*blank stare*

I really haven't had the time to update.  It's been really quite busy around here.  At least since the weekend or so.

Let's see here.  Saturday afternoon the boys got hair cuts and then Gak went to play Warhammer while Boo and I stayed home and watched "Muppets Take Manhattan" and enjoyed the "gooey bars" I created.  (Graham cracker crumbs and oatmeal crust bottom layer, sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter on top and topped with chocolate chips, baked at 350 for about 20 minutes, let cool long enough to not burn yourself.)  Needless to say, Boo and I enjoyed ourselves and our ooey-gooey chocolate.

Sunday was an adventure day.  We went up to Cabella's after breakfast.  I managed to find a pair of jeans that fit.  Not only did they fit, but they look great and were a size smaller than I was expecting!  And even better, they were only $30.  Therefore I grabbed two pair, one light, one dark.  I also got a new fleece zip up jacket and a pair of boots.  We also snagged a new seasoning (needs help...) and a new key chain because my old beaner has a bit of a bum spring.  We then had a nice lunch at Cracker Barrel and came home.  Unfortunately, it was quite a fight to get the boy-o down for a nap even though he was soooo tired he could barely stand.  We also had to run to the grocery store and some other errands.

Monday was a really, really long day.  I started by leaving the house at 6:00 to get into the office by 6:30 so I could leave the office at 3:00 and zip home, pick up a boy and then head over to Lowes.  Then I manned a cookie booth from 4:00 until about 8:30 or so.  We did really well.  We sold 57 boxes and raised enough donations for another 20 boxes for Cookies From Home.  (If anyone is interested, we still have plenty of cookies we're trying to sell, or get donations for Cookies From Home).

Yesterday I actually managed to wake up on time and get to the pool.  Unfortunately, I celebrated Donut Day and ate a donut for breakfast instead of eating something with a lot of protein.  Therefore, I totally over ate all day.  I really should know better by now, on days I get a good workout in first thing I've got to eat a lot of protein for breakfast.  Oh well, maybe I'll get it right tomorrow....  Then after work was my regular Girl Scout meeting.  It was craft night because we've got an event Saturday.

Today was an all day school day for the boy-child because Gak had a dentist appointment this morning.  Then after Gak got off work it was run to the bank, grab some dinner and put a boy to bed.

I've been working at writing this for about an hour now because I've been distracted by "Weird Al, Behind the Music Remastered".   (Yes, I enjoy Al.  I think I can thank Ben for that... I'm pretty sure he's the one who introduced Jon to Al's music and therefore I got inundated with it...)

Anyhow, the rest of the week isn't looking any less hectic.  Tomorrow morning I will be taking Boo to school, trying to squeeze in an oil change before my doctor's appointment at 9:15 then off to work and about 2 or 3 meetings.  Friday I get to go in early and probably stay late in order to try and make up some of the time that I'll be missing tomorrow.  Saturday from 9 until 4 I'll be at a Girl Scout 100th birthday party being thrown by the service unit.  I hope it's as fun as it sounds.  I don't remember my service unit growing up doing annual events, but apparently RSU does.  *shrug* We'll see.  Then Sunday will be laundry and Gak's threatening to turn it into "cleaning day".  I really just want to do laundry and groceries and not much else before the next week begins.  We'll see how it all shakes out.

Anyhow, I'm going to wrap up this long ramble.  (Actually, it's probably not all that long... it just seems that way because I kept getting distracted by the TV...)

Peace to all and may your weeks be full, but not too full.

Clothes Crankiness

This may seem kind of random, but it's not really.
I honestly can't remember when I've had an entire outfit fit correctly and look good.  Back a few years ago, it was because I was so overweight and in denial about what size I should be wearing, that nothing in my closet fit right or looked good.
Now that I've lost about 75 lb, give or take a lb or two, you'd think that I'd have all kinds of clothes that fit.  Well, I don't.  I've got some shirts that look great, but then I can't find pants that fit right.  Or if my pants are looking good, then my shirts or sweaters are doing something weird, or, like on Friday, nothing is right.

