Dee Nile, Dee Nile, Dee Nile

C and I have a mutual friend who is dealing with a weight issue - or actually I should say not dealing with it. She was very ill about a year or so ago, got through that, and of course, it really whacked out her body. Now, she's very into all the organic food and health food, but she's also gained a lot of weight, something her doctors have told her now that she really needs to pay attention too or she could become sick again.

When C spoke to her about it, she said, "I know what the problem is. I don't eat enough." Huh?

This all comes from the idea that if you eat less your metabolism slows down and it makes it much harder for you to get the weight off, but that's really when you are dieting, which she isn't. And, because she's eating all organic food, she's under the impression that she's eating healthy. So, it's a whole game of denial (and we aren't talking about the river in Egypt!)

I was heading to Dee Nile myself recently because I've been at a stand still with my weight loss. After 3 weeks, still nothing! I haven't gained (thank God!), but I haven't lost either, and I've been telling myself "but I'm doing everything the same." Then I got real.

Since school started up about 5 weeks ago, I went from exercising 5 days to 4 days a week. Then there are those darn nuts my DH sets out every night. His low-carb diet is fine with a few nuts every night. In fact, he actually eats no dinner and then a cup of nuts at night. Me? Well, I would stop by the nut jar, take out a few, like 3 or 4, and then move on. But, add that over 7 days, and if you know anything about how many calories nuts have (zillions!) you get the picture.

So, I'm on day two of not sticking my hand in the jar, and so far, I added one night, 20 minutes, of exercise. I'm also really making sure I stick to my 20 points so far. As WW likes to say, "If you bite it, you write it."

New Book Deal!

Told you I was busy! Here's my latest project!

Call for Entries
Book Title: Picture Yourself Making Metal Clay Jewelry: Step-by-Step Instruction for Forming, Firing, and Constructing Finished Jewelry

Publisher: Thomson Course Technology
Series: This text will be part of the publisher’s “Picture Yourself” series.
Author: Tammy Powley
Contact Information: tammypowley@yahoo.com
Estimated Publication Date: May/June 2008
Call for Entries Deadline: December 5, 2007

Book’s Focus: The focus of this book is super simple to make metal clay component projects (charms, pendants, beads) teamed up with basic jewelry techniques resulting in projects which allow readers to make finished jewelry pieces showcasing their metal clay creations. Audience: The audience is the interested hobbyist who has very little if any metal clay or jewelry making experience.

Project Descriptions: All metal clay projects will be designed to use low-fire metal clay (either PMC3 or Art Clay 650) and will be small enough to allow firing by either a hand-held butane torch or hot pot. The projects will include instructions for both making the metal clay component (such as beads or a pendant) as well as incorporating this item into a finished piece of jewelry (such as earrings or a necklace). Therefore, other jewelry techniques including basic bead stringing and wire work will be covered as well.

Gallery Format Submission/Instructions: All items submitted for the gallery must be sent in digital .jpg format, min. 300 dpi, emailed to tammypowley@yahoo.com by Dec. 5, 2007. Please include “metal clay gallery” in the email subject line. Along with the image of the finished jewelry piece, include type of clay used, form of firing used, and any other materials information. Though low-fire clay items are encouraged, since that is the focus of this book, other types of clay items will be considered for gallery inclusion. Those artists selected for the gallery (included in the final published copy of the book) will be required to sign a release for publication form and will have their names and contact information (if desired) included in the gallery section.Project

Format Submission/Instructions: Though the author will create the majority of projects for the book, some projects by guest artists may be included if they are deemed appropriate for the scope of the book. Entries should include projects using low-fire metal clay (either PMC3 or Art Clay 650) and should be fired using either a butane torch or hot pot. A list of supplies and basic techniques should be included along with step by step digital color images of the process. (The author will write up complete instructions for any accepted projects.) Images should be clear, high quality, .jpg format, min. of 300 dpi, and emailed to tammypowley@yahoo.com by December 5, 2007. Please include “metal clay book project” in the email subject line. Those artists selected for the projects section (included in the final published copy of the book) will be required to sign a release for publication form and will have their names and contact information (if desired) included in the text. The author will also send them a free copy of the book when it is released for publication.

