Happy New Year's Everyone

Can you believe it's almost the end of 2010? My how the time flies, if I may use an old phrase.

There were some changes for me this year. I've cut back on my shoe-wearing at home in favor of slippers. I'm volunteering at a thrift store (which has gone through three different managers since I've started). I've got five blogs going. I joined Facebook in the spring. I've even managed to read the whole Bible in a year (even though there were times when I had to play catch up on that).

Tonight, I will be eating lobster for dinner (something I don't have very often; the last time I had it, it was because there was a really good sale on it at Dillons, according to my mom). After that, I will update my manicure and pedicure and drink the shots of alcohol that I got for Christmas this year.

I'm not sure what 2011 will bring. Maybe I'll get a job. Maybe I'll have a boyfriend. Who knows?

Anyway, I wish you all a Happy New Year. God willing, I will have more to talk about in 2011.

Merry Christmas

I just wanted to say Merry Christmas (or whatever you normally celebrate). I hope you got some good presents and had a good time today.

This year, in addition to the usual "stocking stuffers" of chocolate, and orange, and some nail polish, I got three small bottles of alcohol in my stocking (something that normally doesn't happen for me at Christmas). I have a feeling that the last one will give me something to do on New Year's Eve if nothing else comes up for me.

Another Traffic Source That I Don't Get

I had noted in a previous post that one of the "traffic sources" to my diary-ish blog On The Road To The Rest Of My Life was a diet site, and I didn't get how someone would find out about my blog via said site.

Once again, I checked my stats to see if anyone had been visiting or not (especially since I don't tend to get comments very often if ever on any of my blogs), and it turns out that one of the sites that allegedly led to the aforementioned blog was a sex site in another language. (Due to my moral convictions against that stuff, I'm not going to link to said site here.)

Is it so bad that I'm worrying about how a site could possibly lead to one of my blogs when there is no connection between the two, and said site is not something that I would ever go to out of principle? Then again, maybe as long as my blogs are getting ANY attention, I should just shut up, be grateful for said attention, and not worry so much about how it is people find out about them. And surely I shouldn't worry about this stuff so close to Christmas.

Oh well, I guess this is one of those things that I will never understand.

No Christmas Breaks For Me This Year Outside Of The Actual Christmas Day

Up until I graduated from high school, I'd have Christmas Breaks from sometime before Christmas until shortly after New Year's Day. When I was in college, I'd have a break lasting from a week or two before Christmas until mid-January. When I graduated from college two years ago (December graduate), I spent that general period moving to St. Louis and settling in with my dad (whom I haven't seen in over a year due to some health problems of his that sent me back to my mom). The job search would come later. Last year, I had been in the process of looking for a job, but I opted to take a break from it either shortly before or shortly after Christmas. I was originally going to resume it the first full week after New Year's, but due to the problematic weather at the time, I had to wait an extra week.

This year, unless it turns out that I will have the chance to visit my dad, I am NOT taking any breaks. The days between now and Christmas Day (which is on a Saturday this year) and between Christmas Day and New Year's Day will be treated NO differently from the rest of the year. Not only will I be continuing with my regularly scheduled volunteer work on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but I will maintain my routine of doing something towards my job search on Tuesday or Thursday and laundry on the other day. I will set my alarm at my regular time and everything.

Let's face it. Christmas breaks outside of the actual Christmas day are a thing of the past for me. There are people in my life who have full time jobs (something that I'm in the process of seeking) that require their appearance in-between Christmas and New Year's no less than any other time of the year.   If they can maintain their everyday routines and responsibilities within that time of year, surely so can I if I wish to establish myself as a proper adult. After all, (Lord willing) I will one day have an actual paid job where I will need to be somewhere at a certain time every time regardless of time of year. I might as get myself used to that general idea now.

Nine Years Without Eating Any Vegetables? Really?

On the radio station I normally listen to in the mornings, there's a segment called "Does that make me crazy?" where listeners will call and describe a quirk or some other seemingly odd fact about themselves and end with "Does that make me crazy?" (And the people on the air will describe one of their quirks as well.)

Today, a 15-year-old boy called in and said that he hadn't eaten any vegetables whatsoever since he was six. (He said he had a problem with the smell of them, and his parents didn't make him eat them.) So, it's been nine years since he had eaten a vegetable. (He ate a pepper that was in his fridge per a dare from one of the disc jockeys that was on the air.)

While I wouldn't say I was raised to be a "health nut" I was raised to regard vegetables as a necessity of life. My parents would have never let me get away with not eating vegetables. It just wasn't done. If salad was somehow involved in the meal, I would've been expected to eat some.