I know I've talked about it before, and I'll say it again.  If you don't feel good in your clothes, you won't look good, no matter how good the clothes are.  And lately, I haven't been happy with my clothes.  They're both too big and too small at the same time, often in the same garment.  (Don't get me started on jeans, but I'll probably end up going there anyhow...)  If I could afford to just throw everything out that didn't fit very nicely and start from scratch, I probably would at this point.  I've been dissatisfied with my wardrobe for over two years and haven't had much that's fit right in many, many more years than that.

I don't understand sizing or cuts.  I mean, I've got some pants that fit fairly well and are one size, the jeans by the same company are a size bigger and hit my waist at the same point, but seem to be cut like low-rise (read no actual waist per se... just the same cut through the hips... you're kidding right?).  And it doesn't seem to matter if you're paying $100 an item or $10, nothing is cut right.

I'd love to make more of my clothes, but I just don't have the time, money or skill.  Sure, I can make all kinds of things both crochet and sewing, but I'm just not the great tailor that Mom is.  I'm a very good technician (sew this seam... cut here... things like that), but I'm not so good at creating new designs from scratch or even adjusting sewing patterns to fit.

*sigh*  I'm sorry for this rant.  I don't really have much of a point.  I just am tired and frustrated with everything in my closet.  Well, maybe not my socks.... and a few T-shirts and some button down shirts, but 95% of what I own frustrates me on one level or another.  And I'm not sure what I can do to fix it.  Or even if I should try that hard to right now, as I'm still trying to figure out if I'm going to actually try and loose another 20 lb or so or just be content with drifting downwards for now.  (I really would love to get down to 150, if only because that puts me only slightly above the "healthy" range for my height by BMI and despite what I may say most days, I really do want to loose that #%#@^ obese tag....  I can tell you I'm 100 times more fit and trim at this weight now than when I was last here 10+ years ago...)

Anyhow, I have a boy-o to go tuck in.  Oh, Boo and I went down to visit Amma and PopPop today.  Amma is doing very well.  She seems to be walking about as well as before her surgery and keeps forgetting that she is supposed to be using her cane.  She's mostly got to remember that her knee actually does bend and to actually bend it and use it.  Her incision looks great, all of the swelling has gone down and her spirits are still very high.  She starts 3-day a week PT tomorrow and will be doing that for up to 6 weeks.  I haven't seen her this happy or feeling this good in a very long time.  I'm so glad!

On that note, I bid you all peace and only minor battles with your clothes.

What Size Was That??

I'm not sure if I've mentioned recently about my challenges with clothing.  For example, the other week at work the office admin (via messenger) asked what size button down shirt I wear, since they're thinking about ordering us some nice shirts.  This simple question put me into a panic and it took me almost 10 minutes to stammer out some kind of answer that made any sense.  This was not because I’m ashamed of my size. I’ve never been ashamed of my size. But because I just don’t know what the answer is.


Well, apparently I’m not the only one. Apparently this is a frustration point for many, many women, even those who are already small to begin with. I’ve talked about my frustrations of trying on 3 pairs of pants in the same size by the same company and only 1 slightly fitting right.


Yesterday morning, for example, I found a pair of khakis in my closet I’d put in the “give away” pile because I thought they’d be too big by spring, but low and behold, they’re smaller than my jeans that are too big, but only a hair bigger than my work pants that are too big and a good bit bigger than my jeans that actually fit fairly well for most of a day. Anyhow, the jeans that are too big and the work pants I’ve been wearing are both the same brand (Lee) and the same size (16, not 16W, just 16). The jeans are a good inch or two bigger in the waist than the work pants. Huh?  The jeans that fit fairly well are also Lee and a 14.  There's a pretty big difference between the two jean sizes (even though they're the same style even) but not such a big difference between the work pants and the 14 jeans. Oh, and the khaki’s I wore yesterday, they fit well enough (and in some ways better than my pants I'd been wearing), and they’re an 18. Of course, from past experiences, I totally expect to need a full size bigger in that brand (Cabella's) than my “normal” clothes. (I'm sure all this numbers and comparing just made your head spin, if not explode... mine was doing that yesterday morning at 6am while I was standing in my closet trying to get dressed for the day...)



