Edit: Here's the USGS info. on it.]
http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/shake/ca/STORE/X40179595/ciim_display.html

Photos, The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel

My photos are up on Amazon, including the cover image for the book that *I* took. Check it out here. Click "See all 2 customer images" link beneath it to see the other picture I took of the inside of the book.

My first image on Amazon! :)

The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel, take 2

My book from Amazon came today. It's out of print, but the institute with the book right is selling photocopies for $20. Check it out.

The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel

"This is a book bound copy of the hard copy version of the book. As the Institute which owns the rights to Dr. Goodman's published works, we are offering these authorized copies for those interested in reading this true story, and are not concerned with the binding. This book is out of print and by most accounts unavailable in hardbook anywhere! These bound photocopies of the book come in black and white."

It's 8.5"x11" sheets, two pages per sheet, four if you count that they are double-sided. The front cover is situated normally, but to read the book you have to turn it sideways. The book is 251 pages. Because this gets four book pages per 8.5"x11" sheet, this "book" is not all that thick. Everything, including the cover, is black and white, and the cover has a picture of Anneliese on it.

I'll let everyone know how it is if I ever get around to reading it. I have so much other reading to finish before I can start this!

Weighty Matters, take 2

I'm 10 pounds down for September as of this morning. (I was retaining a bunch of water weight from August you will remember.) I just need to lose one more pound by the end of the month. I can do it. I'm even (and don't critisize me) taking diet pills to help me control my appetite, and that seems to be helping. I can get my calories lower without feeling hungry.

Sodium has been really high the last two weeks because of the pre-cooked meat I've been using that has tons of spices rubbed onto it. Hopefully I'm retaining water and I can get down a pound when I switch back to chicken next week. Of course, with my carbs so low it probably balances out.

Earlier I was craving chocolate and sweets, but I resisted even turning to my sugar free chocolate pudding. It was a craving, not real hunger, so I told myself I could have the pudding, but only when I'm hungry. I try not to let myself eat if I'm full and have a craving. I try to only eat when hungry.

There's cake in the corner from a birthday party earlier today at work, but it's white cake and so not too bad a temptation. Chocolate would be nearly impossible to resist and I'd probably get a clean fork and have a really big bite then. :)

How Do You Live Your Life?

How You Life Your Life

You tend to deprive yourself of things you crave, for your own good. You're laid back and chill, but sometimes you care too much about what others think. Your friends tend to be a as quirky as you are - which is saying a lot! Some of your past dreams have disappointed you, but you don't let it get you down.

How Do You Live Your Life?

Weighty Matters

I know. I shouldn't take diet pills, but after gaining in August, I rededicated myself to diet and excercise in September. And sometimes when I get desperate, I take pills. They do seem to help me control my appetite so that I have an easier time eating less.

This morning I was down to 145.6, but I doubt it will hold. If I can hold it for 2 days (or go down again) I'll be thrilled, but I'll probably be up.



I worked out on Sunday, but then overtime got in the way. I worked 12 hours on Monday and now it's Wednesday and Brad got sick again and so Jon asked me to come in early at noon, so 11 hours today. And due to my appointment yesterday I still haven't been able to do a mail run. It will have to wait until next week now. Tomorrow I have to buy groceries if I want food next week - just basic things I eat every day like meat and veggies and salad. Friday will be spent cooking and generally getting ready for Sabbath, and Saturday is Sabbath. So that means the only workout I'll get all week is the one I had Sunday. Oh well, it's not like overtime is the norm around here, though being shorthanded I will be working 12 hours on Mondays until we hire and train someone new.

Here's the link to to my FitDay food journal.

I know. I shouldn't take diet pills, but after gaining in August, I rededicated myself to diet and exercise in September. And sometimes when I get desperate, I take pills. They do seem to help me control my appetite so that I have an easier time eating less.

This morning I was down to 145.6, but I doubt it will hold. If I can hold it for 2 days (or go down again) I'll be thrilled, but I'll probably be up.

I worked out on Sunday, but then overtime got in the way. I worked 12 hours on Monday and now it's Wednesday and Brad got sick again and so Jon asked me to come in early at noon, so 11 hours today. And due to my appointment yesterday I still haven't been able to do a mail run. It will have to wait until next week now. Tomorrow I have to buy groceries if I want food next week - just basic things I eat every day like meat and veggies and salad. Friday will be spent cooking and generally getting ready for Sabbath, and Saturday is Sabbath. So that means the only workout I'll get all week is the one I had Sunday. Oh well, it's not like overtime is the norm around here, though being shorthanded I will be working 12 hours on Mondays until we hire and train someone new.

