And so the torment begins.

Today is Day One of THE DIET for myself and the Roomie. Roomie was under the impression that the reason I'd been losing weight lately (not including this past week...I've been naughty) is because for a week or so there, I was on a grits-only kick. She made this observation as I sat with her and her GF eating breakast. They were eating leftover Chinese; I was feasting on grits, toast, and two boiled eggs.

(And before you say anything...grits, when flavored just right, are DELICIOUS. I eat the instant grits, and mix in the following after heating it up: a drop of vanilla extract, a Tsp of sugar, 1/2 Tbsp of butter or margarine, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Yum!!)

So I was telling Mom about this on the phone, and she told me about this diet that she's used. I told Roomie about it and she got all excited about it. So we're gonna motivate each other and get this done.

Last night, for our "last meal", I decided to go all out...and I made THIS. It was heaven!! But there was sooo much food left!! Next time, I'm gonna skip on the broc-stalks and onions...not my cup of tea. For the cheese, I used Colby-Jack and Provologne. For meat, we browned some ground sausage...might throw in a bit more next time.

So, I had breakfast a little while ago. Half a grapefruit, a slice of toast with 1 Tbsp of peanut butter smeared on it, and a cup of tea. I'm not HUNGRY hungry...but my stomach feels odd with so little food in it. I'm used to massive breakfasts. The other day, I made a three-egg omelette. Inside I put two slices of ham, two slice of cheese, and a few strips of bacon. On top of that, I added some shredded cheese. Yummm...

See why I need this diet?? Ha ha.

Twenty-four feels a lot like twenty-three.

The birthday wishes began to trickle in a couple of days ago on Facebook. Sister and Fiance wished me a happy birthday shortly after midnight in my time zone. My mother called me at SIX IN THE FUCKING AY-EM to sing Happy Birthday to me. I'm not entirely sure if I was coherent during that phone call. I only know it wasn't a dream because I checked my call list later when I was more conscious. Dearest Dee also called to sing to me, and then harass me once again about applying for a job at Best Buy, and to shut down any arguments I had against going out on the weekend for my birthday. I believe her exact words were, "...if I have to go over there and drag you out of your house...!" I'm a little scared now.

The cats are being particularly cute and rambunctious this morning, to the point where I must restrain myself from throwing them out a window.

This morning, in addition to the video camera I received from the Fiance last week, I found on my front porch two dozen roses, a teddy bear, a box of chocolate, and three bottles of lavender-scented bath essentials. I hope I can restrain myself from eating all the chocolate before the end of the day.

Also, I should note that for the health-conscious, you can still enjoy the recipe I posted the other day. Simply substitute ground turkey and turkey bacon for the ground beef and bacon, and use low fat American cheese.

A delicious and unhealthy burger for the hungry fat person lurking in your belly.

Fry up some bacon. Set it aside on a plate covered with a paper towel; the paper towel absorbs some of the grease.

Take a pound of ground beef and season it with the following:

Salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
Oregano
Red Pepper flakes
Old Bay seasoning
Chopped/diced/minced garlic

Throw in one egg and mix it all together with your hands.

Make a large meatball in your hands, and flatten it. Make sure it's thin while raw; as it cooks, the circumference shrinks and the patty thickens.

Toss the patty in the pan to fry (or use a grill, whatever you preference). Flip it over; when it's close to being done, put your choice of sliced cheese on the patty so it melts a bit; I like to use both Swiss and American cheddar. If I have any one hand, just before putting down the sliced cheese, I'll sprinkle some freshly-grated Parmesan onto the patty, yum!!

Toast a hamburger bun; I've used sliced wheat bread when buns aren't available. Dress the bread as you see fit. I like to use A1; my room mate goes all out with ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard; on occasion, she'll even add jalapeno peppers and hot sauce on top of all that.

Place the patty on the bread, place the bacon on the patty, and voila!! A burger that isn't very healthy for you, but is nonetheless delicious.

For those who like spice, add more red pepper flakes as you see fit. Heck, throw in some onion powder if you want. What I've just given you is really my own personal preference, though my room mate and her girlfriend don't complain about it. Sometimes, instead of mixing garlic into the beef (or, hell, I'll just leave it be), I'll fry some chopped garlic and mix that in with the Parmesan under the sliced cheese.

Can you tell I like flavor??

The sock that set me free. And healthcare reform.

Yeah, I'm going there.

So today was my going-away for work. We stuffed our faces at Joe's Crab Shack, yum!! And then the inevitable: the presentation of my going-away gift(s).

DM stood up and began to list off my nicknames - - apparently, I have quite a few. Crazy cat lady-in-training, That Senior Airman in Your Office, etc. I received a plaque in the shape of this state, which was really nice. My first and only state-shaped plaque. (My dad has a few.) Then he shared an anecdote about an instance where an individual misheard my nickname, and thought I was called "Dobby". As in the house-elf that idolizes Harry Potter. He went on to explain the mythology of house-elves...that in order to set one free, one must present one with an article of clothing.

This is when I nearly fell out of my chair with laughter. I'm sure some of you can see where this is going.

He presented me with my very own black sock, to set me free from the Air Force. I will cherish this sock forever. I may even frame it.

