Online Diet Programs - December 29, 2008

I was a skinny child, a skinny teenager - weighed less than 100 lbs until I turned 30. Three things happened. My metabolism changed, I quit smoking, and changed from a standing job to a sitting job and gained 40 lbs. I never thought I'd have to diet. I've done the Weight Watchers program several times, and it does work for me to lose weight, but I have problems maintaining it. I used the WW online program 2 summers ago, and lost 19 lbs - and have gained most of it back. So if I'm going to pay for an online diet program, I'll rejoin WW online.

I'm trying out some of the free diet tracker programs. What I'm looking for is a food tracker with a large database, ability to add custom foods and foods made from recipes. And I also want a fitness tracker with the ability to add custom activities. I'd like to know what the targets are for % of daily food intake for fats, carbs & proteins. So far, I've tried FitDay.com. There is a premium version, but the free version has a lot of features. I also looked at the Special K site and ShapeFit. I tried looking for reviews & comparisons, but couldn't find a comprehensive comparison of the online diet tools.

College Credit for Prior Learning - December 08, 2008

When I decided to work on my Bachelor's degree after a 28 year gap in education, I looked at the local 4-year colleges in the U of MD system since there are several campuses within easy driving distance, and also some online colleges. I already had 75 credits and my Associates degree in Psychology from Davis & Elkins in WV, but found I was missing some lower level General Education requirements that I could take at Anne Arundel Community College, and then transfer all of my credits to a 4-year college. This is where things got muddy. Advisors at AACC were not really helpful, since they could not know if/how my 55 transfer credits from D&E would be accepted or applied, and each college had slightly different General Education requirements. I narrowed my list of transfer institutions to 2 - Coppin State, because they have Psychology program with an Addictions Counselor track, and they are close to my office, and UMUC - because everything is offered online, though the campus is still within driving distance. UMUC also offered a Prior Learning program where you can get credits through portfolio for life learning outside the college classroom. I had my official transcripts sent to Coppin, and UMUC did an unofficial evaluation from my student copies. Once I had these, it became easy to choose UMUC. Coppin was only going to accept 22 of my 55 credits from D&E, which essentially cheated me of an entire year of prior education. UMUC was not only willing to accept all of my credits, they will also help me get additional credits for those 400+ hours of Addictions counselor training I've accumulated, and for other on the job & life learning. I am excited about this. I have one more class to take at AACC - Statistics - and then I'll be ready to transfer for the Summer term.

Brandy - November 19, 2008

Brandy is my tortoise shell cat who has been my constant companion for 18 years. I got worried when she had stopped eating and wasn't socializing. We coaxed her to eat some rice & tuna, and I took her to the vet. She has chronic renal failure, and had to spend 2 nights at the animal hospital. This is not curable, but it is treatable. She will be on a special diet and I will have to give her fluid therapy. The kidney disease and old age will eventually take her, and I will have to decide at what point she is suffering. It is hard to let go.

Thoughts about the Election - November 07, 2008

After reading some other blogs & message boards, I'm not sure I even want to comment. I didn't vote for Obama. I did not make my choice based on race, on politcal party, or on whether I liked the candidate. I am Pro-Life. And Obama's agenda is very much against the Pro-Life movement. McCain was an OK candidate - could have been great, but not great, however, his record on Pro-Life issues has been good. Sarah Palin was "in your face, practice what I preach" Pro-Life, and I truly appreciated that about her. That being said, I believe that the election went the way it was meant to. On some levels I'm pleased. Pleased that an African American was elected President and pleased that so many young people participated in the process. I've had to process what it means to me personally, and I've decided that I need to be more active in Pro-Life issues, and speak out. I've also been praying a Divine Mercy Novena for our President-elect.

High School Reunion, Oct. 2008

I went to my 35th on Saturday - graduated from Glen Burnie High in 1973. I've been on the mailing list since the 20th, but this is the first one I've ever attended. It was fun, and there were a few people I remembered. It was a huge class, though - 628 (some people said more, but my transcript said 628). I did my own thing in high school - was good at the academics, but not very involved in the social aspects.