Wedding photos!

This will take some time to load on a slow connection. The original file size was 1.6 megs, and I think I managed to cut that in half, but it's still quite large. Anyway, I chose these pictures because I'm in most of them, even if just in the background. I also tossed in a few of people I know, and of course, one of the bride and the groom. They are arranged roughly in chronilogical order. There are 23 pictures ranging from 14k to 30k.


Me in my Maid of Honor dress sipping champaigne. Bogie, the Dog of Honor and Ring Bearer, is in the background.



This photo shows off my beautiful collar bones (now visible from the weight I've lost), and my beautiful Arwen necklace (elf princess from Lord of the Rings).



My sister gives me some of her eyeshadow to use.



What a special day for my sister! I'm so happy.



April and I pose for photographers.



More posing.



And even more. :)



My sister and my Dad.


April and her fiance. Isn't April the most beautiful bride? And she's so photogenic. There isn't one bad picture of her. I'm jealous!



From left to right: me, Dad, Mom, April, Renato, Renato's Dad, Renato's Mom, and two of Renato's sisters who were bridesmaids. Yes, Dad is missing a leg.




Mom, me, and 3 bridesmaids. Renato's Mom is on the stairs.



In the procession with Renato's Dad.



April and Renato exchange vows. I'm on the left.



Another picture of exchanging vows.



After the wedding each person is announced, including of course, me.



April and Renato share the first dance. Me, Dad, and Mom are in the background.



Still dancing.



Just people. I'm in the pink dress next to Dad. I think this was at the cake cutting.



I dance with my cousin Eric from San Francisco.



Eric and I laugh.



From left to right: Rob's wife Julie, Rob (my long lost brother), Mom, and Mom's husband Bill.



From left to right: Julie, April, Mom, Rob, me, and Bill



I ask Renato and April to intertwine their arms and drink champaigne.

Losing Kassie, take 2

April said that what I wrote sounded like Renato made her kill Kassie, and she says that's not the way it was at all. She wrote, "It was really for the best...she was not a happy camper...Just not herself and I hated watching her suffer like that, having trouble breathing, not sleeping at night, having to...put in a cage so I/we could sleep at night. She clawed at the cage till her feet or mouth bled. We got a muzzle for her just to protect her mouth while in the cage, so then she injured her leg trying to claw her way out...very sad for me and her... :("

The Shakespeare Character Test

Hamlet You scored 9 evilness, 36 romance, 45 tragic, and 27 comic!

Philosophical procrastinator, Hamlet is among the greatest tragic characters ever created. In dispair over his father's murder and his mother's marriage to his uncle, Hamlet discovers that his new stepfather and uncle is his father's killer. But Hamlet thinks about revenge too long, which costs him his life.

My test tracked 4 variables
How you compared to other people your age and gender:
You scored higher than 5% on evilness
You scored higher than 33% on romance
You scored higher than 79% on tragic
You scored higher than 7% on comic

Link: The Shakespeare Character Test
written by mandi_g on OkCupid Free Online Dating

What Kind of Cross are You?

You are the Cross of St. Benedict: This cross is
inscribed with several prayers for holiness and
peace including, -May the holy cross be my
light! May the dragon never be my guide- and -
Begone Satan! Never tempt me with your vanities!
What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself!-

What Kind of Cross are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

What is Your True Gender?

It: You are like Michael Jackson because you are
interested in girls and play with little boys.
What in God's name is wrong with you!

What is Your True Gender?
brought to you by Quizilla

Just because I liked to listen to Michael Jackson songs at a time when all the kids did... I was a teenager in the 80s.

Losing Kassie

My sister's dog Kassie will be put down this morning. She has severe separation anxiety and will start shaking and having diarhea (sp) as soon as she is left alone. April's even tried medication to help poor Kassie's anxiety. April got married last month and the new home and husband isn't working out with Kassie. I think Renato finally pointed out that Kassie had no quality of life and talked her into this. April says Kassie's at peace maybe 2 hours a day.

She's an old, sick dog, but she's very sweet, would never hurt anyone. I liked her gentle nature better than my sister's other dog Bogie, who is large and boisterous. I wish I had had a chance to say good-bye to her when I was at April's wedding last month.

Good-bye, Kassie. Your auntie loves you.