Disclaimer: The author will accept submissions in good faith and as she deems appropriate for the book; however, this does not in any way guarantee publication since other issues such as space, page numbering, page breaking, etc. can require the publisher to make alterations to the finished text without the author’s knowledge.

Looking 4 Pro Bloggers

I'm putting my Executive Editor hat on. I've been blabbling about this all over the place, so I figured I should post it here as well since I have a few million readers here:

Company: Creative Weblogging
Job Title: Blog Editors
Description: Live blogs in need of editors right now:
http://www.gambling-weblog.com/ (7 posts a week/$225/mo comp)

http://www.bizplanhacks.com/ (7 posts a week/$225/mo comp)

http://www.tjacobi.com/ (5 posts a week/20 a month for $112.50/mo)

http://www.endzonebuzz.com/ (5 posts a week/20 a month for $112.50/mo)

http://www.digitalmusicfuture.com/ (5 posts a week/20 a month for $112.50/mo)

http://www.p2p-weblog.com/ (5 posts a week/20 a month for $112.50/mo)

http://www.igotspam.com/ (5 posts a week/20 a month for $112.50/mo)

Also, we are opening to talking to any experienced bloggers who have current high-traffic and high PR blogs (6+) in the following fields and may be interested in working with Creative Weblogging: social networking, business, finance, pregnancy. Considerable blogging experience is required. For those who have the level of traffic and quality we are looking for, compensation is negotiable.

Please send us a brief email to recruiting @ creative-weblogging.com requesting an application and specify which topic on the above list you are applying for

For more information about content requirements (no. of words, etc), and basically how it all works, see our Get Paid to Blog page.

Close But No Cigar

I was really hoping to be able to say that I've lost 10 lbs this week, but nope! I'm still at 9.5lbs. I know, what's a half a pound, right? Considering it will take me another week now to get rid of it, that little half pound is significant.

I was actually pretty good last week, but I had two issues that probably messed me up. First, now that I've lost weight, I just realized a few days ago that I need to consider recalculating my Weight Watcher's points, and sure enough, after I did that I learned I need to eat 20 not 21 points now. One point? Yes, but really, over a week, that's 7 points.

The other issue was my well-meaning husband who made some low-cal soup. The recipe came from a WW cook book, and he's made it before, but in typical DH fashion, he has to make enough to feed the entire state of Florida. And, I really like this soup. So, it was difficult to figure out portions when he had quadrupled the recipe. Low cal soup or not, if you eat a lot of it (which I did) you'll have more calories than you need.

On the up side, I didn't gain any weight, but I so want to be able to say, "I've lost 10 lbs!"

Hopefully, I can say that next week.

I'm a Chik at Metal Chik

I've started blogging a few times a week at a way cool new site called Metal Chik. Along with my posts, about 3 times a week, each week, they have a new how-to video like the one posted above.

So, So, Slow!

Just a Weight Watcher's update - It's coming off but so slowly it's very hard not to get discouraged. In my previous WW attempts, it came off about 2 lbs a week. That was with following the plan, the occassional spurge but nothing major, and going to Jazzercise 3xs a week. If I didn't exercise, I was down to maybe 1 lbs or 1/2 lb a week. That was when I was in my 30s.

As C. has so kindly pointed out, "You'll never be that 30 year old girl again."

Right now, I'm in week 8 and have lost 8 1/2 lbs. I know it's coming off, but I'm basically doing what I did back then: following the plan, minor splurge but still using my extra points and nothing more, exercising 4-5 times a week a min. of 45 minutes doing low-impact aerobics. I'm lucky to 1/2 lb off each week now.

As the WW instructor said, "If you lost 1/2 lbs every week for a year, you'd lose 26 lbs." Err, yes, but back when I was younger, I'd do that in about 3-4 months!

So for all your 30 year old girls out there, get it off now and keep it off. From what my 50 year old friends say, it only gets worse.

Kitty Old Folks' Home

You know you are at the vet's office too much when the staff greet you with, "You're back here again today?"

