I have been a bad blahgger … good thing I don’t claim to be a "blogger" or I’d have made the bad blogger list. As a “blahger” I stand alone, because I’m the only one ... like Tigger. :D

So much has happened since last I blahged. All I can say is I’ve been really busy on several fronts:


Pain - Damn carpal tunnel … it’s a bitter taste of what being old feels like years before you should have those kinds of aches/pains. Who would have thought that something so harmless as cutting a few heads off coworkers and fusing them onto the bodies of the characters in the Austin Powers movies could cause such furor in the carpal tunnel region?

Jobbing - In case you didn’t know it (“I’m a fiddle player too, and if you care to take a dare, I’ll make a bet with you” … ooops! Sorry, got sucked in to a Charlie Daniels ‘Devil Went Down to Georgia’ word association, but I’m back now) I’ve been job hunting for quite some time. As a matter of fact, I’ve been actively, aggressively seeking a new occupation since September 17, 2003. What is the significance of the date, you wonder? Hmmm, good question! That would be the exact date that I found out my boss has been spreading evil, nasty, MEAN (and untrue) rumors about me and I decided to leave as soon as a decent offer came my way. It’s taken this long to receive a decent offer. The job market is tough (especially when you want to go to work for the Dept. of Homeland Security and catch terrorists) but the miracle of Monster.com worked for me and I received a WONDERFUL job offer which I am so incredibly excited about that I shall shortly be devoting a whole blahg to that subject! Meanwhile, I’ve been swamped with the rounds of job hunting, job interviewing, accepting job offers and preparing denizens of old job that you are leaving for new job. I believe I shall have to blahg about THAT topic as well, because the current coworker reaction has been very strange.

Parental House Hunting – After presenting my two weeks notice at work, I turn around and ask for three days off. Granted, they were legitimate vacation days that were owed to me (because it appears that my company does not pay for vacation time … doesn’t that SUCK?) but it’s a bit tacky to ask for time off after declaring two weeks notice. However, I can be tacky at times, and I truly needed some time away from the computer (see Carpal Tunnel reference above) so I used the opportunity to accompany mother dearest to Williamsburg to look at prospective parental housing units, since Dad has a herniated disk/disc (hmmm, which one is it? If it wasn’t so late and me so tired, I’d look it up. Instaed, I’m putting them both there and you can decide --- hear/here, peekay! Right back at you!) ;D

And yes, I managed to sneak a visit to TWO Christmas stores while I was in Williamsburg, and being the evil sister that I am, called Pook to tell her that I was in a Christmas store in Williamsburg, shopping … wish she was there! She thought I was mean. Heh-heh-heh! ;D Joy, Joy, JOY!

Peekay Wedding Decorations – After accepting the awesome responsibility of being official bow procurer for ceremony seats and archway for the wedding, I have been unable to sleep as dreams of bows and flowers invade my thoughts and trouble my sleep. Okay, so actually it’s not the bows and flowers that cause the trouble …it’s the thought of my mother taking over the wedding plans. She’s itching to trample and I’m doing my best to control her … when horses get rambunctious and try to trample, I’ve found that a chain over the nose works wonders … do you think that might work with my mother, as well?

Shopping – (have new job, must have new job wardrobe … it’s one the laws of physics …E=MC2 …I shop, therefore I am … See?)

Sharondarella House Hunting – With the parentals relocating to the land of Colonials, I shall be out in the cold, cruel world, all by my lonesome … 12 going on 30-something finally gets to live on her own! Whoooo-HOOOOO!

Apartment hunting is a bit of a culture shock. I had no idea that apartments were so expensive in this area … I mean, I always KNEW, but until I started looking at them, had no idea that it was that much money. $50 (non-refundable) for an application fee. One time $300 administrative fee (non-refundable.) Pet fee ($150, non-refundable.) Personally, I don’t think I like the word “non-refundable” very much. Perhaps it should have made this year’s selection of “retired words” from the good people at Websters dictionary? I certainly vote for it, but then again, they retire words that aren’t being used anymore, and the apartment rental people could keep this word alive for the next 5,000 years.

Basically, this is just a way for me to avoid having to admit that I’ve been slacking on my blahg, so please accept my pitiful recap of the past few weeks and I’ll have a new entry soon! J

This is Sharondarella saying goodnight! :D

This is going to be my Mantra ... either that or my new email trailer... or the basis for my best-selling novel ... or just an amusing thing I put on my blahg ;D

I'd rather be a could-be if I cannot be an are
because a could-be is a maybe who is reaching for a star.
I'd rather be a has-been than a might-have-been, by far;
for a might have-been has never been,
but a has was once an are.

Official Day 3:

This is the end of the official countdown; no more Michael Thurmond Starvation diet.

I am now considering other diet options, so I'm still going to keep counting, but they will no longer be "official" days. I'm going to take some of the advice that Michael preaches in his diet plan (avoid sugars, fats, sodium) but I refuse to admit that there are "bad" fruits and vegetables, and that Dairy is evil, so THE END. :)

On a good note, the caffeine withdrawal seems to have run its course ... no headache today, (she says, knocking on wood.)

