An Update!

[jadecat]

Seems like I have the hardest time actually getting around to posting an update with any actual information... There is good, there is bad, and when there is bad I don't tend to feel like posting much.

The good- Hubby got himself an honest-to-goodness LPN job!!! YAY!! There was much rejoicing. The pay- it is better, the hours- are full time (after telling him they didn't hire students into full time positions). About those hours... they include every other weekend. Which is not so good, but manageable for the next 6 months.

The not-so-good, but manageable- School has started for the hubby again, and with this work schedule it means that our time together with be drastically decreased. We won't even be able to have lunch together most days (which is what really helped in the past with his working evenings). So this leaves me bummed.

The other frustration is the bigger one. So I've been trying to get healthier and drop a few pounds. Diet modifications (eating more fruits and veggies, watching portion sizes) and exercise are supposed to accomplish this- yes? Well apparently no, not if you're me. I've been careful about how much I'm eating (and what I'm eating) and getting on the Ellipse almost everyday- and I'm still gaining weight (not 'ooh, it's muscle', more 'ARGH! my stupid pants are too tight and I bought them a month ago!!'). This is what's reduced me to tears a couple times lately. It would be one thing if I were just sitting around complaining, this time I'm actually trying to do something (and have been for a little while now) and it's not working!

So what's a girl to do? At this point I'm just trying to keep on keepin' on and hope something turns around for me. I don't know of anything else to do!

In other news, I've been reintroduced to soap operas- via YouTube. Most recently I've started an interested in As The World Turns- which I never watched before. I've started watching a bit (again, from YouTube because I have no TV channels at home) because they've started a gay romance storyline. See, there's this character - Luke- who is a gay teen who came out a year or so ago. He's part of one of the central families, and is more of a 'main' character than former gay storylines have used. So they brought in a love interest- and as of a week ago Friday they actually kissed. Yup, daytime tv showed two boys kissing- and we're not just talking a quick peck either. About time, thinks I. So I'm keeping an eye out to see how far they take this confused and conflicted (in true soap opera style!) relationship.

This brought my to remembering the olden days (i.e. High School) when I thought it would be so much fun to write for soap operas, and when I was trying to keep up with somewhere between 3-6 soaps at any one time. Made possible by the 2 VCRs in my room (and yeah, I really don't know how that managed to be the case... something about siblings in college I think). Soaps were great fun because almost anything was possible, and the more emotional and twisted the better! What fun for a writer! One of the soaps I was watching was Santa Barbara, and I was so very bummed when it got canceled. So I've been searching YouTube for SB clips, and was so happy to find several for Warren and BJ, my couple of choice (the last episode of the show was their wedding). Sydney Penny played BJ- and was also the young girl in The Thornbirds- a show I was fascinated with as a youngin (ie when it first aired) but that I missed a lot of as I wasn't allowed to stay up for the entire thing every night. Warren was played by Jack Wagner, so there was a bit of an age gap for BJ and Warren.... is anyone sensing a theme here? ;)

But! There aren't enough SB clips! Ah well. I do have the last few episodes on tape, but I don't know how much longer the tape will last... and at this point I have no idea how to convert it to DVD... I should maybe learn. The VCR already has a few issues playing the tape.

So... yeah, that's the end of my ramble for now. How are you?

Comments

[kateri-kachina.livejournal.com]

Not sure what to tell you regarding your weight. Are you drinking lots of water? If you're doing all the things you're supposed to be doing and it's not working, I'd seriously consider talking to a nutritionist. They might have a few more ideas to try.

I haven't watched soaps since All My Children in college (and AMC and Guiding Light when I was being babysat by my grandmother). It's been a long time since I've had the opportunity to watch or real desire to.

[jadecat.livejournal.com]

Yup, getting lots of water. Since last winter (when I was on Topamax) I started cutting down on the amount of soda I drink (meds made it taste funny) and the doc made me agree to drink at least 64 oz of water daily. See, there's a itsy bitsy chance that Topamax can cause kidney stones, so must drink lots of water. Now- I drink a ton of it just out of habit. It's good for me, but grumpy making. and my thyroid levels are fine.

