Slacker

Dear Blog,

Oh, how I've neglected you! No entries since June. Tsk, tsk. The only reason I came to visit you today was because someone stopped by to read you and said they liked you. I was so ashamed that you're this outdated that I had to stop by and let you know why I've been gone.

I've been a bit preoccupied lately. I have a new writing project that really should take up most of my writing time. And I was busy romancing the summer away. Also, most of my need to clear my mind happens on Twitter or Facebook these days. And, last but not least, to be honest, my terrible procrastination habits make it hard to keep you updated.

But...you are a worthy cause. It was very helpful to me when I used to keep you up on a daily basis. I'll have to make time in my schedule for you--I have lots of thoughts to share, about a lot of things. And Twitter is awfully condensed, while Facebook has gotten...tiresome. So you are definitely going to be more utilized.

Not tonight though. I've got plans. Hopefully before the weekend is over. You're definitely on the to-do list. You know how I love lists!

Love,
Slacker

Low Carb

So, I'm back on a low-carb diet. Today was Day 1 actually. I have tried a lot of diets over the last 10 years and low-carb is really the only one that works for me. The diet I always come back to is the Atkins Diet. This is not the biggest I've ever been but it's not the smallest I've been in the last few years either. I am eager to look good and feel confident in a bathing suit again.

I know the Atkins Diet has grown and waned in popularity over the decades, but...it works. It's the least restrictive diet I've ever been on and the most productive. Even during the strictest part of the diet, the induction phase, I am able to eat well and to the point of fullness that makes cravings and binges obsolete. I am able to eat proteins, vegetables, dairy, etc. on induction and don't feel deprived at all. I can easily lose 15 lbs in a month on this diet during the induction phase--some of which is water weight, but not all. This is the ONLY diet I can say that about. When I add exercise to the equation, as I have a couple of times before (this will be my fourth time on this diet), the results are even more dramatic. The most weight I ever lost following a low-carb eating plan was 38 lbs.

So yes, I am plugging the Atkins Diet. My first mini-goal is to see how much I can lose by July 1. One month from today. I don't have a specific number in mind, I just want to follow the plan and see what happens. I have about 20 recipes that will last me through this time period (blew my whole food budget for the month in one trip to the grocery store!) and for the ones I really like, I'll post about them.

Tonight's dinner: Buffalo Chicken Poppers with Bleu Cheese dip. I don't usually like Bleu Cheese anything BUT it's soooooo yummy with anything spicy. I'll let you know how it turns out!

UPDATE: Buffalo Chicken Poppers = delish! Two breasts made enough for dinner last night and lunch today. Recipe & pics available here (post #560).

Surviving The Job

Restraint is an art
and difficult to practice ;
must hold tongue for now.

Astrology

Someone just asked me how to find their moon sign (see the "Moon" blog below).

That led me to the conclusion that I should help my loyal readers out with some basic astrology.

To find the planets in their houses and signs, please click here. You will need to know the date, place, and time of birth (for yourself or the person you are charting) for the most accurate results. Birth time is critical if you want information on degrees or signs. It also allows for the most accuracy.

Once you have the chart, there are a variety of websites you can visit to get free interpretations. Among my favorites are this one (the interactive AstroClick horoscopes give you a wealth of information if you do enough clicking), this one, and this one. Again, all are free.

Have fun!

Moon

Recently, I included a question about the moon in a "How Well Do You Know Me?" quiz on Facebook. I asked my quiz-takers if they knew my favorite phase of the moon. The options I gave them were full, crescent, gibbous, and waxing.

Most respondents answered that they thought the full moon was my favorite. A good guess: there is a lot of mythology about the full moon that I like, but it's not my favorite. It does speak well of my friends that they know enough about me and my occasional kookiness that they chose the full moon, which is often associated with the paranormal and well...lunacy (a word that is derived from the moon, by the way...).

However, despite my admiration for the full moon, my favorite phase of the moon is actually a crescent moon (depicted). Waxing or waning, it doesn't matter. I just love a crescent moon. I guess it goes back to the symbology of the crescent moon that I read about a long time ago. For example, the moon, and the crescent moon in particular, has been associated with Goddess worship throughout many civilizations. Artemis, Selene, Isis, Hathor, and Qian are just some of the ancient goddesses associated with the moon. Particularly, it was Isis who wore the crescent moon as her Crown. There are even depictions of Mary, in her persona as Queen of Heaven, standing on a crescent moon with the same as a crown on her head.

I find the crescent moon to be something mysterious and awe-inspiring; it is an elemental symbol of the sacred feminine. They say the moon pulls on all life the way it pulls on the tides--if true, it's not surprising considering how much of our bodies are made of water. The moon has a pronounced place in astrology: it is the dominion of one's personality, unconscious, and emotional self. For those who are interested, I have a Taurus Moon. Since Taurus is ruled by Venus, the moon in this placement means I have a love for all things beautiful. My Taurean moon also bestows me with a deep sensuality, a love of romance, a committed nature (I don't like change) and a lovely singing voice. :)

Isn't it something that the first time humanity journeyed off this Earth was to land on the moon? Even in modern times, it holds an endless fascination (it's also relatively close to home, no doubt a factor that influenced its selection as a place to explore once we reached space). There's nothing like the light of a full moon; in a rural area, it shines brightly enough to read by. I can only imagine how comforting that was to lonely travelers in the days before electricity.

Everytime I glance at the sky and see a crescent moon, I get a chill when I think of all the others who for eons gazed at that same beauty. The moon, like other celestial bodies in the heavens, is everlasting: it was here before the dawn of mankind and will be here long after our memories have faded from the planet. When I got my telescope, can you guess what I searched for in the night sky right away? The moon, of course.

Next time you are out and about in the night, take a glance at the sky and admire the moon. Particularly show appreciation for the crescent moon, a symbol that lasts even today in religious importance (the crescent moon is a primary symbol for Islam). Good luck, moon watchers!

Restless

Feeling so restless
time for a new direction
just not sure which way.

Tired

After a marathon bout of driving this weekend, I feel entitled to some rest. I have a ton of things I need to be doing: my room looks like a hurricane passed through it. I was frantically going through clothes in my early morning packing session the day of my trip. Said clothes also need to be washed and sorted for summer. Oh, and I need to go to the store. I'm out of stuff. Like laundry detergent.

I don't know why it's so hard for me to get my ass in gear. It's 3:25...the day is half over and I've just been sitting here, catching up on email and blogging. I think I'm in a transition period. Part of me doesn't want to acknowledge that I'm home yet--part of me is still in Tidewater. Hopefully my two selves will merge by the end of the night.

I'm proud of my driving skills. I drove about 4 hours on Friday to get to Tidewater (traffic was a factor--it usually doesn't take that long). It took less than 3 hours of driving to get back to Northern Virginia yesterday, rapidly followed by another hour and 45 minutes of driving to get to my friend's house in St. Mary's County, MD. Then, due to some "issues" with my friend's car, I end up having to drive us to the naval air show and back, which involved numerous stops up and down Rte. 5, for a total of I'd say...another 90 minutes of driving. Then back home last night...another hour and 30 minutes.

So basically, almost 12 hours of driving this weekend. For someone who doesn't go anywhere, that's a LOT! I put almost 1000 miles on my car the last few days. I'm not complaining. It was worth it. But procastination and "to do" lists be damned...

I'm tired.