Now, on to healthcare reform. Someone please tell me what is so evil about it?? I did some brief research (I like to be informed, but hate to delve to deeply for fear of getting sucked into a vortex of politcal jargon that just goes way over my head), and I liked what I saw.

That's right. I'm saying.

I like the sound of this proposed healthcare reform.

And for anyone to compare Obama to Hitler, to call his policies "Nazi" or "socialist"...man, you guys are just so full of, well, spite, for lack of a better word. And obviously have nothing better to do with your time but sit around spinning lovely insults and nasty rumours and what have you.

For someone who is currently shopping around for health insurance for the first time in her adult life...well, I say, bring on the reform!! My family's medical history is interesting. I wouldn't be pleased if I had to put a butt-load of money into a policy, only to be denied healthcare later on down the road for some piddly reason.

Out of reading material.

Damnit. Recently got hooked on The Looking Glass Wars, by Frank Beddor. Think of everything you've ever thought to be "true" concerning the story of a little girl named Alice who fell into a world known as Wonderland. Now but into a jar, seal the lead, and give it a good shake. Throw in a dash of "wtf," and what you have is the true story of Princess Alyss Heart of Wonderland. I read the first book in a day, and read the sequel Seeing Redd the next day. And now I have to wait until November for the friggin' sequel, damnit.

There have been a couple of *gulp* deadly blasts in the vicinity of the Fiance's workplace. The one that occurred today was at a different base, so he wasn't affected, but it was still the same city. There was one late last week that he actually felt in the room where they were having a meeting. It blew out the window in said room. He and his co-workers living outside the base are no longer allowed to walk to work, they have to be driven everywhere. The Taliban has claimed responsibility; they've promised to cause as much disruption as they can to the presidential and provincial elections coming up this week, in the hopes of discouraging Afghan citizens from heading to the polls.

There's no point in me freaking out. It accomplishes nothing. There's nothing I can do about any of this, so I just try to focus on positive things. At this moment he's sitting in his room playing Grand Theft Auto IV and cursing up a storm every time his character dies. And that's the way I like it.

Let me grab my coffee...ugh...

My room mate bought some clay last night, and she's working on a figurine of Maleficent for me, ha ha!! (For the ignorant, she is the baddest Disney villain ever, appearing in Sleeping Beauty.) I am making the boat that Jack Sparrow sails at the end of the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie, ha ha.

My birthday is in nine days. My going-away from work is tomorrow. The end.

There's gonna be chaaaaaanges!!

Not grammatically correct, I know. But who caaaaaares...

Today was my last day at work. My active duty service ends next month, and hopefully from there the transition to the reserves is smoooooooth. I finished up registering for the fall semester today. I am officially a full-time student at my two-year college of choice. I'm signed up for History of Religion, World Civilization I, European Civilization I, and Educational Psychology. I'm stoked!! I am absolutely taking advantage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33).

I suddenly have all this free time open to me. There's so much I could do!! Wash my damn car, and get the oil changed. Lay out in the sun and tan my legs (the part of my body most resistant to the sun). Get in shape. (I love Wii Fit, ha ha.) Finally finish unpacking. (Rich, I don't wanna hear it.)

Tomorrow, I go to buy my books. Hooray!!

Quiet reflections as I soar through the clouds.

Well, I was actually sitting semi-comfortably on an airplane. Icarus, I am not.

I've come to realize that I am not particularly fond of myself. My flaws become more clear to me as each day passes. I see myself reflected in the eyes of those around me, and I don't like what I see, especially when I am under stress. I am petty, whiny, selfish. I snap and lash out at others. Despite my struggle to be a better person, I can see little beyond my own wants and needs.

No one is perfect...but some are closer than others, and I'm more of an "other" than "some".

How trivial it all seems, when I write it down here, express it all in a handful sentences. It does no justice to the hours I have spent pondering the person that I am. I do what I want, go my own way always, with little regard to how my actions affect those nearest and dearest. Oh, I know I'm not the only one like this, that I too have been affected in such a way, but that doesn't make it any less wrong in me.

And for the record, Chicago-O'Hare Airport SUCKS.

An open letter to Wal-Mart shoppers.

Dear Wal-Mart shoppers,

Isn't it just lovely how Wal-Mart is like a mini-version of our wonderful country, so full of diverse people of different races and ethnicity and language and religion?? Just marvelous.

That's where the pros of the Wal-Mart shopper end for me.

Would it kill you to shower before leaving your house?? To put on some jeans instead of wearing ridiculous pajama bottoms?? To take the damn rollers out of your hair before appearing in public??

Children, because of the amount new things they are constantly being exposed to, need more sleep than adults. So why are you taking your child to the store at 10 o' clock at night to buy paint supplies??

Most Wal-Marts are open 24/7. This is convenient for those who do shift work. But an overflowing cart of groceries at 9 PM?? C'mon.

And I could start in on carts being left in the middle of the parking lot, but I've ranted on this before, and I don't have the energy for it right now.

If you are standing in the middle of the aisle, and I am coming towards you with a cart, and we make eye contact...would it KILL you to step aside for a moment to let me through?? Don't stare at me like I've got three heads and sneer at me when I say, "Excuse me," just get the fuck out of my way.

Wal-Mart shopper...you suck.

Yours truly,
The Dread Pirate Davi