cornerofmadness

Had to get up when it was still dark to go to the clinic for blood work. DIdn't need the alarm. I caught my finger and yanked it hard in the bedding while in a dream. That woke my ass up.

I had such a bad night sleeping with nightmares that not only was the top sheet pulled out but I fought all four corners of the fitted sheet off. Because that's what I wanted to do with stitch-hand, remake the entire bed. I had to take steroids for one of these tests and as a result my sugar was well over 300 so that wasn't helping.

I get to the clinic at 740AM for my blood draw and someone is calling my name. Turns out it was my dept chair/my friend also there for bloodwork. They call us back together and she looks at my test strip and says looks like a CVS receipt it's so long. Yeah 7 vials of blood later. Let's see if this will shed any light on the weight gain issues.

I asked mom to come wash my dishes and make my bed while my hand recovered. She told me 'you have a cat, right?' Get him to do it. Well I tried but he said no

Was too tired for exercise (and I got up there so late) so I struggled with getting the laundry out, me and ol' stitch hand. I will say it is looking better now that I put the heavier dressing on but I had to cut it off to get my hand into a glove to do dishes. Got half done but there are still more. I did get the paper plates and a pizza so that'll help with the dishes issues. my hand felt good until i did those. OUCH.

Happy birthday to stella_raven hope it's a good one

What I Just Finished Reading: Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee and honestly I don't see how this won a Locust award. It wasn't horribly by any means but it is the one I was talking about with the mysteriously missing dead bodies. It was such a huge issue for me. If I didn't have book two to read for netgalley I don't think I would have finished this.



What I am Currently Reading: Wake the Bones by Elizabeth Kilcoyne this was going good but it's a bit odd.

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles which is holding my interest but here's another case of WTF world building. People have magic (well some of them) and they're competing for...what seems to be the equivalent of a Vegas headlining show. I don't get it. This is all you're using your magic for? Why? I mean she can control fire and all she wants is to be Criss Angel? And I am so serious about this can we stop creating SFF worlds that are inheritantly misogynistic? I get that some people want to deal with the effects of misogynism but is it too much to ask for a world that treats women well

Faith: Greater Heights by Julie Murphy, for the popsugar challenge and it's not great but it's not bad. I just wanted more out of an overweight superheroine written by an obvious fan girl.


What I Plan to Read Next: The Unbroken by C.L. Clark which I have a feeling I'll be looking for other booktok recs because I suspect this isn't for me and Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 1
(憂国のモリアーティ / Yūkoku no Moriarty #1) by Ryōsuke Takeuchi

I have a series of towels I believe are now cursed. two weeks ago the dryer they were in didn't dry so I circulated them right back into the wash last week. The dryer worked but still didn't dry these towels (I'm highly allergic to mildew/mold so I need my towels to DRY). Today the washer didn't wring out and they're STILL not dried. I put them outside since it was warm and sunny. Nothing like an air dried towel. Might as well dry off with sand paper. shudders. And they SMELL. Not sure if that was outside or if it was from the washer. head meet wall.

I'm working on a lecture and the course proposal in between cleaning up house. didn't make much progress on anything, let alone the writing. sigh.

I did forget to put this on my writing blog.
writing a press release It's geared for the indie author but a lot of ebook and self pubbers might find it helpful.

Mom just sent over step-Great Grandpa's actual name (instead of Jim Christie) Concezio Carestia


As for the weight off, one week of exercise = one pound gained. bite me body.

okay back to work.

BTW am I the only one who didn't hate Madonna's performance??

ETA - My rotator cuff muscles have been in a spasm causing me much pain, costing me sleep and puttnig me in a very crabby, depressed mood

Moving the weight off here since well does it really matter what day I use? No I've lost no weight but let's face it, I'm not trying. Tenure crap will be done by tuesday THEN I can think about it. I did, however, get my written permission and lab work and I'll fill out the paperwork on wed. I am at least making plans.

I DID find a few healthy things that I wanted to share (keep in mind I am very skeptical of so much of the nutrition health stuff because of small sample sizes etc and I haven't yet tried looking up the science behind the claims but these were easy enough, and sounded tasty)

Adding black pepper to a meal + green tea may in fact boost weight loss. I eat practically everything with pepper so maybe I'll bump up one of my tea times to just after dinner.