I used to LOVE AMC, it was one of the ones I always taped. But then it went weird and I went to college and pretty much stopped watching all my soaps. So most of my soap knowledge is mid-80s to 93-94. ;) For the most past I don't want to watch them anymore, but I remember loving the drama- and the little details the better actors would include. With all the tight zooms to facial reactions they had to be good at having them. ;)

[frawg-angel.livejournal.com]

Oh lord... I remember the magazines you used to buy to get the scoop on everything and all the little details and news!

I've tried to get back into them at times, but never could. The best I could do was falling in love with Capitain Mal (Nathan Fillion) when he was Joey Buchannan on One Life To Live, and then I kept watching that for Marty and her thing with Todd, and eventually when she went to Ireland and met Patrick. Ahhh...those were the days. I love the fact that Susan Haskell and Thorsten Kaye are together and have two kids.

I watched General Hospital when they had the whole AIDS storyline with Stone and Robin... and then of course the Jack/Patch/Kayla goodness on Days of Our Lives... and the following Tanner (man I loved Michael Eastman!) storyline.

I think I like the soaps the best in the summer time, when they have the Teen stories rather than the usual adult fare. It becomes so much more interesting...

[jadecat.livejournal.com]

Oh c'mon it was just the one magazine- Soap Opera Weekly, and my dad used to buy it for me.

Patch and Kayla are apparently back on Days... so I hear. And yeah, Micheal Eastman was so pretty when he was on Days. I didn't realize Susan Haskell and Thorsten Kaye were actually a couple in real life. Neat.

Hmm, it looks like he who played Todd Manning on OLTL is now on ATWT.

[shay-writes.livejournal.com]

Old soap opera stars never die, they just switch channels. ;)

I was a Todd Manning fan girl back in the day.

[jadecat.livejournal.com]

*laughs* I know, I just didn't realize he'd made that jump. Now another reason to catch ATWT on YouTube! ;)

You and me both. ;) I found an old tape the other day with OLTL on it, and there he was, arguing with Dorian (Apparently Blair was in a coma and Todd and Dorian were arguing about custody). And there he was with that sexy long hair...

[frawg-angel.livejournal.com]

I know, I know, but it's just the things that pop back up in your minds! Thinking about Michael Easton (whoops, my bad) got me thinking about VR5 the show and how wonderful he was.

Yes, Roger Howarth is over there... it's funny though... as much as I loved Todd as an evil guy, I was always disconcerned when they tried to make him a "good" guy after the whole rape storyline. Apparently I wasn't the only one, since that's why he LEFT OLTL!

And Vincent Irizarry is on another soap too...

[jadecat.livejournal.com]

Oh right, Easton... Eh, I was a fan of his face on Days and then lost track of him. ;) For that matter Vincent Irizarry never really got my attention. Stephen Nichols (Patch on Days) on the other hand.... he was on SB looking fine, and on GH lookin' good...

Todd seemed to go back and forth on things, and never really seemed to know if he was a good guy or a bad guy at heart. He left the show for awhile, then came back, and yeah... They have redeemed former rapists in the past- think Luke on GH, but it's difficult.

[frawg-angel.livejournal.com]

I know they have reformed others, but Todd was a special kind of evil, and not only that but a repeat serial rapist... I did love his evilness, but it is the attempting to flip him to good that was just odd to me.

I liked Vincent's look, but that totally falls into "my type", mostly because he kinda reminds me of Michael Praed who is all kinds of nummy goodness. Stephen Nichols was good too... I remember running home to watch the wedding on the boat when I was taking tennis lessons one summer. Priorities priorities! And Jack... Jack was good at being bad.

Easton on the motorcycle... with the long hair. Mmmm....