So, with my experiments at home yesterday, it looks like I need to go down to a 14 or maybe even a 12 in my work pants and get another pair or two of 14s in jeans. I never in a million years thought I'd be in those sizes. Then again, with the "vanity sizing" that's been running rampant through the industry, it probably should be about an 18 from a decade or so ago...  Even though my weight has been mostly the same the last several months I'm hesitant to buy new clothes.  I do want to loose a little more, but it's not even that.  I really do need to buy new clothes.  The ones I have don't fit right and clothes that don't fit right no matter if they're too big or too small just make you uncomfortable and self conscious.  (That and I'm sure my coworkers, even though they'll say other wise, are almost as tired of the same 5 or 6 shirts I've been rotating through as I am.) 
Oh, and don't get me started on shirts.  I have 3 (woman, not unisex) workout T-shirts that are a size large that fit beautifully that I got from Target.  A few weeks back I tried to get a button down shirt from there that was an XL because the arms looked slim, and well, if I had no bust I could have buttoned it (and the arms were still a bit snug...).   And if my shirt fits nicely and slimly (is that even a word?) through the tummy and my pants are baggy and falling down, do you tuck in your shirt (and have it pull out every time you raise your arms) or do you leave it out and have it fall into your waistband anyhow?  Either way you look sloppy.

So, it looks like I really do need to break out the sewing machine and find some new and fun patterns and convince mom to help me whip up a few additions to the wardrobe.  (Maybe even a skirt, that'd be nice to wear in the summer to work and still be cool enough to play on the playground with Boo after.... hmmm.... one advantage to dresses/skirts...)



Anyhow, all of this personal angst was just to point you to a very interesting piece from the New York Times yesterday. I totally agree that if there was some kind of standard in clothing labels, then clothes shopping wouldn’t be such a long, arduous and mentally and emotionally painful task. The only size "system" that makes even less sense and seems almost as random as woman's sizing is that for infants and even toddlers.  The tags are so "helpful" with height and weight suggestions and trust me, no two brands, or even pieces are cut the same...

(Oh, and I looked at the Levi jeans… first off, I don’t have $70 to spend on a single pair of jeans and they may have different curves, but please, not all of us can wear skinny jeans, nor do we want to… I mean, I have curvy hips and a butt and my thighs go right along with them and will never, ever fit in "skinny jeans", they have ever since puberty and always will. I like my curves, they just need to be smaller over all, not go away completely!)

Funk

Well, I guess I should post something.
I can tell when I get into a funk, I stop writing.
Yes, this week has been a bit of a funk week. But that's OK. We all have those. Part of it was being sick. Part of it was going back to work and part of it, I have no clue. Since I'm pregnant, I'll just chalk it up to hormones and leave it at that I guess. Who'd know the difference? Not me.
Work went well, for work. I didn't get a whole lot of productive work done, but nothing new there. I was supposed to have a meeting with my boss and HR Friday, but that didn't happen. My boss is even better at not getting meetings done than I am. Oh well. I told him we really need to have it this week because I need to know what we decide about regionals so I can get marketing done and time's slipping by fast. Maybe we will, maybe we won't. I don't really have a lot of control over it at the moment, so I'm just not going to worry.

