November 26, 2010-present weight loss




2012 weight loss



Showing posts with label England. Show all posts
Showing posts with label England. Show all posts

Sunday, October 9, 2011

98.6

This number should be my body's temperature, but who knows.  What I am certain about is that it is also the number of pounds I have lost since beginning my liquid diet, woohoo!  I continue to eat out frequently and am so relieved that I can still lose while living my life:)  I am so close to a triple digit loss- exciting!
   
Kenny and I took care of our visas on Friday.  Our appointment was at 10:10, but the company facilitating our application told us to get to the center at 9:30.  We got there at 9:15 and were not seen by the visa people until 11:15.  The company's rep mentioned that only being seen one hour late is good and that many clients wait for several hours.  I suggested that the company tell its clients this so we don't feel the need to get there almost an hour BEFORE our appointment time.  I am pretty certain that this guy did not appreciate my comment.  Towards the end of the day we received paperwork stating that our visas had been approved and will be mailed to us within a week.
   
Sheffield is not a city I plan to return to anytime soon, but it is always interesting to get out of London.  Kenny and I frequently say that Brits aren't the friendliest of people, but we should really limit our comments to Londoners.  I find London to be a very cold city, and the people here can be the same.  The few times we have left London (visiting Bath, the Cotswolds, Stonehenge, and now Sheffield), we have noticed how friendly and warm the people are.  So, our little visa adventure is helping us to revise our view of England.
   
My brother-in-law arrived yesterday morning, and we toured around London for a bit.  We brought him to Borough Market and then took the London Eye- a big ferris wheel on the Thames.  We finished the evening with a fantastic meal of Spanish tapas in South Kensington.  Today we are seeing Rugby, and I have no clue what to expect.  I remember the crazy college boys who joined the rugby club and threw even crazier parties (and were constantly in pain from a combination of rugby injuries and alcohol), but I've never seen a proper rugby game (or match- I don't even know what it is called).  So this will be our afternoon. 

Monday, August 15, 2011

A Weekend Of Favorites

Kenny and I had a surprisingly lovely weekend in London.  Usually we have to go out of town to spend much time together, but this weekend worked out differently for us.  Kenny golfed very early on Saturday- his colleague picked him up at 6:15 in the morning- so he was back in time for lunch.  Unfortunately, he returned without the new golf GPS I bought him for his birthday.  He golfed in Ealing, which is one of the places that had serious riots last week and is (surprise, surprise) not the nicest part of town.  He left his clubs outside of the clubhouse to grab a soda inside (not smart, I know), and some hoodlum stole the GPS off of his bag.  He is lucky he didn't lose his entire golf bag, but he was still annoyed and upset.  While Kenny was getting his golf on, I decided to go to the gym.  I typically refuse to hit the gym on weekends.  It is very busy, and I think 5 consecutive days of working out is enough.  But I couldn't bring myself to just sit on the couch for 2 hours, so off I went for an hour of cardio.  We were able to spend the rest of the day together.  We went out to lunch, walked around town and made a quick visit to my favorite shoe shop!     
On Sunday we visited H-a-r-w-o-o-d-A-r-m-s.  It is the first gastropub to receive a Michelin star and happens to be one of our favorite restaurants.  The only downside is that we have to book a month in advance, and it is hard to plan that far in advance.  We each started with a venison scotch egg, which this restaurant is known for.  It is pretty much a soft boiled egg, encased in venison sausage, breaded and fried.  It sounds disgusting, but these things are to die for!  So I ate half of mine and gave Kenny the other half.  The rest of the meal was fantastic, but the scotch egg is the masterpiece of this restaurant.  Given how slowly I now eat, our main meals came way too fast.  I know the kitchen was not rushing us and timed the courses as it typically does, but it still stunk to only be half way through my starter when my main showed up.  Kenny and I have decided that we need to ask the kitchen to hold our mains from now on to give me enough time to eat and relax.  Live and learn.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

When Did Packing Become So Difficult?

I have always considered myself to be a pretty good packer.  I pack quickly and neatly and just about never forget anything.  The morning after Kenny and I were married, mom hosted a brunch for 70+ wedding guests.  I spent the morning with our guests and then hustled to pack before the arrival of our limo at 3 pm.  The limo came early, and I made the driver wait until 3 (when I was done).  We were away for about 2 weeks, and I didn't forget a thing.  This is just how I handle packing.  Kenny and mom now have a running joke about my packing, and they don't even try to push me to pack in advance. 
    