I don't eat vegetables every single day, but I could not imagine going an entire year without them (even if it's just lettuce as part of a sandwhich), let alone nine. It's hard for me to imagine. How does someone live without them? (I've heard that even cats and dogs, who are carnivores by nature, need some vegetation in their diet. My sister's dog Cosmo is far more willing to eat vegetables than is her boyfriend's dog Millie. As for my stepdad's dog, I know she at least likes radishes. I think she likes carrots too.)

What about you? Could you envision yourself going multiple years of your life without eating vegetables? Have you ever done so? When was the last time you have had a vegetable of any kind, or do you even remember?

Okay, This Is Bizarre

I'll often check the stats on my blogs to see how many views I've had during the current day, week, etc., what parts of the world my visitors are from, and maybe even what links and keywords lead to the blog in question (a.k.a. "traffic sources").

According to the stats for my more diary-like blog On The Road To The Rest Of My Life, one of the links leading to it is a link to something called More Diet Plan.  What's more is that the stats show two views from someone who was led to the blog from the diet site.  I don't get what the connection is between a blog about where I'm at on life's journey has to do with dieting that someone would find said blog through a site like that. I don't even recall mentioning weight loss or dieting or anything along those lines on that blog.

Maybe there is a connection between the two that I don't know about. I might have to do a little keywording on that site to figure it out. If I have no luck figuring out the connection, maybe I will just have to shut up and just be grateful that I have any audience at all, even if the traffic sources seem a bit odd.

Ideas For Cafe World Challenges

If you play games on Facebook (such as Petville, Farmville, Cafe World, etc.), chances are, some of said games come with certain challenges for you to complete, such as perform a certain task x number of times for either yourself or your "neighbor(s)", obtain a certain decor item for your cafe, house, island, or [fill in the blank here], or collect certain items. The reward for completing said challenges is often a certain decoration, coins, points towards the next level, and/or an unlocked task.

On of the games I play is Cafe World, which I have been playing today while waiting for my laundry to be done. Lately, I have been thinking about ideas for challenges to complete. Here's what I've thought of so far:

1. Unlock all "fundamentals" recipes that require you to reach a certain level in order to do so. (Extra credit for unlocking ones with the requirement that you complete a catering task with a three star-rating or higher and/or the deep fried turkey one that requires you to complete the deep fryer.)

2. Fully master all "level-up fundamentals" recipes (Extra credit for mastering non-level-up recipes. "Mastering" a recipe requires that you serve the dish a certain number of times. This varies between each dish.)

After that challenge is completed would be the next part.

1. Qualify for Advanced level recipes. (This is done by reaching level 75. If one has already reached this prior to the challenge taking effect, this will be marked as "completed".)

2. Unlock all advanced recipes

3. Master all advanced recipes

That's all I have for now. I might come up with more later.

The Shoes Can Wait In The Morning, Especially If Someone Else Is Asleep

On Wednesday, I talked about having gotten away from wearing shoes around the house, or at least minimizing it anyway. Normally, I would put my loafers on in my bedroom and wear them from there out when I'm ready to go. However, while my stepdad to work (he works at Home Depot, which was participating in Black Friday today), and I was on one of my regularly scheduled days at a thrift store where I volunteer, the office where my mom works was closed today, which gave her license to sleep in. As part of my efforts to keep the noise on my end to a minimum before heading out, I carried my shoes to the front door and put them on there. After all, with the exception of one room in the house, we have no carpet whatsoever that could've muffled the sound any. Since we generally are one of those households that stores footwear in the bedroom, I had to take my slippers off and walk to the front door in my socks, shoes in hand. (Otherwise, I would've worn my slippers to the door and set them down in our entryway there.)

I don't know when I will get my own place. However, I think I'm more convinced than ever that if I have time to be home in the morning, I probably have time to be without my shoes, especially if someone arround me is trying to sleep (such as household members or downstairs neighbors) and I'll be moving about on hard floors, which muffle the sound. If it becomes feasible in whatever place I move into on my own, I'm going to set up something so that my shoe-slipper changes can be made at the door, even if noise is no object at the time, so that if noise is an issue, I won't have to worry about doing anything out of the ordinary.

If You're From The US, Happy Thanksgiving

In the past, Thanksgiving for me meant a day off from school if nothing else. I have the day off from my volunteer work. As it is Thursday, I'd have the day off anyway.

