Behind the Scenes

Yesterday, as I sat in my living room typing with laptop in hand, Bonehead happened to be home sick.  With Smooch off at school and Critter busy napping, we had the living room to ourselves.  And so we did what we do best- sit 6 feet apart from each other in a comfortable silence, using Google Chat as the need arose.

With the quiet opportunity, I attempted blogging, trying to create a sweet and thoughtful entry. For some reason I had a difficult time. 

Why?

About one paragraph in, Bonehead decided to create a certain ambiance in the room.  I spent the remainder of my blogging experience listening to his special serenade.

The remaining paragraphs from my previous blog entry were typed with the sound of lewd rap music blaring from his laptop speakers while he giggled like a school girl.   

And that's your in depth look for today of what goes on behind the scenes of My Neurotic Spot.  Stay tuned for future sneak peaks into our inner mechanisms.

The Kiss That Wasn't

I have stated previously that I have known Bonehead for a very long time.  In fact, I met him when I was fifteen and moved to Chicago's Northwest Suburbs from a rinky dink town in Southern Michigan.  I was the naive country girl who had an immense shy side and he was the rebellious punk teenager who's specialty was pushing the envelope. 

We never dated, which is a story in its self, but the fact remains that before our 2 month engagement (during which we were separated by most of the country), my husband and I were never considered "boyfriend and girlfriend."

We did spend an exceptional amount of time together, though.  This may or may not have had something to do with the fact that our parents lived 3 houses apart.  We got along, he was fun to hang out with, and the proximity to his home made for a ready made friendship.  We went to the high school dances with other dates, but always together.  We had the same lunch hour and always went to lunch together.  He made it his goal to get me to shoot Coke out my nose (which burns a great deal by the way) and I usually caved and ruptured like Old Faithful. In later years, he would travel to Michigan with me (and Mom and Sister)to hang with my family for a weekend here or there.

One day after school he asked me if I wanted to go to a local mall.  They had a shop in their food court that had the best strawberry shakes, which I had never had.  I have always enjoyed hanging out with John so of course I agreed.  Looking back I believe it was one of the first times I was alone with him, and not with our group of friends also.  We climbed into his mile long pea green station wagon, ducked to avoid the saggy ceiling fabric, and headed out to the mall.

I remember quite a bit of the conversation but not exact words.  We made it to the mall, where the promised strawberry shake turned out to be strawberries, sugar and ice.  I remember thinking, "Where's the ice cream?" as I watched the people behind the counter run their blender.  It was well worth the ice creamial sacrifice, though.  It was, without a doubt, the best strawberry shake I would ever have.  We walked the mall, talking and just generally hanging out.

Then again came the car ride home.  I had lots of thoughts on that particular ride.  He's kind of cute.  I really like hanging out with him.  Neither one of us had a boyfriend/girlfriend of any officiality at this moment in time. 

And then came the moment in his garage.  That moment just after the engine gets turned off but before the movement to get out of the car begins.  A brief evolvement of a new relationship in which the boundaries had not been set yet. The moment of quiet when it would have been easy to lean over, just a tiny bit, and offer up something new, test the waters with a kiss.  I wanted to,I thought about it, and I almost did.

And then reality set in and I realized I had a great friendship with the Bonehead sitting next to me.  And though I was truly young and naive I knew enough to realize that kissing just complicated things.  And I might have chickened out, too (just a wee bit).  But no matter what the reason, it became the kiss that wasn't. 

It would be years before I even considered it again...


To be continued...

The Resurection of Weight Loss Wednesday

I have been unkind to me. I have been eating whatever I felt like rather than what was good for me, and exercise has become my arch enemy. I don't have to be a genius at math to know its a fairly simple equation: Cheesy Italian Beef + Soda Galore (and not the diet version either) + No exercise= Weight gain.

And I was already in a position where I really couldn't afford to be gaining even a single pound. So, of course with the new year, and resolutions, yada yada yada, here comes Weight Loss Wednesday.

This time it's a little more serious. It's quickly approaching Critter's first birthday and instead of losing the baby weight I'm heavier than I was even 6 months ago. I know exactly what it takes to remove the weight, and until I get off my butt and do it, it's never going to happen. I'll be adding a few things to my blog to keep me a little more focused. I'll be adding a pounds lost/gained (please Lord no) tab to my side bar, as well as some sort of exercise tracker, I think.