Diane Z.

My New Truck - October 01, 2008

I've been looking at small trucks for over a year. Actually, I've been wanting a small truck for a long time. We had a 1983 Chevy S-10, and a Datsun pick up in the 80s, a Dodge Caravan in the 90s, and DH drove a Toyota Tacoma on his last job, but we've had small cars for the past several years. Last year, I started researching small trucks. I looked at the Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, Dodge Dakota, GMC Canyon, Chevrolet Colorado and Ford Ranger. I wanted a double cab, 2WD, automatic transmission, cruise control, power windows & CD player. It seems that most of the small trucks are now mid-size trucks. Each successive year, they've gotten a little bigger, except for the Ranger, but they don't make it in a double cab model. I narrowed my choices to the Toyota Tacoma, and the Chevrolet Colorado. Toyota, because they retain value longer, and the Colorado, because everything I wanted was available in the standard package - no add-ons. I chose the Colorado because it has a better mileage rating. I could have bought a Silverado or an Avalanche for less - they're practically giving those away right now. But I did get a pretty good deal on Silverado's little brother. And it's a nice ride. I love my new truck. !!!!

Raven's Game - August 29, 2008

Last night, my son-in-law got 4 free tickets to the Baltimore Raven's pre-season game against the Atlanta Falcons - 5th row seats. This was my first live NFL game ever. I think my brothers went to a Colts game in the 70's, but I never did. We lost 9 -10, but I had a great time. The Raven's did what they're really good at - field goals and defense - but no touchdowns. I really enjoyed watching the cheerleaders perform, too. My 6 year old grandson was totaly enamored - as soon as he saw them he said "look, cheerleaders". Especially when the guys were part of the squad, and they'd toss the girls up in the air, and the girls would flip & the guys would catch them. Later, the bigger guys in our group were egging him on to wave at them and say "hey, baby". I think one of the cheerleaders waved at him, too. I don't think of the cheerleaders as airheads. They are athletes in their own right, and they are skilled in their sport. The choreography was perfect. Yay Team.

Home Alone - August 22, 2008

I'm having a rare day at home by myself. DH, DD & DGS are at the shore, and mom is at the senior center. When I realized I'd have this opportunity, I took the day off work. So what am I doing? I'm cleaning. I don't mind cleaning when I'm by myself. No one is underfoot, there are no interruptions, and I can set my own pace. I'm using the Fly Lady "crisis cleaning" plan - working 15 minutes in a room for 45 minutes, and taking a 15 minute break each hour. I might not get every room finished, but I'll get a lot done.

Wii Fit - July 19, 2008

My son & my daughter both have the Wii. I had never played on it, but I watched the kids play a few times, and it looks very cool. I never could get used to the regular game controllers or a joystick, so I don't know about the Wii controller. My daugher got the Wii Fit, and I tried it today. It was fun.

Higher Education - July 15, 2008

I've decided to go back to college and complete my degree. I got an Associate degree in Psychology in 1980, which qualified me for my career in Addictions counseling, but there have been times when I missed out on advancement because I lacked the higher initials. I've thought about it often, but there was always too much going on in my life, and the more time passed, the harder it seemed to get back to education - though I have racked up over 400 CEU hours in Addiction studies. I was busy with family, children's activities, career, 2nd job - and I kept putting it on the back burner, thinking I'd go back when my kids were grown. Well, my baby is 24 and I'm no longer working a 2nd job. This time, I actually contacted 5 colleges. I had a real problem with choosing a major - not knowing whether I wanted a general psychology major or not, and looking at other options like criminal justice & health care administration. I wanted something that would take my transfer credits, and with the possibility of credit for work experience and those CEUs. I'm looking primarily at the colleges in the University of Maryland system, and one has an almost perfect match. Coppin State University is a small inner city campus about 3 miles from my office that offers a Bachelor's degree in Applied Psychology: Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Counseling. I called today, and found out that once I'm enrolled, I could work with an adviser and the Department head to make a portfolio based on the CEU classes for college credits. In looking over the degree requirements vs my transfer credits, I found that I am missing some 1st & 2nd year core requirements that I can take at the Community College for transfer. I applied today, and will start in the fall - one course at a time.

