Listen to the locals!

I certainly learned my lesson!!

Let me back up a bit. Upon arriving in St Louis, my good friend from college, Laura, picked me up at the airport. She got us some amazing seats for the Cards/Cubs game that afternoon. Here was the view from our seats, which, I might add, were CUSHIONED, in the shade with a nice breeze coming up from the field, and access to an all you can eat buffet and bar! Woo-hoo! It's good to have friends!

We certainly have aged well, haven't we?!

Later that evening Doris (my best friend/roommate in college) met up with us and we all went to a local bar where they put on a drag show with both drag Kings and Queens. Another friend from college is a drag king—Clitt Black. I'm sure you've heard of him! Fun show, and quite different than any drag show I've seen with boys dressed as girls and girls dressed as boys. 

So, because my digital camera has an annoying delay in taking pictures, here is the most telling picture (read foreshadowing). This is the empty glass of my first alcoholic drink of the night. 

It certainly wasn't my last, however. Remember, this is Mommy's weekend away! She thought she was 18. . . um, I mean, 21 again! The problem with drinking, for me, is that I don't have a drink that I "usually" drink, because I drink so seldom. Beer usually makes me gag, and I can't always count on the margaritas tasting any good. So, I usually try one foofy drink, pay too much money for it, and then I'm done. Plus, I just hate wasting the next day feeling crappy.

After the drag show we all met up at another local hangout. It was a nice little place. . . a men's bar, but totally comfortable for our little group. Doris (who is my best friend in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD*) and I played several songs on the jukebox and talked. So much fun! Here is a picture of me, Doris and "H" (otherwise known as Ellen or Clitt). 

Something hit me as soon as we walked into this place—I want a Cosmo! So, Laura bought me a Cosmo, and man was it good! Strong, smooth, sweet. . . just the way I like my women! ;) 

So, you probably know where that first Cosmo led me. Yep, right to another Cosmo. And before I even finished my second, I wanted a third. Now, here's where it pays to listen to the locals. Laura warned me not to get the third drink from this place. She knows this establishment and how they mix the drinks. 

Well, no one was going to tell ME what to do! I had money in my pocket. I marched right over to the bar and bought myself another Cosmo! So THERE!

The rest of the night is a bit fuzzy. . . My friends told me that we left the bar shortly after I ordered and gulped the third Cosmo. Doris and H went their respective ways. I was staying with Laura and her partner. When we got back to Laura's house, she baked a pizza to help settle our tummies for the morning. I wanted to drink more (!) and her partner graciously made me a weak Screwdriver (even though I really wanted a Mojito!) :) 

Here is the last picture of me before it got really ugly.

Remember how I said I usually don't like to drink a lot because the whole next day is a waste? Well, I proved myself right time after time the next day. I finally was able to sit up for any length of time at about 3pm the next day. I finally got in the shower at about 5pm (because Doris made me!). And finally was able to keep some real food down at about 7pm.

Lesson learned: Listen to the Locals!!!


*They also tell me I was talking A LOT. . . at least they said I was funny/entertaining. I guess I was demanding more alcohol (I wanted to switch to Mojitos after my 3 Cosmos. Yep, alcohol really DOES make you stupid!); saying things like, "I should NOT be driving!" (which, of course, I wasn't); showing everyone who stepped in front of me a picture of Aidan; talking about how big my "girls" are since having a baby; and telling Laura over and over and OVER again how great of a person Doris is, and how she is my best friend in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD!

Love to fly

I love to fly. The first time I remember flying I was about 5 years old and I was going to Iowa to visit my dad's parents, Grandpa Chuck & Grandma Gwen, and my dad's youngest sister (my aunt) Meighan (who is only 2 years older than me). What a great summer that was! (Or was it only a week?) 

Ever since then I have loved flying. And I still love sitting in the window seat with my nose pressed right up against the window. (That is, when my son isn't traveling with me, since HE always gets the window seat now. Hmpf!) It is amazing and thrilling to watch the world whiz by as we race down the runway and to feel that huge machine start to lift off the ground. It gives me chills every time. When I travel I keep my camera handy just in case there are some interesting cloud formations, or if we fly right over the city and I can get some good aerial shots. 

Here I was on my way from Kansas City (where my sister lives) to St. Louis for a "mommy's weekend away" with some college friends. It was a beautiful sunny day with just enough clouds to make the scenery interesting.

Then we began our approach into St. Louis and I saw the great Mississippi River.

Two seconds later we flew over areas where the river had flooded quite a bit. 

It is very clear to me from just 15,000 ft that no matter what we, humans, do to control Mother Nature, she has the ultimate control. I am in awe.

More Brandi

Aaaah, Red Rocks. That magical place. So, here are a few more pics of Brandi at Red Rocks. It was still daylight when she was performing, so the lighting is natural. I absolutely LOVE it. I don't know how the performers feel about being able to actually see the audience. 

Did I say already that I absolutely LOVE Red Rocks? This is THE summer to go see concerts at Red Rocks, too. So many good acts coming to Red Rocks: Brandi (and Sheryl Crow), the Police and Elvis Costello, Jack Johnson, the True Colors Tour, Lyle Lovett, Steely Dan, John Mellencamp, James Taylor, Yonder Mountain String Band with Keller Williams, Willie Nelson!!, G Love and Special Sauce, Blues Traveler, the Fray (!), not to mention the Australian Bee Gees! What I wouldn't give for unlimited discretionary income.

Anyway, enjoy the pics of Brandi. (Oh, and one of her and Sheryl.) 

Here is when Brandi joined Sheryl on stage for "If It Makes You Happy" (I'll post more videos in a later blog.)

