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I have learned to NOT subscribe to magazines. It took me many years to learn this valuable lesson. But after finally getting rid of 5 years(!) worth of Martha Stewart Living magazines this summer, I vowed that I was never going to subscribe to another magazine again. I just don't have enough closet shelf space to store them. And why store them to begin with? I never looked at them again so why was I saving them?
Because they were beautiful and informative and inspiring, that's why. Except, like I said, I never looked at them again. That's just me - clinging to an imagined reality that will never be.
Which is why I was totally jazzed when I saw this web site, the READ GREEN Initiative. They offer online versions of lots of magazines that you can either read online (duh) of download to read later. It's the real magazine - only not with paper. It's a "win/win" situation here folks!
Of course, they don't offer Martha Steward Living, but I did subscribe to Saveur. And there are many, many more to choose from. So, head on over and take a look. Save a tree (and your sanity) today!
About four weeks ago my BFF Bettina decided to go on a diet. We were sitting in the BBY (Big Back Yard) having a drink and letting the dogs play when we (read:I) started talking about being fat and unhappy about it. We both know that stomach fat can lead to diabetes, stroke and heart disease and that's where we both carry our weight. (I don't think thunder thighs can kill you...can it?)
The very next day as she was fixing my drink she announced that she was on a diet and she wasn't going to drink. For that week, as was our habit, we would meet for an hour and let the dogs play and then meet uptown at 5:00 for cocktail hour. Normally we'd have a drink or two in the BBY and another couple-ten uptown. Now it was water and a diet pop for her. I figured when we got uptown she'd eventually break down and have a drink with me. I knew she was a stubborn German woman, but I didn't think she was that committed.
I should have known better though, because when she decided to stop smoking several years ago she just STOPPED. Period. End of discussion. Man - that woman has willpower!
Because she is my best friend, I didn't want her to suffer alone. So, in the spirit of friendship, I decided to quit drinking as well. To lose weight, you know. And it is working. Very well, in fact. But, you know what else I found out? I FEEL better. I feel better waking up, I have more energy during the day, and I just seem...well...happier.
And I'm also trying to quit smoking with Chantix. Wow. Two addictions at once. How much willpower can a person have I wonder. I have gone from 2+ packs a day to less than one, but I can't seem to get that last little craving out of my system. Yet.
My epiphany? Well, last night as I was watching TV, I suddenly realized that I was silently trying to decide which of my THREE cravings to give in to: 1) have a drink; 2) have a cigarette; or 3) have a cookie. Which one would hurt me the least? I suddenly realized that I had THREE addictions and they are all bitches. (For the record - I had a cigarette.)
I started this whole "no drinking" crap to lose weight. What I'm finding is that one of my addictions (either alcohol or tobacco) is ratcheting up my sweet tooth like mad. Luckily said sweet tooth is a midget compared to carbohydrate tooth, but it can really pitch a fit when told "no".
Will I drink again? Probably...maybe. I miss having a glass of wine with supper or a drink with friends. It's all the drinks that follow that I don't miss. Will I eventually quit smoking? God, I hope so! It's a disgusting, filthy habit that makes no one happy. Least of all me. Can I eventually take off this weight and (more importantly) keep it off? Yes - I think I can. I've never been a heavy woman, just average height and weight. I know that I need to start exercising if I'm going to maintain any weight loss and as soon as I can, I plan on starting a walking program.
Too little too late? Nah. We do what we can, when we can. Who knows how many days, hours or minutes we have left to live. How we live those precious minutes is what is most important. Taking charge of our own lives is the first step. Follow-through is the next. Commitment is the result.
Several years ago my step-daughter and her friend made a movie! A real movie. Like the kind you would go to a theater and watch. It's a documentary about contestants on the fan-tabulous Price Is Right TV show and it's a blast to watch. Right now the girls are trying to get it picked up by a distributor so that you can actually GO to a theater and watch it.
I don't really understand the whole process involved with distributing/selling the movie. But I do know that it is going to be shown at the San Francisco Documentary Film Festival on October 18th and 20th. So if you are a fan of the Price Is Right or indie film makers, here's your chance to see Caryn and Jeruschka's film. I wish we were closer so we could attend, but it's not to be.
Here are the details in Caryn's own words:
COME ON DOWN!! THE ROAD TO ‘THE PRICE IS RIGHT’ Premiere screening at the SF Documentary Film Festival Saturday, October 18, 2008 7:15 pm Monday, October 20, 2008, 7:15 pm San Francisco –Come On Down! The Road to ‘The Price Is Right’ will debut in San Francisco on Saturday, October 18th as part of the San Francisco Documentary Film Festival. The world premiere screening will take place on Saturday, October 18th , at 7:15 pm at the Roxie Cinema (3117 16th Street in San Francisco ) and will be followed by a Q & A with the filmmakers. A second screening will take place on Monday, October 20th, at 7:15 pm at the Roxie. Come On Down! The Road to ‘The Price Is Right’ is a film about game show culture, the American dream, and the once-in-a-lifetime experience of hearing the words… “Lucky Lucy, come on down!!” The diverse cast of characters includes rock bands, college students, scholars, grandmas, fanatics, and "regular Joe's." The TPIR stories collected offer a hilarious and lighthearted glimpse at a truly unique staple of American popular culture as devotees live their "American dream." As one fan proclaimed, "I compare it to Canterbury Tales…I think it truly is an American pilgrimage." This documentary is a debut feature for filmmakers Caryn Capotosto and Jeruschka White. www.comeondowndocumentary.blogspot.com/ www.myspace.com/comeondowndocumentary Tickets are available online at http://www.sfindie.com/ Press inquiries please contact TPIRdocumentary@aol.com 
I like memes. They offer a glimpse into the writer's life. Plus it's a good way to share just a bit about yourself to perfect strangers. Reenie had this one on her blog and I thought I'd play along. Here goes:
1.What time did you get up this morning?