In the past two or three years, my mom and stepdad and I would go over to my sister's as she and her boyfriend opted to have Thanksgiving be their "hosting holiday". This year, we're staying put as my stepdad has to be up extra early tomorrow. (He works at Home Depot, and they're participating in "Black Friday"; the thrift store I volunteer for is participating in that day as well. Maybe I'll burn some of my Thanksgiving calories then.) Apart from the big dinner later today, I'll probably spend the day jumping back and forth between Facebook and working on my novel for National Novel Writing Month.

So, those of you in the US, Happy Thanksgiving. What will you be doing today?

Slipping Away From At Home Shoe Wearing

You know how in some parts of the world, wearing shoes inside a private home is seldom, if ever, acceptable and even in parts of the world where shoes-off is not the rule in every single household it is in some?  Well, a couple of years ago, my mom had talked about wanting to have such a rule in her home as she and my stepdad had been refinishing a lot of the floors in the house that they own. Being the kind of person who, at the time, always put shoes on as part of getting dressed in the mornings and generally kept them on until closer to time to get ready for bed regardless of whether or not I would be going anywhere, I was dreading that possibility. After all, for me, wearing shoes was part of being dressed, if not presentable, and put me in a far better frame of mind to go about my business in the home than did being barefooted or sock-footed. (I had worn slippers with regular clothes in the past, but they were often in such a style that, not only did they not blend so well with regular clothes, but I was prone to dragging my feet when walking. I got reprimanded for this once, and as I'd have to practically march to keep my feet from dragging in said slippers, I basically gave up on not having on real shoes when otherwise dressed for the day.)

Shortly after I heard my mom mention the possibility of a shoes-off rule, I started perusing the Internet for discussions on this matter. Though I don't think I realized it at the time, what I was really looking for was some tough love regarding my then reservations on that practice. Little did I know that I would find it on a blog devoted to that subject alone. If I remember correctly, it has been two years ago today since I started commenting on said blog. At various times, I kept checking said blog out and commenting on it. (I can't tell you exactly which posts I commented under, but a lot of my earlier comments reflected the skepticism I had at the time regarding the practice of excluding shoes from life inside the home. Now, said comments make me feel rather embarrassed.)

The time that my mom had mentioned possibly having a shoes-off rule, I happened to be in my last year of college. Shortly after my graduation, I would be moving to St. Louis to live with my dad. My dad was often in slippers or less in our then apartment as it supposedly was better for his balance at home. Roughly three months into my living with him, he decided to have a "no shoes" rule in the apartment (applying mostly to me and him) in favor of slippers or less. Up until then, I was continuing with my shoe-wearing habit, but after that rule was initiated, I wore a pair of fuzzy purple slippers instead. I was later able to get a pair of slippers that looked more like black flats. I wore those around the apartment until they wore out and then it was back to the fuzzy slippers. The rule ended up flopping though, as footwear changes were generally made in the bedroom. (On a shopping trip that we took, we were going to get a shoe rack, but a combination of lack of time and the amount of stuff we had already gotten caused us to forgo it.)  The fact that we had let the state of the floor (as well as the rest of the place) slide due to the busywork we both were doing almost every day defeated the purpose of the aforementioned rule as well.

I had been living with my dad for nine and a half months, only to have to return to my mom as he was having some surgery, the nature of which required him to go somewhere to recover. While living with my mom, I tried sticking to wearing a pair of blue flip-flops that, due to a particular detail at the V-strap, I'd wear at home if I wore them at all. This was okay for warm weather but not so much for cold weather. The purple fuzzy slippers tended to make me feel like I was lounging around, which was not always a plus, so for a while, back to actual shoes it was. (I wasn't about to go about any housework in just my socks.)

I don't remember why this happened, but at some point, I became inspired to see about some ballet-flat type slippers for at home, especially for say, snowy days when I needed something to replace my shoes after coming in.  When it became feasible, I bought a pair of white satin ones, which I started wearing around the house when, as far as I knew, I was not going back out after having coming in from whatever I had been doing that day or I was not going out at all. I had bought these specifically with my regular clothes in mind. Later, I bought a pair of black satin slippers, which like the white ones, would serve the purpose of giving me that "fully dressed and ready to face xyz" feeling that I previously associated only with wearing actual shoes. The slippers have turned out to be a nice change of pace on days when I'd either be walking somewhere or after having come home from my volunteer work at a local thrift store in which the nature of my responsibilities had me constantly on my feet.

I took my ballet flat slippers and my blue flip-flops with me when I went to my sister's for the summer, and which one of those I'd wear depended on weather as well as whatever else I was wearing at the time. My first night there when I had gotten my luggage into what would act as my room, I changed into one of my pairs of slippers shortly after. I think I started out with the ballet flat slippers that summer and  switched to the flip-flops further into the summer (though I'd occasionally slip off the latter when sitting on a bed--my own or my nephew's, on the couch or on the floor).