My three cats have entered into their mature cat years now. So far, Nee Nee is diabetic, Gray Boy (pictured) has a thyroid condition, and Sissy's kidney's are going.

The most recent diagnosis is Sissy, and when I was getting ready to bring her to the vet (due to a general lack of appetite, which is so not like her since she takes after her mom and is normally a little piglet) my DH predicted, "It will have some sort of syringe involved." This is because we give insulin shots to one cat and thyroid meds via a syringe to the other cat already.

His prediction was correct. Along with a special diet, we will have to start giving her weekly injections of liquids to go under her skin as a way to hydrate her because her kidneys no longer are able to process them. Luckily - I guess - I've had to do this before with one of our dogs (who is no longer with us after 16 1/2 years). That and the fact that I'm used to giving shots now, it didn't faze me too much. Now, of course, how the girl cat will handle it is a whole different story.

From Prada to Janite?

I played hooky today and went to see Becoming Jane with C. As I suspected, it was a semi-entertaining story, and I emphasize the word, story! Also as I suspected, they'd have a way to skinny girl playing Jane.

This is not to suggest that Jane was fat, but back then, if a woman was as thin as Anne Hathaway, most people would have thought her family couldn't afford to feed her properly.

As a true Janite, I couldn't help but a feel a little uncomfortable with the liberties Hollywood took with her life, and when we left the theater, my uneasiness was confirmed. C., who has seen most of the movies based on Jane's books but has read no biographical information, was going on about how sad her life was and how awful it was that she died at such a young age (according to the notes posted on the screen at the end of the movie).

I then tried to explain to her that (a) she died in her forties (though, yes, to us in the 21st century that's young); (b) that she'd never have been able to write all those novels (which are actually 5, not six as the notes also said, and that's because I'm not counting her unfinished novel and I guess they are); and (c) finally, the whole story is fiction so don't stress too much for her because it's hard to say really if any of that happened at all, and I'd bet most of it didn't.

She was shocked and protested! No, the ending said she died young, and then her boyfriend actually named his daughter after her.

Err, yes, but young then and young now aren't the same, and Jane is a pretty common name, especially back then.

When I got home, I pulled out my copy of A Memoir of Jane Austen by Her Nephew. Though it's in pretty rough shape from being accidentally used a chew toy by one of my dogs the 15 years or so that I bought it, I fell compelled to read it again now.

For a full review of the movie, which I tend to agree with, see Contact Music.

Cat Condo 4 Rent

We are now on the map! We have a Target that is only a few miles away. No more driving to the next county, yeah!

On my first trip to the new Tar-ge', I thought it would be nice to buy by kitty babies a cool cat condo. It's wasn't too expensive, about $30, and I always say I'm going to get them one, so I finally did.

Of course, it took my husband, the nuclear scientist to put it together, but now it's up and looking tre chic next to my Piliates reformer in the living room. When I told DH that I bought it, he said, "You know, you could have just brought home a card board box and they'd be thrilled." Yes, but this is so cool looking.

Well, so far, I'm the only member of the household who thinks so. We are going on 48 hours and no cat takers. I even put some of Sissy's toys in there, her hairy snake and one of her rats she loves to torment. She gave it a look, like, "Why did my mom put my toys in there. Now I can't play with them." And she wandered off in a huff.

Both DH and I have tried on two separate occasions to stuff a cat in there, but they are acting like we are trying to stick them in a garbage disposal. "Cats in China would love to have a cat condo like this!" But, they just lock up their little legs and squirm until we let them go.

Party Hardy

I finally got the library crew together for lunch after some emails and numerous phone calls. One of the things they teach you in WW is to take charge of your food experience when dining out. My attempt at this was to decide on where we'd eat. I opted for a place I knew I could get a half a shrimp salad sandwich (minus the bread) and salad with vinaigrette dressing. The few people who emailed me back were fine with this.

Fast forward.....Day of the lunch....

I just finish my 3 mile Leslie Sansome DVD, when the phone rings and it's D. from the library. I notice too there are other messages on my voice mail saying the same thing, "We have decided to meet at the super fattening place rather than the safe place where you can eat shrimp." Okay, they didn't say it in those words, but that's what my brain heard.