Wedding pics of me

Here's pics of me from April's wedding. Yes, that's a wig I'm wearing. The person with me in the bottom pic is my cousin Eric from San Francisco. The dress I'm wearing is size 9 from Nordstrom.

What to get me for Christmas...

If anyone wants to know what to get me for Christmas (are you listening, family?), check out my Amazon.com wish list. These are the thing I really want, not something you think I want that I really don't so it never gets used/worn/whatever.

If anyone I buy presents for wants to share their list with me, please do. I'll probably be checking out my friend Cynthia's list to see what I should get her for Christmas.

My Amazon reviews

I've added a link to my Amazon.com reviews to the left hand column. I have a total of 8 now - 6 books and 2 products.

Mt. Davidson Cross

While we're on the subject of the Mt. Davidson cross in the previous post, here's an editorial I wrote on it for my college newspaper:

Keep the cross

Victoria Shephard
Staff writer

San Francisco voters will finally have a chance to vote this November on a battle begun in the courts several years ago. The historic Mt. Davidson cross, along with less than half an acre of land surrounding it, will be sold to an Armenian group pending voter approval.

Full article here.

Rabid atheists at it again

I saw this on CNN while I was at the gym.

Judge: School Pledge Is Unconstitutional

SAN FRANCISCO - A federal judge declared the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools unconstitutional Wednesday, a decision that could put the divisive issue on track for another round of Supreme Court arguments.

When I grew up I went to school every day and we started the day reciting the pledge. It was NOT a religious issue for me. My family was not religious, the neither was the public school I attended.

So we said, "under God." Big fat hairy deal! No one cared then, and most people don't care now except for an extremely vocal minority! For God's sake, just leave the pledge alone. And I'd say the same thing if I weren't a Christian. When I was a Pagan I had no problem with the Mt. Davidson cross (photo) in San Francisco. I didn't believe in the Christian faith at the time, so it was a complete non-issue for me.

The pledge only bothers a tiny minority of rabid God-haters. They must believe in God - it's impossible to so passionatly hate Something you honestly don't believe in. If they didn't believe, they wouldn't care.

It is truly a sad world our children will grow up in.

Narnia Pre-Screening

Results from a recent pre-screening of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, due out this December.

pre-screening reviews

How Observant Are You?

C

You tend to notice the big things in life... But the details aren't exactly your forte

How Observant Are You?

9/11: We Have Forgotten and We Haven't Learned a Thing...

ALa gives us a beautiful 9/11 tribute with a look back at terrorism going back to 1979 and all the way to 2005.

Turn your speakers up. There's a song she's put there. The song asks, "Have you forgotten?" Well, have you?

We MUST not forget, and I will NOT.

http://mobyrebuttal.blogspot.com/2005/09/911-we-have-forgotten-and-we-havent.html

This link is worth it just for the song and pictures.

We Remember...

On this day, we remember.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Your Personality Profile

You are elegant, withdrawn, and brilliant. Your mind is a weapon, able to solve any puzzle. You are also great at poking holes in arguments and common beliefs. For you, comfort and calm are very important. You tend to thrive on your own and shrug off most affection. You prefer to protect your emotions and stay strong.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Sugar alcohols

Up to 152.4 this morning. My body seems to have this "set point" of 150 that it just won't stay below. But I don't want to be 150 for the rest of my life. I want to be 140!

Cheated a bit yesterday. Interesting that my weight was up Saturday even though I stayed within carbs on Friday. The only dietary indiscretion that day was the sugar free candy at the theater. Now I'm wondering if sugar alcohols are bad for me and I should have had the popcorn.

Up two days in a row. When will my body lose some weight?!?

Swam for an hour this morning.

Skepticism Chic and The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Movie review from a Christian point of view:

(AgapePress) - Raising questions is what The Exorcism of Emily Rose does best. The film is based very loosely on the true story of a young Bavarian university student, Anneliese Michel, who endured an exorcism in the mid-1970s spanning 10 months which ended in her death. The priests who performed the exorcism were arrested for negligent manslaughter and placed on trial. Emily Rose uses the courtroom as a framing device and reveals the story in flashbacks which are truly frightening. The dramatization the audience sees depends upon who is on the stand at the time. When believers for the defense tell the tale, Emily is shown as a woman initially beset, and then possessed, by demons. When skeptics testify, the same scenes are shown but now Emily is a victim of epilepsy and psychotic delusions. Little effort is made in the film to sort out fact from fiction -- viewers are placed in the role of the jury; we are left to decide the truth for ourselves.

