Diet Trial #1 - Week 1 Update

So, I'm thinking this Special K diet thing will be an easier thing to do after school starts and I lack the option to go out to eat for lunch.  I'll be honest, I haven't stuck with the Special K stuff for breakfast and lunch.  Breakfast is easy enough to do.  However, since I'm still out for the summer and being mildly social, lunch hasn't been easy.

That being said, I've still dropped a little over 3 lbs in a week.  Whoo!  The diet promised 6 lbs in two weeks and I'm half way there in time and weight.

I spoke with one of my new friends who is a runner about taking up running.  She had some good pointers and promised to share a lot more via her blog (I'd link you, but I'm not sure if she's into me broadcasting her page).  The first major change I would have to make would be to start going to bed and getting up a lot earlier so I could run in the mornings.  Once school starts, I'll attempt to adjust my schedule to make that happen.  Then, we'll see how running goes.

Breaks my Heart

When we first moved into our new house, there was this calico stray cat who used to roam our yard.  It was just a fixture of the house - the same as the Blue Jays and Cardinals, squirrels, and that horrible possum.  I got used to looking out of the window over the kitchen sink and seeing the cat slink across the yard.

Then, it stopped showing up for a while.

While the neighborhood community garage sale was going on, I went to go check out other sales (I ended up with a TRUNK filled with shells - but that's another story).  When I got back, Dan, my fiance, told me he had seen the same cat hobbling across the street.  He said it looked like one of its rear legs had been ripped off and that there was just bone protruding from its leg.  I was horrified and called animal control to see if they could help catch the cat to get it some help.  Eventually, they showed up, but we were unable to find the cat.  I was sick over it for a long time.

One day, out of the blue, I cought a glimpse of the cat walking in one of the yards near ours.  I got a good look at its leg (I was sitting in my car at the time, so it didn't skitter away).  I guess the poor thing was able to make it through the pain.  Its fur healed over the bone.  There's no foot there - just a nub.  I'm not sure what happened to the poor cat.

Our neighbors to one side said they had been feeding the cat, but had been unsuccessful at capturing it to take it to a vet.  I tried to leave food out for it once, but have a feeling that the squirrels ate the kibble instead.

This morning, on my way out to take out some garbage, I noticed the cat coming toward my front door.  It of course paused and backtracked slowly.  I spoke nicely to it and went back inside as calmly and as fast as I could.  I was able to get some kitty kibble into a bowl and outside before the cat had taken off completely.  I left it alone and watched from inside my house as it ate the whole bowl (I'd put maybe half a cup in the bowl).

It made me feel so wonderful to be able to get that unfortunate cat some food.  It is definitely much thinner now than it was when we moved into the house.  I'm guessing it is harder for the cat to hunt with a missing hind leg foot.

As I was getting ready to leave the house later, I noticed the cat was in the yard again.  I went inside and got a bowl of water and food - this time more food.  I got both out to the cat without spooking it.  While it was eating, I was able to get about 8 feet away.  It ate and ate and ate, barely stopping for water.  It stopped to sit and pant a while (it was about 100 today, with humidity).  It broke my heart to realize there was no way I could capture the cat to bring it inside, in the air, and take it to a vet, to get it some likely needed medical help.

Maybe it'll get friendly enough with me at some point where I'll be able to help it out.  I know Dan says absolutely no more pets... But I would spoil the cat so much!  It wouldn't ever have to hunt for food on a bad leg, search for drinkable, cool water, or a cool place to hide when it's hot.  Here's hoping I can do something for the cat to help it.

The cat just feels like part of living here, since it was here from the start - before us, really.

 Bad left hind leg.

It looks like practically skin and bones compared to what it was before.

:(

Diet Trial #1

While shopping at Big Lots, I noticed they had Special K Red Berries on sale for $2 a box.  I love the freeze dried strawberries in the cereal.  That was reason enough for me to buy 2 boxes.

On the box it says that it is possible to lose 6 lbs in 2 weeks on the "Special K" diet.  I've nothing better to do with myself than to try it this summer.  Hell, it'll save me money to eat Special K for lunch and breakfast (it's been an extremely expensive month at my house).

So, today is day 1 on the Special K diet.  Instead of putting milk in the 1 cup of cereal I'm allotted, I opted for a half cup of French Vanilla Greek yogurt, instead - it was actually less calories than the 2% milk would have been.

Let me just say - this may be my new favorite way to eat cereal.  I don't miss the milk.  The yogurt was already a treat for me.

I'll keep you all updated on how fast I get sick of eating Special K and whether or not I lose 6 lbs in two weeks.

Another Food Triumph (Now with included recipe!)

I'm almost sorry we didn't have people over for dinner tonight.  Had we had people over, like we often do, I would have no leftovers.  That would have been bad after tonight's meal of apple and sage pork chops, sour cream and dill red skin potato salad, and macaroni and cheese.

Because you're all special people (I have no idea who most of my readers are... but you're nonetheless special), I'm actually including the recipe to part of tonight's feast.  Enjoy the eye candy.  I completely recommend trying this at home.  It may not be good for you, but it certainly tastes damned good.

(This actually came as part of a pre-measured spice pack - neat idea.)

Once upon a time I had said that if ever the highlight of my day were what I cooked for dinner, something had gone terribly wrong in my life.  I still stand by that.  However, tonight, I'll make an exception.  Apple and sage pork chops were awesome.

I Cooked, and Other Summer Projects

When asked, I typically say I don't cook.  For the most part, it's true.  Dan does all of the cooking or we go out.  The truth of the matter is that I can cook, I just don't like to cook.  Every now and then, I get bored enough to really cook.  I meant to take pictures of the "garbage" I cooked that turned into amazing Thai chicken and noodles in awesome sauce, but, alas, I used my energy on cooking the stuff.  Anyway, I did manage to get a picture of the Thai chicken and coconut-red curry soup I made today.  It was accompanied by Thai iced tea.  

When I went to go upload the picture, I remembered another picture I had taken and not shared.  My curiosity, sweet tooth, and self-hating love of wine (damned allergies), were all killing me.  I don't know where I got the willpower, but I didn't end up buying either one of these. 

While sitting around the house this summer, bored out of my mind, watching garbage such as "Toddlers in Tiaras" and endless cake shows, I've been trying to expand my craft repetiore.  (A side note - anyone who can sit at home, awake from 8 am until 4 pm, without children to take care of during those hours, I don't know how you do it.  My brain would be soup.)

I started to knit.  I failed to check to see how much yarn was needed for a scarf.  Thus, I ran out of yarn and have a "scarf" about 10 inches wide by 18 inches long.  

After finding the idea on the net, I made that book page-flower wreath.  That went well (I posted pictures in my last blog post).  However, I don't believe I'll be making paper flowers out of streamers and gluing them to styrofoam balls any time soon.  It takes WAY to long to make those flower things and I'd need WAY too many.

So, I went back to making jewelry.  I found some neat glass animal beads to make rings out of and fried some marbles to make into pendants.  

I've since made more of the pendants.  However, you'll have to go check them out in my Etsy shop (or via my shop's Facebook page - since you're there anyway, you may as well "Like" the page, too) later this evening when I post those pictures.