I'm sad to say that I finally have packing fatigue, and this fatigue is making me forgetful.  I love the travel, but the packing is becoming an annoying inconvenience.  I think it is because I am in a perpetual state of packing and unpacking- I am rarely in London for more than 2 weeks at a time and am just about always in the states for a week a month.  This is on top of my European travel.  I am to the point where I don't always bother to fully unpack (yes, I take the dirties out and change up the shoes) before piling in a few more items and running to meet my driver.  My system had always worked until last month, and then it failed miserably. 
  
Kenny and I had been at the shore and were taking the ferry into the city when I realized that I had forgotten undies.  Three nights in the city and no undies.  Kenny had also left his ties at my mom's house, so I made an emergency trip to Bloomingdale's.  This little shopping trip was an unexpected bonus, as my old undies look a bit like very baggy parachutes wrapped around my body.  Still, I didn't like that I had forgotten something so essential.  I pride myself in my packing skills after all. 
      
Fast forward to our weekend in the Cotswolds.  We are unpacking on Friday evening.  I pull out my dress, shoes and wrap for Friday night.  I pull out my shoes and wrap for Saturday night.  What is missing?  The dress!  I remembered the items I really could have managed without, the shoes and wrap, and completely blanked on the dress.  Two trips in two weeks, and I forgot two major things.  Now we are a week away from our Mallorca trip.  We are staying here for 10 nights, and I really don't want to continue this trend of forgetting my belongings.  I am going to have to pack in advance for this trip.  Even worse, I might actually make a checklist!  Groan:( 
     
I hope that my packing amnesia is temporary.  My travel routine will become much more tiresome if I actually need to focus on it!
   
I had a great workout this morning!  The trainer I wrote about earlier this week, Ed, was there again.  He had offered to help me out when he introduced himself on Tuesday, so I decided to take him up on his offer today.  I was in the middle of a 5 minute warm up on the treadmill when we started chatting.  I asked if he could show me a few more kettle bell exercises, and he was very helpful.  He stayed with me from 9:10-9:55, which is pretty amazing!  Of course Ed wants me to do personal training with him, so he wanted to show me what he is like.  And it was a smart move on his part!  I've been watching the trainers most days to determine if I could like any of them, and some of them just wouldn't work for me.  Some stand next to the trainee as he/she runs on the treadmill for 20 minutes.  Sorry boys, but I can do that myself.  Others have the unfortunate condition of being female.  I've never liked female trainers and just refuse to even bother trying with another woman.  Lastly, some are just plain dumb.  I like to be able to chat and banter, and I need someone who at least has enough braincells to deal with me.  This guy is a 22 year old university grad, studying for his masters and going through the process of applying to the army.  Ed could work!  I am going to buy a package of training sessions so he can work with me once a week.  After my training today I completed an hour of cardio on the Vario, so it was a good start to the day. 

Monday, August 8, 2011

Cotswolds Catch Up and London Riots

Kenny and I had a wonderful weekend together in the Cotswolds.  He was able to leave work early, so we made it to Upper Slaughter a bit after 5 in the afternoon.  The hotel grounds were beautiful.  I don't always understand this country, but these people can certainly do gardens well!  The hotel itself was just darling- it is an old manor house that maintains a very homey feel.  We were shown to our room and had some time to relax before dinner.

The back of the hotel
The front of the hotel- I actually chose to post the one full length pic to keep me honest!

The hotel is set up for foodies and does not disappoint.  We had a 7:30 dinner reservation and were asked to arrive 30 minutes early for pre-dinner drinks and canapes.  What a pleasant way to start the evening!  There we sat with a glass of champagne and canapes while reviewing the dinner menu and wine list.  Nice touch!  I won't bore you with an overly detailed blow by blow, but our meals were yummy and beautifully presented.  I started with Cornish crab, and Kenny had a beautiful quail dish; my main was halibut with broad beans, and Kenny's was lamb; my dessert was a fabulously dense chocolate bar/cake with a salty, caramel topping and Kenny had a fab raspberry souffle with raspberry ripple ice cream and Lord Eton's mess.  Indulgent, definitely, but I was well-behaved.  I ate my appetizer, maybe half of my entree and less than half of the dessert. 
   