Full story here.

The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel

Here's more on the real story Anneliese Michel.

From the Washington Post, an article critical of the exorcism entitled, What in God's Name?!

http://www.speroforum.com/blog/index.asp?wa=25

From Amazon.com, an except from Secrets : On the Ethics of Concealment and Revelation by Sissela Bok talking about Anneliese. Use the side arrows on the page to navigate forward for the whole story.

And this post on a forum gives more information on the case.

Another forum post retelling her story.
Collectors' Society message board

There is a book about it, but it's out of print and most copies are German.

Word Verification now on

I fnally had to turn on word verification due to spammers commenting with their ads. Sorry to everyone who actually READS my blog.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

This film is based on a true story. Emily Rose is a 19-year-old girl who dies shortly after a failed exorcism. The priest who performed the exorcism is put on trial for negligent homicide. The story is told in flashbacks from the courtroom. I recommend the movie and enjoyed it. When it came time for the verdict, I found myself holding my breath, completely captivated.

The rating of the movie is PG-13 and is not as scary as The Exorcist. I like it for that. It's not just another horror flick. I don't like horror flicks. It seems to take possession more seriously by not going over the top, and definitely is sympathetic to the priest.

From http://www.upcominghorrormovies.com/movies/exorcism.php.
"A true story, the case of Michel is well known among those who study exorcisms. In 1976, the Catholic Church officially recognized the demonic possession of an 18-year-old German college freshman. During her exorcism, the young woman died, and a priest stood trial for causing her death."

It seems the original title for the film was The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel. It is "based on a real court trial in the late 1970's in Bavaria."

From a link on that page I found this:
http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_1253.html. It has a synopsis of the true story behind the film.

It begins:
"From her birth on the 21st of September, 1952, Anneliese Michel enjoyed the life of a normal, religiously nurtured young girl. Without warning, her life changed on a day in 1968 when she began shaking and found she was unable to control her body. She could not call out for her parents, Josef and Anna, or any of her 3 sisters. A neurologist at the Psychiatric Clinic Wurzburg diagnosed her with 'Grand Mal' epilepsy. Because of the strength of the epileptic fits, and the severity of the depression that followed, Anneliese was admitted for treatment at the hospital."

It's a very enlightening story.

Anyway, see the film if you can and tell me what you think of it.

The question this movie brings up for me is that of whether Christians can be possessed. I have always thought they couldn't. This movie challenges that, as does the true story behind it. The jury is still out for me on that, but the movie has made me question what I've been taught.

Movie and Diet Pills

The only excercise I got was to walk about a mile home from the movies to save myself waiting for the second bus. I think FitDay said only 45 calories.

I resisted popcorn at the theater and just had the sugar free pecan delights.

I'm taking Leptopril to try to boost my weight loss. I found a 95 pill bottle at GNC for $40, but with my Gold Card discount it was $32.

Photo of Hurricane Katrina

It's too big to use the img tag to show up here, but here's a direct link. I found the link courtesy of Snopes.com, the best site about rumors on the Internet.

http://www.nnvl.noaa.gov/hurseas2005/Katrina1615z-050829-1kg12.jpg

Is Iraq a just war?

I've had mixed feeling about this war for a long time. What I do know is that, right or wrong, we now need to finish what we started. But that doesn't answer the question of whether or not the war was just. A friend sent me this article by someone who believes it is just. I present it without comment.

A War to Be Proud Of

LET ME BEGIN WITH A simple sentence that, even as I write it, appears less than Swiftian in the modesty of its proposal: "Prison conditions at Abu Ghraib have improved markedly and dramatically since the arrival of Coalition troops in Baghdad."

Full article here.

Al Qaeda's plan to take over the world

September 1, 2005: Al Qaeda has a plan, and it’s been published in a book (Al-Zarqawi: al Qaeda's Second Generation) by Jordanian journalist, Fouad Hussein. Several al Qaeda leaders were interviewed for the book, including al Qaeda’s man in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The book is only available in Arabic, but it does lay out a very straightforward strategy for world conquest. Actually, it sounds a lot like what the nazis and communists had in mind last century. The only difference is that, while the nazis killed you for who you were, and the communists killed you for what you believed,al Qaeda kills you for religious differences. No matter which zealot gets you, you're still dead.

According to Fouad Hussein, al Qaeda has a seven phase plan for world conquest. It goes like this.

