Barbie has gone GHETTO

Here's a picture of Blondie trying to play "tough." Along with "Bangin Virgie" Btw, Virgie is one cool woman. I have grown fond of her since she joined my work team at Media Services. I told Eddie she really brightens the office. Her energy for life and people is contagious. Blondie's been teaching her ASL, which is cool to see someone at work signing to me because they want to.

Here's Kimba, who I keep calling a she even though its a he. I somehow always call all dogs and cats shes when they're not mine. Eddie's daughter got the dog shortly around the winter holidays. I will admit the first time or two when I saw Kimba, I thought she was an ugly puppy but that didn't last very long. Either she got cuter, or I got wiser thats she's a great dog! er puppy cuz she's still a baby. I've enjoyed getting to know Kimba. All my life I've loved animals, and would read books like
Island of the Blue Dolphin by Scott O' Dell

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson

Where the Red Ferns Grows by Wilson Rawls

The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford

All of these books and more were my world from an early age until I finally left for MSSD back in 1989. I was so lonely that most of the time all I did was read. I spent my free time in the summer reading books that I borrowed from the local library. Baba would drive into Lancaster City for I guess was work related business (this was when I was in back during the summer I entered 7th or 8th grade) I think it was when she worked for Section 8, Housing Authority?

But back to my love of reading, I am not kidding you but I would borrow as many as 20 books at a time, carrying them out in stacks to Baba's car. When I got home. I piled them into smaller stacks around my bed and just READ! Baba told me to always bring a book with me whereever I went. Especially when it was clear I was so unhappy at Manhiem Township Middle School, she said to me "Jenny, you're never alone when you're with a book" [to read] and keep me company. She was right, all the times after lunch when kids went outside to play or have their recess, I was in the library hiding behind books and just trying to be as invisible as I could be back then. Once I went away to MSSD, my level of reading frequency dropped a lot. I was too busy meeting new people, learning a new culture. By my sophmore year, I was already involved in the theatre department and other school activities like the THN ( I think that's what it was called Telegraph Hill News?) writing columns etc etc..So while my love for reading has in no way diminished, my reading frequency has.

Plus as an adult I have a much harder time finding fiction books that are written in a manner that makes me want to read. Some people may find this lame but a lot of the books Oprah has recommended on her show/book club have made their way to my bookcase over the years. Not all but I would say 80% of them. I also read a lot of autobiographies and biographies. I especially love autobiographies written by famous actors/comedians or by people who have REAL problems and how they deal with those problems. I've also enjoyed a lot of self-spiritual stories like The Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman, or there was a great book about one man I think from Indian and his quest to be a Full-time Yogi, very interesting.

Well today I am off completely! And I've been cleaning the living room. I went ahead and whipped out all the cleaning products we own and went to town! Everything, especially the floor looks nice and shinny. Jack was thrilled when he came home from his errands to see the apt looking so good. I plan to work on the bedroom shortly. I figured I would just clean so that way tmw I can grade my students final exam videos and any outstanding hmk they have turned in. I just want the apartment to look just as good as I feel.

My diet is still on. I have been finding my ability to eat large amounts of food is shrinking, this is good because that means my stomach itself is smaller and this will allow me to feel full sooner than before when its all "stretched out." I remember a while back one good advice I read somewhere on the net that while eating carrots and other healthy food, if you're eating a LOT this isn't going to help you lose weight because you're still eating TOO MUCH and your stomach capacity is too big that when you start to slack off, and eat bad food, you'll end up eating a lot at once.

My stomach the past 2 days has been growling a little here and there. Nothing major and it passes quickly. I am not as HUNGRY as I was before and believe me. Before the diet began I was ALWAYS hungry which is why I need I had to get a grip now before it became out of control.
But I am having some stomach trouble and I think its one of the following two things I might be allergic to; MILK or Peanut Butter. If its milk, great, I can buy alternative diary products and take lactaid pills ahead of meal times if needed. But if its my beloved Peanut Butter, ay yi yi, that will be so hard to give up. I've read over and over again for the past few years people who love Peanut Butter can still be allergic.

This means I have to test myself out in a few days (I'm avoiding both as much as I can to get this stomach discomfort done with) and then try 1 week of just dairy only, no peanut butter and 1 week of the opposite and see if I am still getting sick? Exciting I know, will let you know how that goes ;-]