Nothing like seeing two powerful women ROCK on stage. It's giving me goosebumps just thinking about it! I should've been a musician!

Brandi at Red Rocks!

Here is a little video I took of Brandi Carlile who performed at Red Rocks Amphitheatre last week. My camera will only allow me to shoot about 1 1/2 minutes before the battery freaks out (it is the video feature on my digital still camera). So here is a taste of the woman I love. . . er, I mean the woman whose MUSIC I love! 

This was a test to see if the video feature works well. I have a couple more videos: one of Brandi, and a couple of Sheryl Crow, and one of Brandi singing with Sheryl. Oh, this IS fun!!

Ugh. . . how to get motivated?

Who the F*** pasted my face onto that hideous body? Ugh! Is that what I REALLY look like? I certainly don't feel like it. HELP ME!! (My hair was kinda cute, though, wasn't it?)  :)

In January (no, not the 1st) I got all psyched about losing weight. I went to a new meeting at Weight Watchers, a new leader I had never been to before, looking for inspiration. Well, one of the first things he (yes, HE. . . a male leader. Now THAT's different, right?) did was to ask everyone how they did that week. I mean, point blank, "What did you do this week?" I was shocked back into getting on purpose with weight loss. I didn't want to be embarrassed the next week by gaining! So, I gave up pop for 2 solid weeks, and wrote down everything I ate & drank. I did really well for a few weeks and had lost almost 12 lbs. (and under a certain benchmark number). I was feeling like, Yeah, baby! I'm on a roll! This time I'm really gonna do it FOR GOOD!

Well, this happened and that happened, and I'm still at a net loss of about 10 lbs, which is good. . . BUT, I'm not feeling the same motivation that I was feeling at that first meeting in January. I keep going to the meetings, hoping. . . There is this one woman who has lost 86 lbs. She is so funny, outspoken, a total smart-ass, and I look forward to seeing her there. 

She hasn't been there the last 3 times I've been. . . I hope she is doing well. She is only about 10-15 lbs from where she wants to be, and she has talked about not wanting to quit (again) so close to her goal. Maybe that's why I keep going back to the meetings, to see her and how she's doing.

So, here is my latest pipe dream. A little background, first. This gal, Maribel, who was in my Montessori Training this past year, lost 40 lbs in 3 months doing Jenny Craig. WOW! She looked great! So, I start thinking OK. The summer is about 3 months long. . . If I do Jenny Craig just for the summer, I could get on a really, REALLY good roll in the weight loss game, I would have some structure for the summer food-wise, and (of course, the most FUN part of this fantasy) I would show up to work in August 40 lbs lighter and everyone would oooh and aaaah over my incredible accomplishment. Then I would "just" need to lose another 30 or so lbs to get to my goal. Plus, look at how cute Valerie Bertinelli looks now! 

Well, it all sounds good in theory. I did a little research, and it costs about $20 to join JC, plus the cost of food. So, I knew that going into it. . . JC is a program where you have to buy their food. The kicker is that you also have to buy fruits, vegetables, and milk products to go with the frozen meals. Plus, they want you to buy their "vitamins" and snack bars, too. Not to mention the fact that I would STILL have to make dinner for my family, and then eat my frozen dinner. Plus, we like to go out to eat on the weekends (which is part of my problem. . . I know, I know. . .)

Then, I did a little MORE research, looking for customer reviews about JC. There were some who were completely ecstatic about JC. It was the ones who were not satisfied that I was looking for. 

Pretty much what I found is (also) what I expected. The people who work there are not "members." In other words, they are not necessarily people who have weight issues, or are following/have followed the JC program. They are trained as sales people. (I had the SAME experience with LA Weight Loss people a couple of years ago.) 

I have an appointment to meet with a JC "counselor" tomorrow. I'm going to keep the appointment, just out of curiosity. But I am going to stick with my little WW group. They ROCK!! Plus, everyone who works there has lived the WW program. In fact, they have to be within a certain range of their goal weight in order to keep working there. Plus, I am learning how to cook differently, eat differently, and relate to food differently (I am learning slowly, but I AM learning!)

This time next year. . . I will be back to my comfortable weight. . . and I won't be lying on my driver's license anymore!!

Ahhh. See how I just talked myself back into myself?! (I'll find a skinny pic to motivate me, too.) 

Hair

Let's talk about hair. . . my hair. I have LOTS of it. I have been growing it out for the last couple of years and finally it is pretty long. It is going past my shoulders (as you can see in the picture to the right). I can put it up, braid it, if I let it air dry it is pretty curly/wavy, or I finally figured out a system to blow dry it relatively straight.

Summer is coming, and with all this hair, it is going to be very HOT! So, what's a 41 year-old to do? Here are a few pictures of my hairstyles as of late. Each has its challenges for taking care of/styling. I just don't know which is the best style for the shape of my face and for my age. So, let's see here. . . in no particular order. . .

Which one do YOU think looks best? 

Starting a blog

OK, well, I've shared with a few people that I've started a blog. It is a bit nerve-wracking, since I may be sharing some of my inner-most thoughts. . . OK, maybe not my inner-MOST thoughts, but a bit intimidating nonetheless. It's like performing, I suppose. Putting myself out there for all to see/comment on. It's worth a shot, though, right? Get it out there. . . wherever "there" is. 

Hello? Is anyone out there? :)

I'm sure I'll get the hang of it soon. I already talk to myself all the time, now I'm putting the proverbial pen to paper. 

Any topics anyone wants my opinion on? After all, I AM a Burke by birth. . . you KNOW I have an opinion or two! Ha Ha!

I'll look through my pictures and see what strikes my fancy to write about next.