I just got my hair cut tonight, but it was MORE than just a haircut ... it was a styling! (Imagine that, I'm STYLIN'! I've always wanted to be STYLIN'!) I'm pleased with the way it looks. It's sassy hair, and since I'm a little bit sassy myself, I think I'll like it, but we'll see when I'm trying to style it myself tomorrow. ;D

Here's a shocker: Jenni (at Hair Extraordinaire ... by Skip) cut bangs into my all-one-length, boring hair. And when I say she "cut bangs" that means she cut some serious HAIR! It would have to've been 6 or 7 inches at one time. There is not going back with a cut like that! Takes a confident hairdresser to make a bold move like that. That's Jenni. :)

Being funny Jenni, she then wrapped up a lock and put it in a little keepsake bag with a card that read "my first BANG haircut" so I could give it to my mother (who has been heard saying, over and over again, how haggish I look with my hair all one length.)

My mother likes the hair ... Thank GOD!
Maybe I'll get a little break for awhile. ;D

One very exciting moment:

When I first saw myself with bangs, for a fleeting moment I looked like Neve Campbell (how the hell do you spell her name?) who was in Party of Five and then the Scream movies before dropping off the movie scene. I was so thrilled! I thought I was suddenly transported into that new Jennifer Garner movie, "13 Going on 30" ... only different. ;p Heee-heeee!

Neve Campbell ... wouldn't that be something?
Now all I need is to win the lottery and I'd be completely happy!

Speaking of winning the lottery:

Did you SEE the ignoramous who won the $239m PowerBall Lottery? He finally came forward and says "It's no big deal" followed by "it ain't gonna change nuthin'"

Yeah, he's completely happy living in his mobile home in West Virginia. I guess he has no concept of how much money that is and what it might be like to live in a home that isn't in danger of being swept away in floods, hurricanes, mudslides and tornadoes.

I think he needs to give it back, since "it's no big deal."

I just proved that I am 12.

I stormed out of the room because my parents were eating dinner and I couldn't have what they fixed. I wanted to have a temper tantrum, but I managed to keep from going to that extreme, but it was hard. Truly.

My mother put all of her efforts into cooking a meal I couldn't eat and then made me sit for a "family" dinner with them. I looked at my cold sliver of turkey breast, and then at their corn on the cob, butter and cream laden chicken, candied carrots and potatoes and felt my eye begin to twitch.

I got up from the table and am now sitting here, typing, until they are done so I can go eat my cold and very tiny meal.

This diet is evil. It figures that a man came up with it. I'll bet his motto is that damned "no pain, no gain" crap that men are so fond of saying (when everyone with an ounce of sense knows it should be "no pain, NO PAIN")

Official Day 2:

Not to label myself a quitter, but this could possibly be the end of my ill-conceived idea to try this diet/exercise plan simply because "it worked for the Extreme Makeover people."

I have now realized that dairy is verboten on this diet. Sounds like Atkins to me.
I am also not allowed to have all the fruits & veggies I want. As a matter of fact I can't have "all I want" of anything except lettuce and mushrooms. Oh, and Bok Choi, I think. Since I don't eat Bok Choi this is a moot point.

I truly think this is a diet in the Atkins family, and as such, I want nothing to do with it. I am going to go to the Atkins website to find out for sure.

So far the things I've been told I MUST not have are: fats, sugars and sodium. And Dairy (because it is loaded with fat.)

What do you think? Atkins?

I am not going to become one of those fart-breathed Atkins people who can't even tell how bad they stink, and no one is brave enough to mention the fetid breath and body odor that goes hand in hand with their toxic diet. UGH!

Day 1 Update:

Let me start off by saying I think this diet feeds the evil hag in all of us, making her stronger and able to come out into the open.

I am in a vicious temper right now.

Have a POUNDING headache and if it doesn't move I'm EATING IT!

I thought that having all of this food to eat every two hours would be enough, but you know what? It's not even CLOSE. I am starving! And I've eaten all of my food that I brought with me. All I can think about are the candy bars that I know are in the vending machines a mere 20 feet from where I am right now. And I can smell the lunches that other people have brought it. I can justify stealing the lunch that is in the microwave right now. I don't care whose it is, or why they think they are entitled to it; I need it more than they do.

To top it all off, I think this is a modified ATKINS diet!

I've been trying to read all of this stuff that came with the program, but am unable to concentrate on anything right now (lack of food is making me unable to focus, thus the evil hag gains control.)

I will have to look at this once I get home tonight.

Official Day 1:

I have begun my Michael Thurmond Six-Week Body Makeover and I am disappointed to have to say I am not happy with how I feel.

Right now I am at a low, LOW point of the diet motivation. :( I am craving a Coke so bad I can hardly stand it. And BREAD. I need something bread like. I thought I'd outgrown my need to have something breadlike in the morning to keep from throwing up, but evidently not. This food is much too "acidy" for me. My stomach is starting to roll a bit. Coke would settle it. So would bread.

I've also got a bit of a headache starting from no caffeine (have done the caffeine cold turkey stoppage before and I recognize the withdrawal symptoms) so today promises to be very interesting. I am being strong, though, so never fear. :)

While I'm complaining, I have another gripe:

Have you ever noticed how much sodium is in the food we eat? Who would have thought that there were hidden caches of sodium in FROZEN broccoli???? I bought the frozen anyway because the grocery store I went to didn't really have any decent looking fresh broccoli, but I am disturbed by this. PLUS (to continue my gripe in another direction) I found that many of the items I was eating, thinking they were "healthy", were actually hiding high levels of sodium, too! :(

AND, for those items that are packaged as "low sodium" (canned albacore tuna, for instance) it seems that they have become price bracketed with "low fat" because I just paid an extra $.50 per can for albacore tuna w/low sodium vs. the spring water packed albacore.

Isn't that nuts???

I'm in the wrong business.