We spoke with the concierge on Saturday morning, and he gave us a map with 7-8 towns worth seeing in our part of the Cotswolds.  I was surprised that so many of these 'towns' were not even villages.  Several were just clusters of little homes- the perfect setting for a murder mystery novel.  We parked in Winchcombe and walked 3/4 of a mile out of town to Sudeley Castle.  Yes, we could have driven all the way to the castle.  Yes, there was a parking lot right next to the castle.  Still, we walked it (one of the many benefits of losing Snooki).  The castle was pretty pathetic, but the gardens were beautiful.  After a few more hours of driving and visiting the towns we were back at the hotel in time for Kenny's Saturday afternoon nap (he only looks 32- in reality he is 85) and another dinner at the hotel.
 At the Castle
 
Yesterday we drove to Stratford-Upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, before returning to London. 
 
 
The highlight of SUA was visiting a butterfly farm with hundreds (probably thousands) of butterflies flying all around.  It was amazing and it was beautiful.  
   
  
Now that you have seen my lovely weekend, let's move to a less appealing topic.  Have you all been seeing this rioting madness?  It is really out of control.  While doing cardio at the gym this afternoon, I spent an hour watching the riots on Sky News.  These lunatics have now rioted in East London, North London and South London.  I live in West London, but I don't like being anywhere near riots.  These thugs wear hoodies so CCTV can't photograph their faces, so I got butterflies in my stomach when I saw young people in hoodies as I walked home from the gym.  Not cool.  Onto my opinion of how this should be handled (skip rest of paragraph if you are anti police).  The riot police are being pummeled by bricks, bottles, fire crackers, wood, etc.  It is 100% out of control.  I vote for rubber bullets and tear gas.  Most of the people rioting are young men (young men who should be working rather than loitering on the streets).  They are thugs.  They are bums.  They are cowards.  Hit these bastards with rubber bullets and barrage them with tear gas, and these losers will call it quits.  And do it before they come to my part of town!!!  There, I said it! 

Friday, August 5, 2011

Weekend Plans and Eighty Pounds Down

I was greeted by a beautiful number this morning when I hopped on the scale.  I now weigh 244.6, meaning I am down 80 lbs from my Day 1 liquid diet weight.  This is very exciting for me and means that I am (I hope) on pace to lose 100+ lbs this year.  Maybe I should celebrate by digging into a chocolate mousse cake- kidding!
    
Kenny is leaving work early today so we can drive out to the Cotswolds and stay here for the weekend.  Given the amount we travel, it is amusing that we have seen almost none of England.  We don't have a car here, so it is frequently easier to just fly away rather than deal with the hassle and expense of renting one of the only automatic cars in the country.  Anyway, Kenny chose to stay here because the restaurant is well-known and has a Michelin star.  I hope to maintain my 80 lb loss during what is bound to be a food and wine heavy weekend, so I will walk as much as possible to compensate. 
     
No gyming for me today.  My quads are really sore, but my main issue is that the wonderful and amazing Kenny gave me his cold:(  I don't want to get too run down, so I will take a day off.
    
Happy Friday!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

What A Difference A Week Makes

My body was so sore the day after last week's yoga class, but this week I felt much better.  I was almost upset that I didn't ache- did I cheat, did I not put my all into it?  I doubt either of those is the case, so I will just accept that my muscles were less shocked by the routine this week. 
    
Kenny and I went to the British Open in Kent on Saturday.  It took about two hours to get there, including a 90 minute train ride.  The ride gave me more than enough time to stare out the window, watch the sheets of rain coming down and contemplate how wonderful a day of watching golf in such cold and wet conditions would be.  We had a 20 minute walk/40 minute queue after leaving the station, and it poured the entire time.  Most wives would have done an about-face and marched right back to the station, but I am no such wife.  We watched golf in the rain for over 5 hours.  We were so soaked that we were shivering (despite wearing fleeces and rain jackets with hoodies).  It was a miserable day.  We still had a good time but were thankful that we were not returning on Sunday! 
    
I wound up sitting next to a very large woman on the tube ride back.  When I approached her I was thinking, oh great, two gigantic women sitting next to each other- this is going to be fun.  Then I sat down, and we didn't even touch.  I looked across from me and could see our reflections in the glass.  I was surprised at how, well, small I looked in comparison to her (don't worry, I haven't convinced myself that I am 'small').  She was so heavy that her head was several inches above mine, even though she was probably shorter than I.  The rest of her was the same- her body was forward due to the amount of fat on her back, her arms stuck out from her sides due to the girth of her midsection.  I was amazed- just 8 months ago that was me! 
    