I don't know why, but sometime in the summer I decided that, when I got home, I'd try dressing for whatever outside engagement I had from the ankles up but go about pre-going out business in my slippers and wait until closer to time to go to put on whatever shoes I planned on wearing. And that's what I've been doing almost every day since August. I found that doing this reinforced the fact that I wasn't going anywhere for a while so I might as well take care of a few things before I go, whereas wearing shoes before closer to time to go somehow caused me to dwell on the fact that I was going to be going somewhere, and thus I'd be looking at the clock or pacing about or doing something else that reflected my anticipation of going somewhere.

The shoes-off rule has yet to happen. I'd have no problem with leaving my shoes at the door and switching to my slippers there too. However, as my mom and stepdad do not do this,I worry that for me to do it when they don't would be taking more of a liberty than I can get away with, so for the time being, I wear my shoes from my bedroom on out when I'm about to go out, and when I come home, they stay on until I hit the bedroom, but I make my shoe to slipper change at my earliest available opportunity, including before starting on any dishes that await me before I get home.

I think it is after I had cut down on my shoe-wearing at home that I realized how much of it was unnecessary. There was not much point in wearing them when I wasn't going out any time soon.  If I had enough time in the mornings to do more than get ready, surely the shoes could wait. If anything, I feel that having shoes off in favor of slippers helps me feel "clocked in" to my home life, whereas switching to shoes makes me feel like I'm "clocking out". Plus, there are things I do at home from time to time that call for my shoes to be off, such as updating my pedicure and checking my weight. Also, if outdoor shoes are meant to act as an armor against the outside world (and yes, even sandals and stilettos fit this category in theory), then it should no be necessary in what is supposed to be the safe environment of the home. Rather, slippers or less would reflect the relative safety of the home.

Normally, when the practice of forgoing shoes in the private home is endorsed, it's done from the cleanliness/floor protection angle. To be honest, this angle doesn't work for me, especially given things that could undermine this (e.g. pet's paws, luggage or book bags with wheels, accidentally walking out in slippers or less and back in that way, etc.). However, that didn't mean I couldn't find merit in disassociating the wearing of shoes from life inside the home. I don't know if I will have such a rule for guests if I get my own place. If at all possible though, I think that when I'm out on my own (i.e. not living with either of my parents) I will at least make a point of leaving my own shoes at the door (barring an emergency) before engaging in life at home (and maybe instilling this concept into my future children).

Maybe I COULD Get Away With Wearing Slippers on the Scale

I've taken to weighing myself at least once a week. As a rule, I don't wear shoes on the scale as, from my understanding, they tend to add to the number on the scale. Up until now, I wouldn't take any chances with wearing my ballet flats slippers on it, either.

Just a few minutes ago, I checked to see if the slippers would affect the reading on the scale. First, I weighed myself in slippers. Then, I weighed myself in stocking feet. The reading for both was 134.5. (After I had taken off a sweatshirt I had been wearing, I did the same test. The readings for both times was134.0.)

In closing, I probably could step onto a scale in lightweight slippers and it won't hurt my scale readings.

My Attention Is Likely To Be Elsewhere For A While

As of tomorrow, I will be publishing a series of posts called Miss Scissors: Reading is the Key on my reading blog, RAB-PIA. This will be based on my then participation of Bookcrossing's read-a-thon. The final post will be made next Friday or whenever I fulfill the read-a-thon goal of 24 hours of reading, whichever comes first. I will also make sure to let you know when the newer parts are posted.

Nano Wrimo Is Less Than A Week Away

In six days, I'll be taking part in Nano Wrimo, which I've mentioned in previous posts.

I've decided that I will go with the Miss Scissors idea after all. Even though as a writer, I will need to be accountable for my choices in character, plot, etc., it won't always be my dad or anyone else in my family that I will be accountable to. Lord willing (with apologies with those of you whose religious views differ from mine), the day will come where it is understood that, as an adult, I'll need to make more of my own choices in life, however unacceptable they may be to my family (or anyone else in my life for that matter).

I'm excited for Nano Wrimo to begin. In the meantime though, I've got job applications to turn in, my Bookcrossing read-a-thon to begin on Friday, and more to keep me busy until November begins.

A Bit Of Writing-Related Anxiety

A week from this coming Monday, I'm going to be involved in National Novel Writing Month. I think I have an idea of what I want to do, but I'm nervous about it.