Their reasoning for this was that the fattening place had bigger tables and there were a lot of them coming to see me. How sweet! But, dang it!

Fast forwards....Phone rings again....

It's C. and I start immediately babbling about my food hurdle at lunch. What the h, e, double toothpicks am I supposed to do? She calms me down and says, either split your lunch with someone or when you order immediately ask for a to-go box and put half of your food in there right away. "A-ha!" She's brilliant. I reason that I can even give my half box of food to someone there to take back for one of the pages (who is a big kid and eats every one's leftovers).

So, I luck out and one of the gals agrees to split the turkey wrap with bacon and guacamole. She'll take the fries and I'll order a side salad. Lunch is fun. They are such a great group and I'm having a good time, glad I came, etc.

Then....ca - zing...They start in on me..."Did you know it's S0-and-So's last day today? We are having a big party for her. She'll be here in about an hour. You should stay. We've got chips dips, MJ made her famous mac-n-cheese, B. made her layered Mexican cheese dip, yada, yada, yada."

I had met them there on purpose to avoid this sort of problem, (a) food, food, food, and (b) sucking up my entire day so I couldn't get any work done. They all have this illusion that since I'm not punching the clock there any more that I don't actually work any more.

The pressure was intense, especially because the girl they were having the party for is someone I worked with a lot and helped with school stuff, so they worked that angle like there was no tomorrow. But, I persisted. "Oh, I wish I had known. I have to get some where and then I've got so much work to do when I get back to my computer." I said all this as I pulled myself away and walked back to my car, which I had parked away from the library parking lot.

Yes, I did feel bad that I didn't go, but I also realized that the whole party hardy issue (there's a party, birthday, etc. there almost every day) was one reason I gained so much weight while working there. I just refuse to go back and do that to myself again. Can't! Won't!

Poor Anonymous

I know I haven't been over here in a while, been bizzy, ya know. Funny thing was that I was thinking of bopping by and talking about how I lost another lb...yes, slow, but it is coming off. Or, I was thinking about writing about how I finally got some scam artists to stop calling me.

But, then I got this really funny comment posted on my blog here and I just had to laugh. No, I'm not going to approve it because it's a very meany weany post. The person had a lot of nasty stuff to say about how I'm a sucky writer and how every writer worth his or her pencil (notice how my pronouns matched there) should shun me.

Of course, this same person doesn't have the ca - hoonas (I have no clue how to spell that, sorry) to sign her name. Nope. She signed it Anonymous (and I just have this gut feeling it's a her because we gals can be so catty like this sometimes). No name, just her unsolicted opinion. Um, yes, nuff-said.

My Blog Story Published

Toby Bloomberg has a very cool site called Blogger Stories.

On this blog/site she publishes the stories of bloggers and how they got started in the blogosphere.

My story was just published over there today, way cool!

If you want to tell your story, check out her Welcome page that gives you the how-to.

It's a good opportunity to promo yourself some if you are a blogger, and I have to admit that writing out "my story" about blogging was more challenging than I had expected. It really made me think, so it is also a good exercise. How did you start? Why did you start? Why are you still doing it? With all the blogging I do, I don't really have time to think about this sort of thing that often.

A Little More Progress

After a little over three weeks back at Weight Watchers, I've lost 7 pounds. Of course, I have a long way to go before I see a comfortable size 8 again, but I am starting to notice a difference in my clothes finally.

Another three pounds in the next few weeks will mean 10 gone before school starts, and that means a lot when you have to be in front of people talking. Teaching is really a performance. You need to dress right, feel psyched, and be prepared to engage your audience, who nine times out of ten are not thrilled to be there. The first day, especially, is critical. You want them to leave thinking, "Maybe English sucks, but Dr. P seems okay so maybe I can survie this semester."