[jadecat.livejournal.com]

Serial Rapist? Hmm, must have missed that bit, I thought it was just the one time with Marty... Not that that makes it any better. I seriously think the writers just didn't know what to do with him- sometimes he was really smart, and others he was more bumbling bad guy. I hated that.

It's okay, we don't have to share the same type. ;) Makes sharing that much easier. *laughs*

I must say though that my forray into ATWT has turned out to be fun. Dixie from AMC is on there too- as a girl for Paul (Roger Howarth)!! Apparently she just woke up from a 2 year coma. Should be interesting. Plus I can watch complete episodes from their website. Now I just need to get DSL at home...

[wellowned.livejournal.com]

i wanna see this ep that you're talking about. just saw that clip. awww...

and, hey, about the losing weight thing. maybe what you need to do is jumpstart yourself. uh... more water, of course, because it flushes impurities out. but otherwise, i'd suggest changing up the time where you're doing your exercise. not just adding time, but doing it at another time in the day. changing up what you're doing a bit. once your muscles get used to a certain exercise, it's harder to put the weight off.

yeah, font of info on diets and exercise. in theory, i know all. in practice, not so much.

[jadecat.livejournal.com]

*grins* I've been watching most of the storyline via the clips from LukeVanFan (http://youtube.com/profile?user=LukeVanFan).

I'm getting lots of water. Mostly what I do is walk the dog, see if that's enough (and it usually isn't) and then get on the Ellipse. I can't really use the Ellipse in the morning because it's in the bedroom and hubby wouldn't appreciate me disturbing what little sleep he gets. I do have a couple other things I can try though, to shake things up...

Thanks. :)

[wellowned.livejournal.com]

hee. no problem. hope it works out for you then.

[jadecat.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :) Oh, and I really like that icon.

[azbound.livejournal.com]

I totally remember watching "Santa Barbara"...Robin Wright was in it! I loved that soap.

As to your weight, if you are still gaining and still taking care of yourself, how about a visit to the doctor?

[jadecat.livejournal.com]

Yup, apparently Robin Wright left to do this little movie... Princess Bride, maybe you've heard of it? ;) I wish I had more back episodes on tape. Oh well.

I did just see the doctor a bit ago, and she had me go for a blood draw to be tested for everything under the sun (including thryoid and sugar) and everything came back up as within normal range. Well, my sugar was a smidge high, but it wasn't a fasting blood draw, so we're not concerned. My thought at the moment was to give it a bit more time and then go back if things are still going the wrong way.

Thank you. :)

[losgunna.livejournal.com]

I was going to ask about the thyroid thing :) Check and find out what sort of test they did - If it was a TSH, that tests for both types of low thyroid, while the other test only tests for one.

When in the day are you eating? Eating more in the morning is good, and eating more at night is bad. Also, white starches vs. whole starches?

[jadecat.livejournal.com]

It was a test for TSH, and I came out almost smack dab in the middle of the 'acceptable' range.

I'm kind of doing the grazing thing, for food. I make sure to have something for breakfest (oatmeal or cereal) a granola bar or something in the morning at work, lunch, which has been my 'big' meal of the day, with maybe another snack in the afternoon and then something thrown together for dinner (but generally not much). And working on whole grains, no white bread in the house, we're even eating brown rice and whole wheat pasta! :) So I'm trying! Just not getting anywhere. To that end I'm not expecting to lose 20 lbs in a week or something, just maybe a pound. That would be nice.

[tears-embrace.livejournal.com]

Congrats on hubby's new job! That's wonderful news!
Keep your chin up on the weight loss. It'll happen. :)

[jadecat.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :) *hugs*

I'm trying to stay positive, just some days it's easier than others.

[a-kosmos.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the new job! Sorry to hear about the lack of time together, though. Very difficult.

I can 100% sympathize about the weight thing. I'm kind of in a similar situation. Bah.

[jadecat.livejournal.com]

Thanks He's really excited. :) It will be difficult, but I'm counting down the weeks on the calender.

*hugs* Well at least I have company.