The idea I had in mind was Miss Scissors, which would more or less parody the Saw movie series.  Like Jigsaw, Miss Scissors would kidnap or trap people, call them out on something, and test their will to live via a series of "games". Instead of Billy the Puppet, there'd be Molly the Doll. Instead of cutting pieces out of people's skin, Miss Scissors would have cardboard cutouts of her victims, and if a victim should not survive a test, she would cut a piece out of the cutout to symbolize the missing "survivial instinct." (Her backstory has yet to be fully determined.) Hopefully, her methods won't be as gory as those of Jigsaw.

The problem is that I know my dad and possibly my grandma will want to see it after they hear about it. However, I'm worried I won't be able to make the idea Grandma-friendly. (Sometimes my characters cuss and do other things that would go against her beliefs.) Maybe I could for instance, have any cursing that ensues changed, but I'd  have to make disclaimers on the overall story.

If I can't come up with anything else before November, I might just go with that and deal with the consequences later.

Who Spends $500 On A Pair Of Socks?

I've heard of shoes that were super-expensive but socks that are the same way if not even more expensive?

This evening, I saw an article that featured really expensive socks and tights. One such pair is a crocheted pair that runs for $500. Other socks and tights featured include leather socks with zippers (which run for $219 and look somewhat like little boots), lace knit tights that run for $625, zigzag tights that run for $220, and cashmere socks that run for $200. The most expensive pair in the bunch was a pair of check tights at $990.  There's an entire slideshow between the title and the article.

I'm used to the big bulk of my clothing coming from Wal-Mart, Target, possibly somewhere secondhand or even from my sister's closet if there's something of hers that is in good shape but no longer fits her. I might shop at the likes of JC Penney as last resort or if there's an especially good sale going.  Being a product of a middle-class upbringing, I can't really fathom spending hundreds of dollars on a pair of socks of all things.

If I really wanted a pair of crocheted socks, I could either learn to crochet so that I can make them myself, or I could ask someone in my family who does know how to crochet (I know my sister and my grandma on my mom's side of the family can) to make them. But $500 is too much for me, and at best they'd be slipper socks (or "pajama socks" as I like to think of them as I wear those kind almost exclusively with pajamas), if I'm lucky enough for that to work. (They don't look like they'd do me any favors against cold tile or wood flooring in the winter. The leather ones that were featured looked promising though.)

What about you? How much would you be willing to spend on a pair of socks or tights? And if you have seen the ones featured in the aritcle that I linked, is there a pair that you'd wear?

A Cardigan With Horses On It

Back in the spring, there were a lot of clothes at the thrift store where I volunteer, there were a lot of winter clothes up for elimination. One of my then colleagues had kept it aside for me in case I had wanted it. I hadn't had much of a chance to really go through it until recently. I tried on sweaters to make sure they fit. Whatever was to big was put in a bag which I plan on donating the next chance I get.

One of the things that is staying is a gray cardigan sweater with horses on it. (The last piece of clothing that I remember owning that had horses on it was a t-shirt, and that was in middle school.) I hadn't seen anything like it before. I think I'm going to wear that tomorrow with blue jeans and a light blue turtleneck when I go to do my volunteer work tomorrow and see if anyone says anything.

I don't generally follow fashion, unless it's something that appeals to me personally. (Buying jeans that look like they had the you-know-what beaten out of them doesn't appeal to me.) However, sometimes, I like to mix it up a bit clothing wise.

What'll I Write About In November?

Two weeks from tomorrow, I will be involved in National Novel Writing Month or Nano Wrimo for short. It's a challenge to write a 50,000+ word "novel" over the course of the month. During this month, quality is no object, so one is not supposed to do any editing until the month is up. (That is what the months after it are for.)  Thus, one could have a lot of scene gaps, cliches, etc. going on.

I took part in that challenge for the first time last year and exceeded the 50,000 mark. Back then, I wasn't sure about what the plot details would be, but I did have a tentative title called A Course of Canine Events centering on dogs and their owners. I even used characters I hadn't even planned on using. I'm in the process of editing, but it has been a slow process.

I plan on doing the challenge again, but I have no clue what I will write about this time. It could just be that I do something picturesque that has loosely related events. Then again, maybe something will come up at the last minute in a dream.

At least I have two weeks to think it over.

Sleeping In Socks...Or Not

When I was a lot younger, I'd have on socks when sleeping as often as I could get away with it. (And if I didn't like being barefoot when asleep, I really didn't like it while awake unless I was swimming or bathing. There were a couple of times when I've performed household tasks and/or spent whole days with nothing on my feet whatsoever against my better wishes.) However, there were times when I was compelled to sleep in bare feet (the order almost always coming from my sister) with the reason being that my feet needed to "air".