My immediate thought was how did I handle being THAT large?!?  I know I didn't handle it well.  I was slow and I was sweaty.  I went to the US Open (golf) in 2009 in Long Island, and I remember hating it.  It was just too much walking- trekking from hole to hole, climbing the stairs to the grandstands and making my way up every hill of Bethpage Black- sheer agony!  That was then.  Now the climbing and the walking don't bother me.  In fact, Kenny even remarked on how quickly I walk now and how much I have changed.  Because he was so against this procedure, it is great to hear the compliments!
    
I've been pretty amazing with working out, but I only lost 0.4 last week.  This is much better than gaining, but it is the least I have lost in a week since surgery.  Only 13 days until my fill...

Friday, July 15, 2011

Not Quite Sold On Yoga (yet)

  
I feel like Jason Segal's character when I enter the yoga studio,
and yes,
my yoga guy did do the move that Kristin Wiig pulled on
Russell Brand to get me properly aligned!
  

I attended my 90 minute yoga class this morning.  I am not convinced that yoga is going to be for me, but I will attend a minimum of five classes before deciding to drop the class.  Given my travel schedule, I will be yoga-ing through September.  In today's class, this older guy wound up taking the space next to my left- boo.  He was a complete know-it-all.  When the instructor told us to sit in a specific pose in the beginning (I didn't know the name, but I am a good follower), he actually asked if he could sit in his favored position instead.  Seriously?  Everything he did was loud.  His breathing was 5x as loud as everyone else's breathing, to the point that it was very distracting.  AND he was wearing floral swim shorts with a white t-shirt tucked in.  My third eye couldn't focus with all of these annoying stimuli.
   
The rest of the class was fine, but attempting yoga really shows me how far I have to go in this weight loss journey.  That is not a bad thing at all, but still, it is humbling.  When I swim I only focus on me.  I swim at my own pace and do my own thing (not so good for weight loss).  With yoga I am pushed to do things that are way out of my league, even though this class is not advanced.  Because this class deals with different levels, the instructor tried to have the more advanced students do headstands and this:
  
    
And, he wanted people to stick their legs out completely during the pose.  At least 50% of the class just sat and watched- including me.  I am all for pushing myself, but there is absolutely no way I am going to successfully balance 250 lbs on my head and arms or hands.      
    
In other news, Kenny and I had dinner with another couple on Wednesday.  We tried a new restaurant in Chelsea that has been getting very good reviews:
   

   
The lighting is much nicer in the evening
     
The restaurant was fantastic, and I highly recommend it to any of you passing through London (as long as you aren't staying too far from Chelsea, of course).  The food was great, and the service was perfectly attentive.  Now I have an amusing story concerning this meal, even though it is in reality a bandster nightmare!
    
The couple on my left was seated a bit after we were, and the woman was very interested to hear what we had ordered.  We were all eating our first course, and Kenny and I had switched plates so we could take a nibble of the other's dish.  I was still chewing a bite of my crab raviolo with samphire, brown shrimp, fondue of leeks and bisque sauce when Kenny wanted to switch (he was having the duck egg tart with red wine sauce, turnip puree, lardons, girolles and sauteed duck heart).  Our neighbor asked how we were enjoying the dishes but was very interested in how I liked the raviolo vs. the duck egg tart.  Now I was doing my 'Nora chew', where I chew every bit of life out of my food before I swallow and attempt another bite.  We are having this conversation about the starters, and I am STILL chewing my rather small bite of raviolo while telling her how good it was.  I told her that I had not yet tried the tart but that Kenny really enjoyed it.  She pretty much said, OK, now you try it and let me know what you think.  She said it in a very nice way- it was a much friendlier conversation than I can accurately depict on the screen- but I was like, oh crap.  Now everyone is watching me while I'm STILL chewing this little bit of raviolo.  And now I need to swallow, because my table as well as hers are interested in my opinion concerning these two dishes.  I finally got to the point where I could swallow the raviolo (it was very soft to begin with, but I am paranoid after having a PBing in a restaurant experience) and had to immediately shove a piece of his tart in my mouth to offer my opinion.  Talk about pressure eating!  
   