It is also my intention to try to journal this time more of my thoughts and feelings as I struggle to take off what it is so easy to put on. I will share excerpts from my journey, which will more than likely be a long one. Any tips or tricks I find that work I will pass on.

There will be no whining. I got myself into this mess, and I will have to get myself out of it. No one else on earth can do it for me.

So, without further ado, here is the return of Weight Loss Wednesday. This past week hasn't quite been a full week. I weighed in on January 1st, but the exercise didn't begin until the 4th. So far this month I've ridden 18.1 miles on the stationary bike and done 2 half hour yoga workouts. While technically I can not 'restrict' calories until Valentines day, I can make healthier choices for now. By the time Valentine's day rolls around I will be calorie counting as well. And for the weigh in?

Drum Roll Please......

-3.6 pounds

Tune in next week for more on the continuing saga that is 'Chas loves Double Stuff Oreos a wee teeny bit too much'.

Mom, Can You Feel Your Toes Now?

I haven't included pictures in a while, mostly due to the fact that my Mom was actually here with us and didn't have the need to live vicariously through my blog. She's been home for a few days now, since New Year's Eve to be exact. I figured I'd give her toes a chance to regain feeling in the warm Florida Sun and then post a few of my favorite pictures of the season. Seriously, she's probably wearing sandals pool side as I type this. I hope her sandals don't fall apart. Nope, I'm not jealous. Not at all.

Anyway, here's a few of my favorite Pics.

Enjoying the freezing cold tradition that is The Christmas Train

Smoochie showing Critter 'the ropes' with his first Christmas present.

And what First Christmas would be complete without the Santa Suit?

It's probably a good thing I'm not in Florida wearing sandals. I have a desperate need for a pedicure.

My Precioussssss

Happy New Year.

I have a list this year about a mile long of resolutions I plan to keep for the new year (Doesn't everyone?) I have already decided I'll not bore you with most of them (Until another post at least), but I have a doozie that has already been haunting me.

This resolution is so big, and will be so hard for me to keep that it has me looking for loop holes in my rules. Loop holes, I tell you. But more on that a bit later.

I'm pretty sure a New Year's Resolution isn't supposed to cause panic attacks, but here it is January 1st (Due to computer problems and Child rearing duties, it is now January 2nd), and the thought of publishing it for the world to see has spent the better part of my day doing just that.

I took a long nap in order to avoid this post. The one I knew would have to happen. I curled up under my blankets and mourned the loss of a friend. A cool, creamy beautiful friend. I get a twitch in my neck every time I think of a year without it. I want to go find the empty cup from my "one last trip" in my van (if I didn't already throw it away) and hide in a corner caressing it longingly.

I'm giving up Starbucks. And I'm addicted. But as part of my New Years Resolutions, I have included two things that are not Starbucks Friendly. I need to put serious effort into living frugally- and no matter how I spin it, a 5 dollar frappucino doesn't count as a bargain. (Now a 5 dollar foot long, on the other hand...) I also need to become more healthy, and although the word frappucino sounds cool when it rolls off the tongue, it equates to "poundissimo" which is Latin for I gained weight over the holidays and the calories involved in this thing equate to an entire meal. Both of these things mean I must give up my true love.

I realized I had a true addiction when I started looking for loop holes in my resolution. My resolution is this: I will not buy a Starbucks drink for an entire year. So my brain starts whirring- I can still accept gift certificates and donations, right? Can I have my son hand over the cash? Does that technically count as "buying"? What about Cariboo, can I substitute? Do I have to include McDonald's iced coffee in the bargain?

I will not buy a Starbucks drink for an entire year. I will not send Smooch in to do my dirty work for me. I will not exchange one evil for another and therefore will keep my butt out of Cariboo. I will indulge OCCASIONALLY in an iced coffee from McDonald's, but no more than once a week. And when it comes to Starbucks, I will still accept gift cards and donations.

This will not be easy. I'm already shaking and in withdrawls. What oh what have I gotten myself into? This feeling greatly resembles the same one I had after signing my life away when we bought our house. Too late to turn back. I guarantee I am committed. I cannot, however, guarantee I will not whine about it.