For reasons too embarrassing to talk about here, I cut back on wearing socks to bed when I was 15 or 16. But even so, I'd be sure to have on socks or other footwear if I was going to be up and about.

These days, I still don't like being barefoot around the house, especially when engaged in something serious, such as housework. For those situations, depending on whatever else I'm wearing and/or the weather, I'll wear either ballet flat slippers or a pair of blue flip-flops that, because of a certain detail at the V-strap, I only wear them at home.  (I used to dress all the way to "real" shoes every day regardless of whether or not I was going somewhere that day. I've cut down on that since earlier this year, but that's another story for another time.) At night I may or may not have on socks, depending on how cold my feet are at the time. If I do put on socks they are normally your average "slipper socks" which I'd just as soon refer to as "pajama socks" since I mostly wear them with pajamas.  However, more often than not, if I have on socks in bed, I eventually end up kicking them off, and I'll wake up with them somewhere under the covers. I don't exactly know why except maybe my feet only so much time to warm up. But when/if I do get up to get a glass of water in the middle of the night or I grab a cup of coffee before getting dressed, I'll have on socks or slippers, especially in the winter as we have mostly hard floors and that can be cold to bare feet. Plus, I can barely bring myself to associate being barefoot with typical "up and about" moments for some reason.

What about you? Do you ever sleep with socks on? Why/why not? If so, have you had any situation where you kick them off in the middle of the night? When you do get up to do something while still in your pajamas, do you feel the need to have something on your feet? If so, why?

Should I Change My Weight Limit Goal?

Not too long ago, I set my self a weight limit (not to be confused with weight loss) goal of 145 lbs or less. Lately, my weight would fall within the general vicinity of upper 130's to lower 140's, going up and down by degrees. In the past, I have proven myself to go lower than even that.

I'm wondering if I should change my limit from 145 to 140. According to the site, http://www.am-i-fat.com/body_mass_index.html, 145 is considered overweight for my height. So is 140 but to a lesser extent. Maybe that is what I'll do. Depending on how that works out for me, I might change the limit to 135. (This one is considered marginal.)

Could I Be Getting OCD About My Weight Even Though I'm Not Really Trying To Lose Any?

I've been checking my weight bascially every day, and often more than once a day. It's often within the general vicinity of upper 130's to low 140's. At various times, I'd plug in my height and weight on http://www.am-i-fat.com/. According to the calculations, my BMI is estimated to be 24, which is considered marginal, and the comments I got from that site are that I needed to watch my diet and get more exercise.

I didn't use to take part in the weekly weigh-ins on the Bookcrossing forums, but I've started to as of a few weeks ago. I was welcomed in even though, unlike the other participants, I wasn't trying to lose weight per se, just keep it under 145 lbs.

I've been a bit on the heavy side for as long as I can remember but not necessarily obese (that I can recall). As a teenager, I've weighed as much as 155 lbs. The lowest I've ever weighed as an adult was 125 (much of which was attributed to a lot of walks I had been taking; my first year of college, I went from a size 14 in the fall to a size 10 by spring). When I got my BMI tested in a fitness class I took in college as a freshmen via the skinfold caliper method, I was considered to be in the "average" category.  Despite weight I've lost over different times of my life, I'm a bit thick in the thighs (part of why I don't like wearing shorts that much) and the stomach (which sticks out a little, but it's not too bad).

I'm not on any kind of diet at this point. I usually eat lightly in the day, but it's mainly because of time constraints. I do a lot of my commutes on foot as I don't drive. Also, the nature of my volunteer work has me moving about (or at least on my feet) almost all day. My weight will go up or down a pound (or a fraction thereof) in any given day. I just now stepped away from my laptop to check my weight. It has gone up half a pound since this morning.

Maybe it's the easy access to a scale. Maybe it has been all of those episodes of Money Hungry on VH1. Maybe it's symbolic of some other issue in my life. Whatever it is, I seem to have an obsession with my weight to the point where I feel constant urges to check it.

Cotton DOESN'T Weigh More Than Fat

Lately, I've been checking my weight nearly every day. (I'm not trying to lose weight per se, but I am trying to keep it below 145 pounds.) A rule that I had been taught a long time ago is not to wear shoes when stepping on a scale as it adds it makes the scale think you weigh more than you should. (Strangely enough, on a weight loss show on VH1 called Money Hungry, the participants have on sneakers when stepping on the scale, and on the most recent season of Celebrity Fit Club: Boot Camp, the participants had on combat boots. Someone had made a comment in reference to the former that the participants shouldn't have on any footwear in the weigh-in portion of the show as it adds to the weight readings.)