Full story here. I found it very interesting. Scroll about halfway down the page (it's below the New Orleans stuff).

Discussion of this on CH Refugee (a great Christian forum I hang out at) here.

The Classic Dames Test

Katharine Hepburn You scored 28% grit, 19% wit, 47% flair, and 23% class

You are the fabulously quirky and independent woman of character. You go your own way, follow your own drummer, take your own lead. You stand head and shoulders next to your partner, but you are perfectly willing and able to stand alone. Others might be more classically beautiful or conventionally woman-like, but you possess a more fundamental common sense and off-kilter charm, making interesting men fall at your feet. You can pick them up or leave them there as you see fit. You share the screen with the likes of Spencer Tracy and Cary Grant, thinking men who like strong women. Find out what kind of classic leading man you'd make by taking the Classic Leading Man Test.

Link: The Classic Dames Test written by gidgetgoes on Ok Cupid

Fred Phelps is a Liberal Dem!

Imagine my surprize to find this out yesterday.

Blogger "ALa" tells us the results of her research:

After reading that Phelps and his hateful Westboro Baptist followers protested more soldiers funerals with "god hates fags" signs, I decided to research this man a bit... I found his biography to be fascinating--in a horrifying, deranged sort-of way...

Read the full entry here.

What Planet Are You From?

You Are From Saturn

You're steady, organized, and determined to achieve your dreams. You tend to play it conservative, going by the rules (at least the practical ones). You'll likely reach the top. And when you do, you'll be honorable and responsible. Focus on happiness. Don't let your goals distract you from fun! Don't be too set in your ways, and you'll be more of a success than you ever dreamed of.

What Planet Are You From?

Cowgirls Inc.

Cowgirls is not the kind of bar I'd normally go to; I only went because it was April's party and I was invited. As her sister I had to go and pretend to have a good time.

This was the second and last bar we went to for April's bachelorette party. It was WILD. VERY wild. There were scantily clad women dancing on the bar, shaking their "assets" at people. Occationally a patron not employed there would also get up and dance. There was a machanical bull that was very busy. Rides were free but they asked for donations and a waiver had to be signed. They started slow and would ramp it up until the person fell off. April got up there and one lady in our group with a video feature on her camera got video of it. (Blackmail time!)

Anyway, the drinks were flowing, the music was loud, the women on the bar were dancing, and one woman opperating the bull had a ripped up t-shirt on which read "Sinners Welcome" on the back. Amid all this flesh I felt an old stirring within me. I wanted to chuck God and be a part of this scene with looked so glamerous and felt so wonderful. The "old man" was trying to raise out of his coffin.

I could fight it off, but I am continually surprized by these tendencies within me. I think they are within a lot of Christians, no matter how supernatural of a conversion experience someone may have had. We can deny them, we can put them to death daily, but as long as we are in the body they will still be there, sleeping, waiting for something to awaken it.

Starting over again

Well, I managed to balloon up to 156 pounds over vacation. Actually, it was higher than that, but I'm already on day 2 of being back on plan.

I ate too much, drank too much, and got too little sleep at my sister's wedding. I also came down with a cold, which turned out to be a blessing because I didn't go into work at all this week, but I also got no excercise. Then when I came back from the wedding I binged on a large pizza and CinnaStix, and yes, ate the whole thing myself. I needed to get that out of my system.

Anyway, my mini goal by the end of September (which I may or may not make) is 145 (11 pounds). I am currently 16 pounds from my final goal. 11 pounds is doable because some of it is water weight from the huge number of carbs I've been eating.

So here I am...starting over again from scratch. September is a new month and a new start.

Yesterday I did good - 1904 calories, 125g of fat, and 36g of carbs.

My Bridesmaid's Dress

Here's the dress I wore as the Maid of Honor. It's from Nordstrom.

Latest Xena/Abby pics

They are old pics, but I just got them up because I'm home sick. At least this cold has meant some good computer time for me.

Abby's latest:
http://xenakidden.home.sunlink.net/html/abbyyear3-1.html

The second picture on this page of Xena is "new":
http://xenakidden.home.sunlink.net/html/7-3-04.html

Xena has grown into a beautiful young lady:
http://xenakidden.home.sunlink.net/html/3yearsplus.html

Pictures, pictures, and more pictures

They are FINALLY done!

2005 Bay To Breakers race (May 15)

2005 cruise to Alaska (May 29-June 4)

2005 General Conference (August 7-13)

No pics from my sister's wedding yet.