Ok, shift in subject time.
Can I tell you exactly how annoying it is to be plus sized (and not really all that plus sized, but enough) and pregnant? I don't look pregnant at all and I'm at about 19 weeks. My Dr. said my womb is about 2" below my belly button, but I'll be damned if I can tell. It looks and mostly feels like the same roll of fat that's been there for years now.
I do feel a difference in my jeans. One pair is right out, the other two fit fine most of the day. I have put on some weight, but to me, I just can't see or feel the difference.
I guess it's not a bad thing, not looking pregnant, but for once, I have a reason to have a belly and it doesn't show.
That and shopping is horrible. Target only goes up to size 18. I, unfortunately, need a 20. Koles is even worse. Good Will didn't even have a single stitch of maternity clothes, let alone something approaching my size. Last week Michelle and I went shopping at the mall. We struck out at all stores except the one maternity store. In reality, we struck out there mostly even though I did buy a pair of jeans. There they went up to a 3X, at least on the tags. According to their online (I think it was theirs) sizing chart, I should be in a 1X. Nope, the jeans I got were a 2X. And at that they expect me to be at least another 4-6 inches taller, have no thighs and massive calves. (I happen to have large thighs and respectable calves...) That and the rise is too short and they barely come up over my butt in the back. You want to know why. Spandex. For some reason, most designers think that if you're using a stretch material, you can cut it 1 size smaller and it'll fit right. No, the spandex is there to give you a little bit of ease, not forgive an entire couple of inches! Oh, I do like the fact that there is a drawstring on the spandex belly cover bit, but, while I understand why, the tie is on the side which makes it very difficult to pull and tie off.
I'm sure a bit of my crankiness has to do with hormones or the like, but most of it is due to society and stupid designers. I'm not a size 6, I haven't been since the middle of high school. I was a toothpick growing up, but when I got boobs, I got hips and thighs to go with them. (My brother on the other hand, went from slightly husky to stick thin... some days I hate him...) I honestly don't mind being the size I am. Sure, I'd love to be a size 14/16, but at this rate, that's never going to happen again. I can live with that. Just because I'm a little rounder than "average", doesn't mean I'm 6' tall to go with it. If I was 6' tall, I'd only look a little heavy, not round. I'm 5'3" (4 if I stretch real tall), which puts me just an inch or so shy of "average". I want nice clothes. I want things that cover my butt and don't make me look like a sausage squeezed into a casing. Heck, I'd be happy with things that didn't look like they were made with the cheapest material possible for a colorblind hippo of a grandmother. (I apologize to any overly large grandmothers out there who actually do have fashion sense!)
I just hope tomorrow goes better than last week did. I somehow doubt it, but I'm willing to try. (Not that I have much choice if I want to remain clothed for the next 6-8 months until well after Boo is born...) You see, mom is taking me shopping. She wants to get me some pants and tops. I have no doubt we'll be able to find tops. I usually don't have a problem in this area. A 1X fits me very well, but an ordinary XL will work too. A 2X is nice and roomy, without looking too bad. Therefore, I'll be able to find something to wear on the top. Maybe I should just get over hating skirts and make myself several. Scratch that, I looked at the 3 maternity patterns they had at JoAnn's last weekend and they were all about as flattering as a mumu. And that was on "normal" sized models. Just because I've got a growing belly doesn't mean that all shaping and style has to go out of what I wear.
Well, at any rate, wish me luck tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have a happier post soon.
Maybe I'll actually get around to unpacking the dishes that go into the china cabinet and get pictures of the dining room furniture. I forgot to mention it, but last Sunday Kat, Andy and I went down to MD to load up the last of the stuff from Gram's apartment so Mom could turn it back over on Monday. I came home with a few extra pieces, but that's OK. Andy also picked up a few things, and I'm glad he did. He got the old radio my Pop Pop (Gram's father) turned into a curio cabinet. I'm very glad he did. He told me he was going to replace the bottom and add some lights to the inside. I know he'll do it respectfully and neatly. He may be a bit of a jerk at times and a royal pain, but he understands and respects history, especially family history, and hand made things. He also told me that whenever Gak and I get our own house, when we want it back, it's all ours. For now, I'm just glad the piece is staying in the family and will be well taken care of.
Well, I've been rambling and ranting long enough. I've got to get my butt in gear and go pick up some groceries before I go pick up Gak from work.
I have no idea where the day went, but it's not here any more.
Peace to all and may you have clothes that fit and funk-less weeks.