So, as a rule, when I weigh myself at home, I don't wear shoes. I won't even take any chances with any of my pairs of ballet flat slippers however lightweight they are. I do all of my weigh-ins barefooted or sock-footed.

For quite some time, I've wondered if wearing socks affected scale readings. I decided to find out. If wearing socks did, in fact, affect the scale readings, then I'd make sure to always be barefoot when weighing myself. First, I stepped onto the scale in a pair of regular white cotton socks (along with a top and jeans I was wearing at the time). The scale said 137.5. Then, I took my socks off and weighed myself barefoot. Once again, the scale said 137.5.

In closing, while wearing shoes will add to number on the scale, socks will not. Thus, it won't matter whether I'm wearing them on the scale or not.

Don't Do Drugs If You Plan On Going To Japan

I've just now saw an article online about Paris Hilton being banned from Japan due to her recent drug conviction. Up until today, I didn't know that Japan had a law denying entry for anyone convicted of a drug charge. (I've heard of Hilton's drug conviction for quite some time, but I would've thought that given the contoversy surrounding her DUI conviction in 2007 that she would have learned to stay out of trouble. But it's her life, not mine.) She hasn't been the only one who has had that problem, and the law is nothing new. The article mentioned the scenarios of Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, to name a few.

I don't know where I stand on Japan's law that one who is convicted of a drug offense can't come in. I'm not sure if I ever will since 1) I don't do drugs and 2) I have yet to have any cause to go to Japan. I will say this though: I've been taught in school to not do drugs because of all sorts of things that could happen. Well here's a new reason not to do drugs: there's no telling when you may have business calling you to Japan, and they don't want drug users in their country. (And even if going to Japan is NOT in your future, you don't need to be doing drugs anyway, okay?)

Splashing Acid On Herself For Attention? Who Does That?

Today, I saw an article about an acid attack "victim" who, as it turns out, did it herself. The story can be found here. At first she said that a black woman splashed acid in her face, and then later, she admitted to doing it to herself. When various people thought the former was the case, she gained a lot of sympathy, and donations were made towards her recovery  So now, whatever money was donated for her recovery will be returned, not to meniton she's "faces charges for filing a false police report. (A mention of a planned appearance on Oprah that ended up not happening can be found here.

I have no clue why she did what she did. Is she mentally ill? Is she a con artist? Who knows?

All I know I wouldn't do anything like that to get attention. First off, I wouldn't pour acid on myself. Second, I wouldn't rip people off like that. It wasn't how I was raised. (Now that the truth is out, the money donated towards her recovery is going to be returned. Nonetheless, she still has to undergo recover but will have to figure out an honest means to get whatever money is needed for that.) Third, if I wanted fame or attention from people not already in my life (which may have been the motive), there are ways to do it that don't involve hurting yourself and saying that someone else did it to you.

I don't know what will happen if she's convicted of the false police report charge.  What do you think should happen? Should she do jail time, pay a fine, or do community service? Do you also think maybe she needs to be committed somewhere? I'd like to know what you all think about this.

(P.S. To those of you who may have tried to comment: my settings were such that it said that it appeared that only "registered users" could comment. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, and it has been changed so that anyone, even those who wish to remain anonymous can comment.)

Another US-Centric Post: Where Were You On 9/11?

As those of you in the US are probably aware, today is the ninth anniversary of 9/11, when planes were hijacked, and the World Trade Center and Twin Towers were destroyed.  You may be asked where you were on 9/11. Here is what I was up to on that day:

I was a junior in high school at the time. I had a test in the first class I had that day--chemistry. Shortly after said test did I find out that stuff was going on. At some point in that class, the TV was on one of the channels covering the incident. Someone at some point joked, "It's the end of the world. Party at my place."

The next class I had that day was Intro. to Shakespeare where I had a vocabulary quiz. After that, the the news was on in that class.  The issue also came up for a short while in a Spanish class that I had that day as well. (I had one other class that day, but I don't recall right off what it was.)

On the way home after school (rode the bus), I saw a lot of gas stations with long lines of cars at the pumps. When I finally got home, I asked my stepdad if he needed to go get gas, but he said that he and Mom took car of that during their lunch hours. Also, my sister came over for a bit. (She had to wait a long time to get gas and had to settle for Premium as it was all that was left.) She said that her then boyfriend (now ex-husband) had a picture of himself at the Twin Towers and said that nobody could take a picture like that anymore.

The Band Booster potluck that was scheduled that day almost got cancelled. It went on, but I think the mentality was "Let's get to the point as quickly as possible so that we can all go home to watch the news."