We do know chocolate is healthy. DARK chocolate. Milk, in fact, impairs the flavanoids. I did not even think of that (YES, that means all the benefits of tea go away if you put cream in it). They kept talking healthy chocolate drinks and I was thinking hot chocolate. Oh hell. I've tried making it with soy and disliked that intensely. I tried it tonight with coconut milk (which they're saying doesn't act like saturated fat, though it is, and acts in a healthy manner. This is one that I really want to research). So if dark chocolate makes you lose weight and coconut milk (and coconut, unsweetened, does too) then hot chocolate using it should be super good. At least it tasted okay. We shall see (btw for health benefits it's a min. of 60% cocoa and preferrably over 75%.)

however, I also just heard two other chocolate factoids: americans eat 100 pounds of chocolate a second collectively and this chocolate health craze has now spiraled so out of control it's causing environmental impact. Just something to keep in mind. Also the process of dutching decreases chocolate's flavanoids and sure enough even my dark chocolate powder is dutched.

Otherwise today was a bust. I NEED to start writing. I did crank out a little something for the fic contest but I'm cranky because there's been no time to write. I've ended up with almost TEN weeks missing from my big bang time. Sigh. There is good news though, my galleys are sent back for Haunted.

The dryer at the laundromat didn't heat and I HAD to get back to get working on tenure/class notes so my whole apt is draped with wet clothes drying. now it's damp and chilly in here.

I'm recording The Fades UK crew, any of you seen it? (or hell any of you guys streaming stuff from all over, what do you think?

got this from scratchingpost1

Your result for The MASH 4077 Test...

Commanding Officer

You scored 100

Take The MASH 4077 Test at HelloQuizzy

I admit it. I've watched bits of it every day this week...

mostly because I didn't DO anything today but work on lectures and syllabi.

Ah plateau, you must be prime real estate since I don't seem to want to leave you.

I think my next thing to do is to start planning out a week's worth of meals. I thought that wandering aimlessly in Kroger's today. I need a plan. It helps to keep me from buying junk and eating bad. Though I did have 38$ worth of coupons today so my wallet is fatter.

Soul pooped on the floor sort of dashing hopes. HOWEVER, he started playing with Kanda's tail today and Roy's and he spent a lot of time in the living room. I noticed last night playing ball, he stopped short next to the litter closet. Maybe Kanda jumped him one too many times behind that door. I pulled one box out and filled it and the one in here with the new wheat litter. No sooner than I did, Roy peed in it then Soul immediately went over and did the same. There is hope.

My brother sent his ghost photos to me and has called me a half a dozen times (i guess I'm the only one who won't laugh at him). His wife is TERRIFIED of ghosts. So at the Jenny Wade house, the guide was telling them the back of the room (naturally where the people were sitting) is where the evil Daddy Wade liked to hang. They closed off all the lights and my brother, being his usual idiot self, reached around back of his wife and tapped her on the shoulder. She shrieked, they flipped the lights back on and John said what he did. everyone was laughing. I'm laughing over the fact she nailed him right in the stoma when she started flailing around. That'll teach him to be an ass.

( day 313, caturday bonus )

As soon as I went off the narcotics (and as much as my arm hurts now I wish I had some) I gained back 5 pounds. I have no idea. With my schedule now, I have a diabetic shake in the morning and one for lunch with a piece of fruit and some yogart. Maybe I'm not eating enough and my body is in starvation mode.

Overall, it's depressing. I can't even go swimming. I can walk so long as it's even ground (jarring makes the arm scream). i guess i could pace the building I work in for exercise. not sure where the ipod went. mom cleaned up my living room and doesn't remember where she put it.

I saw an article that I didn't copy the link to but it was stating that grilling helps us lose weight and that's mostly because we're NOT putting heavy sauces and what not on our food that way and letting spice and flame doing the seasoning. So here, have three basic rubs that are lo-cal and could be good on meat or veggies.

from weight watchers ( Sweet and Spicy dry rub )

( La Kama rub )

( Rosemary Barbecue rub ) Note on this one rosemary is a very strong flavor so unless you're really into eating a pine tree I wouldn't go above the recomended amount of the spice. That said feel free to play with all of these to suit

Still on the plateau? How is everyone else doing?