If a class doesn't like you, it's just an awful experience for everyone. About six or more years ago, I had the unfortunate duty of taking over a class because another adjunct had left two weeks into the semester. So, I had to go in there and basically tell them she's gone, I don't know why, and now you have me. And, to top it, we had totally different teaching styles. I mean, I couldn't "be" her. Other than a handful of students, the rest hated me and acted like it was my fault she left. 95% of the class were high school students, and they just wouldn't cut me a break. Near the end of the semester a few more warmed up to me, but it was one lonnnggg semester!

Off Liners

The day of leaving my crappy library job, I made sure to get emails of anyone I wanted to keep in touch with. Everyone said the usual like keep in touch and let's do lunch and we will miss you, so I figured I'd get their emails and just do that, keep in touch.

Of course, I'm on the net just about all day because that's where the majority of my work comes from. I write for three web networks and teach two English classes on the net. So, email is my way to connect to the outside world. I even turn off the ringer on my phone unless I'm expecting a call because I don't want to get interrupted to yap with a friend who doesn't understand working at home is, well, work, or some guy who wants to sell me a water softener.

I'm trying to load up skype now, in fact, so that would mean even fewer phone calls. If my stupid firewall would just chill, I'll be in business.

But there are some weird people in this world who don't use email. Some of them even have emails, but they never check them. Or, like one friend of mine from the library, she sets up free email accounts and then forgets to check them until months later, so they are gone by then and she has to start all over again.

Now, if I call any of my library buds on the phone or they call me, they feel free to talk for as long as they like, telling me the same old stuff: work sucks, nothing has changed there, they miss me, I'm so lucky I got out of there, and work sucks.

I reply with the usual as well: nothing is going to change there, get out while you can, did you check so-and-so is hiring, and nothing is going to change there.

This has been particularly frustrating lately because I'm trying to set up a time to meet them for lunch before school starts because I know then it will probably be close to impossible to do that since I'll be in the classroom 2-3 days a week and teaching on the web as well as still doing my writing gigs. I can't possibly call each individual person to schedule something like this, as they all work different schedules which change weekly, so I'm trying to do it via email.

A few have replied, but my friend with the continually new email hasn't (though she claims she emailed me already...poor thing), one email bounced back due to a spam filter, and the rest, nada. I just don't get why people ask you to email them, and then never check their email.

The whole off-line world is become more and more bizarre to me.
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Lettuce and Lemon Water Diet

While I was pretty good last week on the old WW diet, Saturday night had a slight issue with cheese...oh...and wine. It is our normal routine on that night to pop upon some nice wine and munch a little. My dh is low-carb and it works for him, so he gets some really yummy cheeses to eat with the wine. While I didn't have my normal amount and I did count it in my WW points book, still, as the weigh-in day neared I started feeling really guilty.

What if I don't lose anything!? What if I gained?! What if that cheese went directly to my *ss?

My scale was giving me all kinds of crazy readings. I actually took one day and weighed at different times and recorded it because I was curious at how differently I'd weigh depending on the time of day, and the range was anywhere from one to three pounds different.

So, a few days before the WW meeting, I resolved to purge myself and drink tons of lemon water and eat only salads with low-cal dressing. The first day was tough, but I managed to eat way under my points. The second day, I relaxed a little but still had points left by the end of the day, and considering the number of points I have (not much) that's saying a lot.

Honestly, I'm not sure if it was the two days of lettuce and lemons or maybe the fact that I did stay within the points range for most of the week or that I had exercised a few more days than the week before, but I was rewarded with a three pound loss on weigh-in day. I was ready to be thrilled by one pound, so the relief I felt after getting the news, well, you can't imagine. I was seriously freaking out the day before.

That's a total of 5 1/2 lbs in my first few weeks back on the program. Go Weight Watchers!
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Curse Thee Isaac Newton!

About a week ago, I finally threw in the towel and returned to Weight Watchers. With school on the way, it was time to either do it or give up, and the thought of walking into the classroom wearing a moo-moo and flip flops was enough to get my big *ss back to WW.


Long story short - I figured out that my scale and the one at WW was weighing me the same after my first visit. So, I made the mistake of weighing myself during the week to see if I was making progress, and I was thrilled to see that I had lost 4 lbs. Of course, I knew this was water weight, and I wasn't even that thrilled at the idea of 4 since my past tries at WW had given me a 5lb loss on the first week. Still, I figured 4 was good.