I couldn't find a picture of my starter on the restaurant's website, but here is a picture of the tart:) 
    
   
 Tomorrow we are going to watch the British Open in Kent.  We are expecting typical English weather out there, so I will be traveling with sneakers, golf shoes for when it gets muddy, a raincoat, an umbrella, and a cashmere sweater.  The US Open is a much easier event to attend!

Monday, July 11, 2011

A Bit of Venice

Kenny and I spent our weekend in London, and we had absolutely no plans until Sunday evening.  I cooked a whole red snapper on Friday, and we just enjoyed an evening at home.  On Saturday we headed up to Little Venice, which is a canal area in London.  It looks more like Amsterdam to me with little houseboats tied up on the canal, but I suppose calling this area Little Amsterdam would have very different implications.  Below are a few pics so everyone can see how cute this area is:)
   
  
After lunch we did something very touristy- we took a canal boat from Little Venice to Camden.  I didn't like Camden all that much, but it was still fun to see something different.
  
Yes, people live in these little boats!
  
  
The rest of the weekend was very relaxing.  We grilled jumbo shrimp and zucchini on Saturday night and hosted an out of town friend for dinner last night.  We had such a good time that our dinner lasted from 6:15-11:30.  Perhaps it isn't the best way to start the week, too much food and wine- and to much cleaning up at the end of the night, but it was still a lot of fun. 

Monday, July 4, 2011

Happy Fourth of July!

I miss celebrating the Fourth in the states- the flags, the fireworks, the beach, the parties!  I especially miss being where I grew up.  One of the local towns puts on a huge fireworks display on the river on July 3, and it is a wonderful show!  If all works out according to plans, Kenny and I might be able to celebrate in the states in a year or two…
 Fireworks on the river where I grew up:)
Even without a long weekend, we had three nights of over-indulging.  We started the weekend at Bar Boulud with some friends.  I didn't expect much from the restaurant, but the meal and the service were surprisingly very, very good.  The friend who arranged the dinner has a connection with the chef, so were greeted with the restaurant’s signature Degustation de Charcuterie.  It was completely decadent- five different terrines, hams, pâtés, pork crackling, etc!  I thought my fish entrée would counterbalance the charcuterie, but that was not the case (back to the pool).  It probably didn’t help that we ended the evening at the Fifth Floor Champagne Bar at Harvey Nichols. 
   
Bar Boulud
  
Champagne Bar    
The next morning we pulled ourselves out of bed to prepare for our BBQ.  Even though a BBQ sounds like an easy breezy party to organize, it is not.  Half way through the morning I told Kenny to remind me of how hellish all of the prep work is when I decide to host this damn thing in 2012.  He stared blankly, not sure whether I was kidding or not.  Anyway, La Fiesta wound up being a wonderful success.  We had about 25 friends, and everyone left full and happy.  My dishes were well-received, and I had enough variety to please carnivores as well as vegetarians (I will post recipes later)!    
Kenny’s birthday was yesterday, and we just took it easy.  I cooked a roast beef tenderloin for him rather than going out to dinner on a Sunday night.  I thought this recipe was perfect to get the tenderloin to a nice medium rare on the inside and seared (without being disgustingly charred) on the outside.  Tomorrow is his real birthday celebration, and we are having dinner at Dinner.  It is the new hot restaurant in London and is owned by Heston Blumenthal (famous for his other English restaurant, The Fat Duck, which has three Michelin stars).  It took me seven hours of calling on April 1 to secure a July 5 reservation, so this better be good!



Saturday, June 18, 2011

What A Smashing, Positively Dashing Spectacle

   
I survived my first Royal Ascot today.  K and I attended with an expat couple and had a great time.  The races themselves were fun, but the real sport is the people watching.  Dresses and hats and fascinators, oh my!  Gone are the days when Ascot was one of the posh events of the year and people dressed accordingly, poor Audrey Hepburn.  Some rules still exist, and one must dress for the level of ticket one has.  But wowzers, the standards are pretty low.  I didn't have the guts to take photos of the trampy women in horrible dresses waddling around in high heels that didn't fit, but take my word that they were in attendance! 
   