Steamed Crabs - July 13, 2008

I must be the only person born in Baltimore that doesn't like steamed crabs. I like steamed shrimp, stuffed shrimp, breaded shrimp, crab cakes, and crab imperial. But steamed crabs are much more trouble than they're worth. Someone else can pick them, and make me a crab cake.

Family Reunion - July 10, 2008

Another family reunion in WV has come & gone. Even with the high gas prices, several made the trip, even from as far as FL except for 2 of my sisters who couldn't make it. We did not make reservations at the Philippi Lodge early enough and they were booked. There is another small motel in Belington, but I don't know if they have internet. My dad has satellite broadband - no DSL or cable available. I stayed at my brother's trailer with no internet, so I was deprived. Mom & I went to Buckhannon on Thursday to visit Aunt Chub & Bill, and I went to Curves. I made a fruit salad and a veggie tray - just bought everything there at the local grocery. There was lots of food. I really liked Deanna's cornbread casserole - will have to e-mail her for the recipe. I get very anxious about picnic food that is left out too long, like potato salad & macaroni salad. I had food poisoning once - no fun. It rained all day on the 4th, but cleared up enough for the pubic fireworks display. I cut Wendy's hair, Aidan's hair & Joyce's hair. This was Aidan's first haircut - no more long blond curls. He was really good, though - didn't cry. Joyce brought her dog Chipper so that Wilma could find him a home. He is a gorgeous dog - an American Eskimo Spitz, and I know she was very sad to have to give him up. On Sunday, we went to church at St. Brendan's in Elkins, then went to the Sunday Brunch at Graceland Inn on the campus of Davis & Elkins College. I wrote a review on Yahoo Local. Then Sunday night I drove into Clarksburg for a meeting. My Google directions were wrong - I wanted Rt, 19S, and Google sent me to 19th St - so I asked someone for directions and found the right church. All in all, I had a good time, except for not having internet, the rain, and tried to stay out of the gossip. I enjoyed the food, seeing family that I don't get to see often, and pleasant travel.

Cat Food & the Animal ER - July 08, 2008

The last time I took Snowy to the vet, they told me he was too fat - he weighed 17 lbs. Problem is that Brandy is skinny, nibbles only a little at a time, and he ate whatever she left behind. I tried to feed him less, pick up the bowls, but that didn't work well. He had gained another pound, so I switched his cat food to a Healthy Weight formula, and eliminated the canned food. Last Sunday, we had to take him to the animal ER. Steve noticed that he wasn't acting like himself and that he seemed to be in pain. I was going to wait until Monday and take him to our regular vet, but something told me not to wait. He had a urinary blockage and had to have a catheter, and spend the night. I'm glad we didn't wait, because it is a life-threatening condition. Now he is on a special diet, which he doesn't seem to like much. I have to feed them separately because Brandy is still eating the Healthy Weight formula. She will eat the special food, though, and the vet said it wouldn't hurt her, but it is expensive. Snowy has to go back for a check up in 1 month. Hopefully, there will be a less expensive urinary health formula cat food available commercially that the vet can recommend.

Programs Without Spell Check

I am very frustrated with programs that lack any kind of spell check feature. Not that I'm a bad speller, but I am a bad typist. In particular, a program that I have to use to do assessments at work, has no spell check, and has very small fonts that can't be enlarged.. This is professional writing, and type-o's seem to be a hot button with my supervisor. All was well when I was allowed to use abbreviations, but around the same time this software was foisted upon us, we were asked not to use abbreviations. The word that's tripping me up is CLIENT. I have routinely spelled it cleint or clinet - and with the small font, I often miss it with a visual proofread. In my efforts to correct this repeated mistake, I have banned the word from my comments - replaced with "subject" or "offender", though I really do prefer "client". The old software didn't have spell check either, but it was much friendlier. This is an awful program, and the developers need slapped. Moving from page to page is excrutiating, though it supposedly works well for communication between agencies and permissions - but that's not the function I use.