When I went back the next week to weigh in, however, their scale said I'd only lost 2.5 lbs! What the? I mentioned to the WW staff member that my scale was previously weighing me the same at home, and my home scale at read a 4 lb loss. She asked me what time I'd weighed myself that day, first thing in the morning? Yes. Well, it's gravity she explained. That we all weigh less when we first wake up and as the day goes on we weigh more, up to 2 lbs more.

I know I should still be happy with my small weight loss, but still, gravity sucks!

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Free Pilates

Well, it's free to me at least...My sister is downsizing to a smaller house, and among the many items her and her family of six are having to find new homes for (which also includes a pool table and about 2 or 3 dozen - no lie - bikes) is her old Pilate machine, or reformer as I've just learned they are called.

She originally got it from QVC, but of course, some how lost the DVDs that went with it, so I'm winging it a little. I've seen it demoed on TV before and I went by YouTube and found a ton of videos, so I've getting a routine down. Like the mat work I've been doing, it's a butt kicker! I'll probably get a DVD for it eventually.

I'd love to take a class, and in fact, a new Pilates studio opened up around here recently, but talk about expensive! Dang! I got on its web site and was looking around thinking maybe I'd check them out. I saw something on the home page that said "$249 membership" and thought, "Hmm..$249 a year? That's not that bad." When I read on, I discovered it was $249 a month! not a year! Yeah, needless to say I'm back to my home DVDs!

I mean...honestly! Who can afford that? I grew up taking dance lessons until I hit about my late 20s, early 30s, and I've taken a lot of yoga, and neither of those are cheap because of the training involved for instructors and studio space you need, especially for dance, but come one! Is Pilates only meant for rich people?

On the Radio

Check it out! I'm going to be l-i-v-e on the radio...or at least the Internet radio...over at Chick Tech this Weds. 6pm est. I'll be talking with Jennifer Mattern about professional blogging. She's an indie blogger and I'm a network blogger, so we'll be covering both sides of how to make mulla by blogging.

So, So Busy!

After finally leaving my CLJ, I had visions of cleaning out and reorganizing my office, making jewelry - for fun actually, catching up on house work, that sort of thing.

Well, obviously, I was completely insane to even think that could happen - that I'd have "extra time!"

Instead, I'm busier than ever. Not but a few weeks before I was to leave the library, I received a wonderful opportunity to work on the management end of one of the networks I write for. Basically, I ended up replacing one job with another, but now, this job I get to do from home and I don't have to deal with "the public" like I did at the library.

I'm also on the brink of overload with the two summer classes I'm teaching on-line. I'm thinking..."How did I agree to do this?" By the time my summer classes end, one of my fall classes begins. Yes, summer is almost over so that means syllabi to write, handouts to copy, etc. Ugh!

So, this is just the long, rambling way to say that I haven't written over here - on my one blog for no other reason than to blog, blog - because I'm busy.

One Door Closes - Another Door Opens

Today was my last day at my crappy library job. I couldn't help but feel a little choked up as I gave and got hugs and promises for future lunch dates. It is hard to believe that I've been there five years (and two months). Of course, my practical side hates to give up the steady paycheck, but it is time to move on. The reason I took the job in the first place was so that I could go to school, and I've been there done that - stick a fork in me. There is no future for me at the library, and even if there was, I have never had the intention of becoming a librarian.

Even before leaving, I have been blessed with a number of new opportunities coming my way. I am taking on a larger class load in the fall, and I have recently accepted a part-time gig as the Executive Editor over at Creative Weblogging.

The hardest part of leaving the library is saying good-bye to so many good people who I really consider to be friends now. One of the younger women who works there even made it a point to tell me how my encouragement has made such a difference with her choice to continue onto grad school after she gets her four year degree. How can that not bring a tear to a teacher's eye?!

Well, shoot, I'm getting all goofy about it again, so I'll just leave it at that. The door is closed. Now time to walk through a new door.
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