It's funny what one can remember on a day like that. I even remember what I was wearing that day (khaki pants with hose underneath, a denim shirt, a multi-colored scarf, brown sandals, and a sparkly ponytail holder with which I had the top layer of my hair pulled back). So I ask you, where were you, and what do you remember about that day?

The Quran Burning's Been Called Off

I had mentioned in my last post that a church in Florida was planning on burning the Islamic Quran. Now, it turns out that said burning has been cancelled. This was after someone on the Muslim side had promised that the building of the mosque wouud not take near Ground Zero.  I just hope both parties hold true to their word.

A Church In Florida Is Going To Do What?

This coming Saturday will mark the ninth anniversary of what has become known in the U.S. as 9/11, when the World Trade Center and Twin Towers blew up and planes were hijacked.

As it turns out that the plans of a church in Florida on that day consist of burning the Quran. Here is one of the various articles discussing this.

My religious background consists of Christianity via a combination of the American Baptist and Disciples of Christ perspectives. I doubt I will ever convert to Islam. Yet, I cannot envision myself taking part of the burning of the Quran.

First off, I have to wonder how the preacher would react if Muslims or any other "non-Christian group" were to announce plans to burn the Bible? Given my aforementioned religious background, I know I wouldn't like it. I also have a feeling that various churches would be up in arms if that happened. (The article I linked to said that "Muslims consider the Quran the word of God and insist it be treated with utmost respect." Do Christians not have the same sentiments about the Bible?)

Second, I don't really condone book burning (unless the book is in particularly bad shape and can't be salvaged or if say, it's a really cold day and you need the fuel for the fire). As a bibliophile, I believe books, regardless of their nature (religious or otherwise), should either be read or left alone. But that's just my opinion.

Third, when it comes down to it, a book is, in and of itself, is basically a bunch of pieces of paper written on and bound together and will pretty much have as much influence on you as you will let it. The reason I bring this up is that, according to Mitch Stacy, the author of the aforementioned article, says that "The [Quran] according to [the preacher], is evil because it espouses anything other than biblical truth and incites radical, violent behavior among Muslims." If such reasons were the grounds for destroying a book, then there are a lot of books in the world that would need to be destroyed. I've read books where people swear, smoke, and do other things that are often consider sinful to the Christian faith. Just because I read said books (whether it has been on my own or what used to be the case, for class) and they happen to contain uses of the F-word, smoking, premarital sex, pratices associated with non-Christian religions doesn't mean I'm necessarily going to be inspired to do those things.

And one more thing, I know that the First Amendement protects this church's right to burn the Quran, but just because a person has a right to do something doesn't mean others have to like it.

Having said all of this, now that you know where I stand on this issue, I'd like to know your thoughts. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some things to take care of around the house, and then I'm going to sit down and get in my daily Bible reading.

That "No Large Bills" Policies That Some Businesses Have

I've been in various stores with a policy that they would not accept any bills larger than $20. That was no big deal to me as I seldom, if ever, had any cause to carry around a large bill, such as a $50. (I usually deposited those in the bank.)

I've operated the register in both of the paid jobs I've ever held (a retail one and one at the Burger King that was in my current hometown at one time) as well as my current volunteer spot at one of the thrift stores in town. Sometimes, when a customer pays for whatever they bought/ordered, the difference between the cash they give and the actual cost of the purchase is big enough to cost the cashier a lot of the change in the drawer.

At the place I volunteer at, not only do large bills pose a problem as far as change is concerned, but the $20 bills do as well, if the overall cost comes nowhere near that. A couple of times, either I or somebody else had to go to a nearby bank to exchange any bills $20 or higher for "smaller" change, if we were lucky enough not to be the only person on duty. (I remember back when I was working the aforementioned retail job that one of my then co-workers said that sometimes she's had to "buy" change from someone and/or turn people away because of lack of change on her end.)

Hmm. I guess the next time I'm out shopping, I should have bills on hand that aren't much higher than what my total for xyz is if I can help it (which I can't always, I'm afraid, but it's worth thinking about).  After all, I'd hate to deprive the person on the other end of the register of too much of what's in the drawer.

What's Moderate Mouse Up To This Time?

For a while, I had thought of starting a blog for things that can't always be covered by my other blogs. The focus on this blog will be for my thoughts on a news story (to which I will likely post links), pop culture, religion, animals, or even just plain life in general. I may even come up with topics as I go that have yet to occur to me now.  Posts from my other blogs may or may not appear here at some point.

I hope you enjoy whatever posts may come. By the way, feel free to leave a comment of your own.