iGoogle - July 01, 2008

I'm playing around with iGoogle and it seem to be what the "new Yahoo" is modeled after. There are many, many "gadgets" to add to your pages - a lot to play with

Into The Woods

We have a talented theater group at my parish that has done a summer production for the past several years.  This year was Into The Woods.  I've never heard fairy tales told quite that way before, with consequences of wishing & wishes granted, and the "ever-after" not so happy.  Mom & I really enjoyed this - neither of us had seen it before

Our music director is also a music & drama teacher, and she brings all this together.  We are very fortunate to have something like this.  Some of the other plays they've done were:

Nunsense II
Godspell
Sound of Music
Murder Mystery Dinner Theater
Nuncrackers
Seussical the Musical
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Storytelling

I am taking a class titled "Healing, Growth & Transformation through Story" as part of my required annual addictions counselor training.  I signed up for this course because it sounded like fun.  In addictions, a client's recovery often involves telling their own story.  I may not be able to use it in doing assessments, but I'm sure I can use it in life.  I never thought of myself as a storyteller, but have been an avid reader since childhood.  Stories have been a way for me to get outside my limited existence, and into strange new worlds. 

Swimming Pool

I always wanted a swimming pool.  When I was a kid, my neighbors had a 3 foot pool, then later a 4 foot pool.  We belonged to a community pool for a few years, but never got one for the yard.  I bought small pools for the kids, and got a 3 foot pool one year, but it didn't hold up over the winter.  We tried a few more times with the small quick set pools, but they did not have filters and were hard to keep clean.  A few years ago, I started seeing these pools that looked like a big blue inner tube - quick set pools with filter included.  My daughter got one and set it up in the yard.  It's not on a completely level spot, but it's good enough for the grandkids - at least the older ones - to splash around & cool off.  Now we have to get replacement filters, a pool cover and pool chemicals.  I probably won't get in it much, and I'd still like to have a built in pool like the one my dad had in FL.

A Scouting Family

There has been a long tradition of Scouting in my family.  My sisters & I were Girl Scouts, though I didn't stay with it long as a kid.  My brothers were in Cub Scouts for a few years, and one was in Boy Scouts.  When my neice & nephew were young, my sister was a Girl Scout leader and other sister & brother-in-law were involved with Cub Packs and Boy Scout troops for many years.  My son was in from Tiger Cub to Life Scout - through his Senior year in high school. My daughter was in Girl Scouts from Daisy to Cadette - she lost interest in middle school.  I held many leadership positions with both Scouting groups.  Now 2 of my grandsons will be old enough to join Cub Scouts in the fall. 

Amazon Wish Lists - February 16, 2008

I finally realized the usefulness of creating wish lists. When I was shopping for Christmas gifts and didn't know what to get for my D-I-L, my DD said to "check her amazon wish list". Wow, how much easier can it get. I discovered that my DS, & DD also had amazon wish lists, and so did I, but mine was private (not anymore - and I've been wishing). I've also set up the Gift Organizer for my family members - which I can like to their wish lists - and get a reminder when birthdays are near. You can make wish lists or gift registries on a lot of online retail sites - I have one for Wal-mart & also for Barnes & Noble.

Ender's Game - January 30, 2008

I recently read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. It had been on my list for some time - ever since Ender's Shadow was a selection of the month on SFBC. It was excellent - I know it won a Hugo or Nebula award as did the sequel, Speaker for the Dead. There was some interest in making a movie, but nothing said recently - I think it would make a good one. Ender's Game was first appeared as a novella in Analog magazine, which my dad subscribed to for many years. I guess I'm now involved in another series. I will try to get these all from the library.

Ender's Game
Speaker for the Dead
Xenocide
Children of the Mind

Ender's Shadow
Shadow of the Hegemon
Shadow Puppets
Shadow of the Giant