Honestly, no recipes, no anything else this time. I'm depressed and I have a writing project due in a.s.a.p. so here have a dream to scare the hungry right out of you.

I dreamt I was in my grandmother's bedroom, changing tops. I suddenly hear someone in the house and I turn to shut the door but this old lady in her Sunday finest is there, one of those suit dressed, gray hair up in a bun with a hat. She looks embarrassed to find me topless (and there is no door on the hinges) but she insists on speaking to my grandmother. I keep telling her that my grandmother isn't here any more. It's my house now.

Things blur out a bit and mom and dad are their now. I can't tell if mom and dad brought these two parrots back from Grandma's new place or if the old lady brought them. They open up one of grandma's bedroom closets and put the parrots in with two other emerald green ones. The two new ones were pretty, green as well with mini-peacock tails. There were a few budgies in the cage and I was saying this is too many birds. Mom opens another closet (which doesn't exist in this room, the house isn't this big.) and inside there's a huge bird cage the size of the closet. 'you'll have to clean this out.' I agree pointing out there is a dead parrot in the other cage from overcrowding. I start taking out the paper in the new cage and it begins to move. Under the paper are four pigs, two piglets that are black and pinkish and two adults one black and one pig pink. We're all like how the hell did the pigs get here. Is she homesteading or what? then I woke up.

yeah I'm not even going to try to explain this one

yeah still on the plateau but I'm HAPPY about it. I had to bump up the insulin and this time I DIDN'T gain weight so yeah.

Exercise news. The local YMCA got a million dollars. They're expanding and putting in a pool. PLEASE be an indoor pool. Maybe i'll get a place to go exercise.

Wonders how much energy I burned weeding. Surely that HAS to count for something. I was sweating enough.

Anyone else have anything they want to share here? Feel free.

Let's try a South Beach diet recipe that really isn't cooking. Just chopping for the cooking impaired.

( South Beach Chopped Salad with Tuna )

and honestly it makes more than I can eat in one sitting.

Looking around my blog this week, there seems to be as many people as frustrated with this weight crap as I am. Sigh. I have not lost. I have not gained. I think my body is content at this weight even if I am not. Listen body, this is not healthy.

Here have the recipe I used for Easter this year.

( Moroccan-style roast leg of lamb )

272 cal, no carbs though the fat content will include saturated fats (with it being meat and all)


for that matter ( see my dinner )

Lamb loin, fried zucchini (because the real planned veggie rotted unexpectedly and I was feeling lazy) and a mint-yogurt sauce for dipping.

Well I think I might have lost a pound. The scale is on crack so who knows for sure.

I did start up a little tai chi this week. Not really going to get me moving but it I hurt so much doing a program aimed at 70 year olds (the dvd, not tai chi in particular) then I need this step to get active again.

I was going to link up to a cool weight loss site but it's broken at the moment.

ital_gal might be by with a recipe later too but in the meantime here's another healthy one from me.

( Fresh Pea Hummus )

Cool, I see successes out there. Good for you guys. Anyone else in the doghouse howling at the moon over failures? I am. Sadly, I've had to up my insulin and as soon as I do, I gain. Just 2 pounds but still. Sigh.

Exercise still a no go. I can't even find a safe place to walk. I might just have to go to Jackson and park on the street and walk. It's the only place with sidewalks but it's unwieldly to have to drive 25 miles round trip to walk.

A lot of weight loss experts agree that starving yourself is not a safe or healthy way to lose weight. They suggest having healthy snacks throughout the day. It's not easy to thing to find healthy snacks but you can make them. This recipe is so easy even the non-cooks can manage it provided they own a baking sheet. Edamame are very healthy beans (and most grocers carry them now). Supposedly it contains all 9 essential amino acids, fiber, Vitamin C and folic acid. Give this snack a try (do be sure not to burn it)


( Roasted Edamame )

NOTE: You can mix up any sort of spice mix you fancy. Mostly this is here for cooking temps and times. I do use a bit more olive oil. It's a good fat after all.