4:00 a.m. What? I get up when I wake up.
2.Diamonds or pearls?
Both.
3.What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Indiana Jones - what is it? 4? 5? Which ever the last one was. I saw it with Bettina and Q.
4.What is your favorite TV show?
I don't really have a "favorite" - something that I watch all the time. I like "House" and "Law and Order". The channel I watch mostly is Tru TV for all the wacky real life criminals and stuff.
5.What do you usually have for breakfast?
Coffee
6.What is your middle name?
Marie
7.What food do you dislike?
Sushi (I don't really know if I dislike it or not as I've never tasted it. The thought of raw fish just makes me gag.) OK - hominy. Yuck!
8.What is your favorite CD at the moment?
I don't have a favorite. I like various artists (see my Play List) but no whole CD. One of my favorite whole albums is Santana's "Abraxas". Sexy!
9.What kind of car do you drive?
I drive the Ford F-150 and DH drives the Ford 500.
10.Favorite sandwich?
Hmm...toughie. I love well-made reubens. OK - I've got it! McDonald's Big Mac!! My "guilty pleasure" only indulged in once or twice a month.
11.What characteristic do you despise?
Liars - hate people lying to me.
12.Favorite item of clothing?
My jeans.
13.If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?
The Caribbean. I joke that the reason DH won't take me on a cruise is because I'd jump ship and never come home once we got there. (I'd be sorely tested not to.)
14.Favorite brand of clothing?
There's brands? OK, I know there is - I just don't have a favorite.
15.Where would you retire to?
The Loess Hills in western Iowa where I grew up.
16.What was your most recent memorable birthday?
My 50th was fun.
17.Favorite sport to watch?
NASCAR
18.Furthest place you are sending this?
The World Wide Web.
19.Person you expect to send it back first?
Don't know.
20.When is your birthday?
November 21st.
21.Are you a morning person or a night person?
Morning
22.What is your shoe size?
8 1/2 or 9.
23.Pets?
Elvis and Dusty are our dogs. Goldie and Rosie Barb are the fish.
24.Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us?
I wish.
25.What did you want to be when you were little?
A cowgirl!
26.How are you today?
Fine, thanks. How are you?
27.What is your favorite candy?
Truthfully - I'm not much of a candy person. Now when we're talking salty - popcorn!
28.What is your favorite flower?
Boy, that's a tough one. I love roses (of course) and day lillies and zinnias ('cause there's just so many!) and peonies and iris and daisy and flowering trees and shrubs and cacti and...well, you get the drift. I wouldn't say that I love "every" flower. Some I can take or leave and some are just fugly. I love the "old" ones. Things that haven't been hybridized until the original is barely distinguishable. Except the hybrid petunias, of course.
29.What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?
Today, well, and Oct. 30th cause that's Q's birthday.
30.What is your favorite pastime?
Surfing the internet; playing games on pogo.com.
31.What are you listening to right now?
Don has CNN on right now, but I'm not listening to it. It's just background noise. When I'm alone I don't have TV or radio going. I LOVE the sound of silence.
32.What was the last thing you ate?
A white chocolate-pistachio cookie with my coffee. (I made them this weekend. Yum!)
33.Do you wish on stars?
Always
34.If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Heather
35.How is the weather right now?
41 degrees. It's supposed to get to a whole 61 today! Woo hoo!!
36.The first person you spoke to on the phone today?
No one - yet. And I'm not going into work today, so if I'm lucky I won't talk to anyone on the phone today.
37.Favorite soft drink?
Pepsi
38.Favorite restaurant?
Cancun in Mason City. They have the BEST chile rellanos.
39.Real hair color?
Copper-brown
40.What was your favorite toy as a child?
I had a collection of horse statues, but I never "played" with them. These are what I remember, though. Mostly, living in Turin, Iowa, all play was done outside. Cowboys and Indians, Cops and Robbers - that kind of stuff. So, I guess my favorite "toy" was my imagination!
41.Summer or winter?
Summer
42.Hugs or kisses?
Hugs
43.Chocolate or Vanilla?
Vanilla - no, wait. Chocolate. Or...well...OK - both.
44.Coffee or tea?
Coffee
45.Do you want your friends to email you back?
I always want my friends to email me!
46.When was the last time you cried?
Day before yesterday, when I read about Paul Newman dying. Everything makes me cry - parades, balloons, songs, seeing other people's tears, thinking about my mom. I cry way too easily. It's frustrating. Which makes me cry.
47.What is under your bed?
A storage box containing extra sheets and another containing my collection of placemats. And dust bunnies.
48.What did you do last night?
Watched an episode of "House" then went to bed and read. I'm re-reading "The Chronicles of Narnia" and I love it! I'd forgotten how good it was. I finally went to sleep about midnight.
49.What are you afraid of
Death
50.Salty or sweet?
Salty
51.How many keys on your key ring?
Which key ring? I carry four. The office one has 7, and the car ones have 2 and the fourth one has 1.
52.How many years at your current job?
I work for hubby and have for the past 11-12 yrs.
53.Favorite day of the week?
Wednesdays - that's when the pogo challenges come out. (I am soooo frickin' easy!)
54.How many towns have you lived in?
Eight (I think).
55.Do you make friends easily?
Yes
56.How many people will you send this to?
How many people are in the world? And how many have computers? And how many read me? Let's see.... that will be.... 5! LOL
57.How many will respond?
Don’t know. :)