I wanted to share some pics of us and of my fabulous hat.  I love this hat and really enjoyed wearing it!  And for more exciting news, I will no longer be cutting my husband's face out of the pictures I post.  I just told him that I started this blog (though I have not offered up the URL) and asked him if he would be comfortable with his pictures showing up on here.  He was fine with it, so here we go.  And on that note, his name is Kenny.  Now that everyone can see his face, hiding his name seems a bit silly, no? 
   

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Down 0.8 and Other Exciting News

After putting on the dreaded 3.4 pounds, I am finally down .8 lbs from my low.  So I am smiling, I am happy.  This has been the hardest month to lose weight so far.  I am losing, but it is a slower process.  I need to start swimming again.  I haven't been allowed in the pool due to a recent surgery and have been limited to walking.  I am doing my best to eat small portions, chew slowly and drink no less than 1.5 liters of water throughout the day, but boy am I getting hungry.  I am not a fill junkie but think I could probably use just a smidge when I see Dr. K towards the end of this month... we shall see.
    
In other news, I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my mother this evening.  My mom is a fantastic mother, a wonderful friend and my strongest supporter.  The London move was difficult for both of us, but it was harder on her.  I am her only child, and we are extremely close.  I still have K to rely on, and she is flying solo.  I still get to see her on a monthly basis, but it is just not the same as living 45 minutes away.  Until the move, I saw her on a weekly basis. 
    
Before the wedding (March 28, 2009)
   
   
Tea at the Dorchester (Spring 2010)
    
As our Christmas present to mom, K and I gave her a week at the beach in Portugal with ME.  She and I are having a girls week together (or as my mom likes to call it, 'a mom and her kid week'), and I couldn't be happier!  We will be away from Saturday-Saturday and are staying at a lovely resort in Albufeira.  K and I spent a week here last time and really enjoyed it:)  Mom does not like taking the red eye flights, so she leaves Newark at 9am and makes it to Heathrow at 9pm.  I think she is mad to waste an entire day flying, but it works for her.  She hasn't had a proper beach vacation since she and I went to Aruba before K and I were married; it is about time that she get some R&R.  Mom likes to just lounge on a chair and read, so it will be a very chill week. 
    
I figure that I should be able to get in the pool next week and am bringing my swimsuit, goggles and cap so I can do laps at the gym.  If I am healed enough to lounge in the pool, I am healed enough to exercise in it as well (and the only reason I was banned from the pool was due to risk of infection, not risk of injury).  Before April's surgery I was swimming 2400m (about 1.5 miles) 4-5 days a week and would like to build back up to that.  My old 20W swimsuit was WAY too big, to the point that it would slide down and my girls would just about come out to visit anyone lucky enough to share my lane.  I will be trying out my slightly smaller 16W at the gym next week:)   
   
Now I am doing my grocery shopping and will roast a chicken for K tomorrow afternoon.  I have taught him to cook a few meals, as I am away for at least one week every month.  His options are quite limited though, and the least I can do is prepare a chicken to get him through a couple of days.
    
But first, time for my pedicure!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Awww, hello all!

First of all, thanks to everyone who has stopped by, decided to follow me, post comments, etc.  I plan to respond as much as I can, but I am leaving for Budapest in an hour and still haven't packed.  Still, I wanted to say a quick hello!  Second, Catherine, as you already know, you ROCK!  I would still be writing (only) for myself if you hadn't linked to me.  Muchas Gracias
  
Yesterday was a very English day.  I went here with a girlfriend of mine:
  
  
This show takes place very close to my home, and I figured it was something I should see.  It was AMAZING.  In addition to designed outdoor gardens (one looked like Monaco, another was quite Asian), there is a huge tented area with vendors showing their prized roses, daffodils, etc.  It was such a sight.  The only downfall was that it rained.  After six weeks of dry sunny weather, the heavens decided it was time to punish us and remind us that we do live in London after all.  This was not just rain, it was a deluge, and it seemed to go on forever.  No worries though, it have us more time to look at the beautiful flowers in the tent.
  
  

This was so strange that I just had to share...
   
I am doing much more walking around town, but the Underground is still a necessity for me.  I took it twice yesterday, and something wonderful happened... (drumroll, please)... people sat next to me!  I typically only sit in an end seat so that I can lean towards the glass partition, but none was available.  So I sat in a middle seat, and I fit in it quite comfortably.  Even better, people willingly sat next to me.  I'm used to people seeing an empty seat, getting their hopes up and smiling, then bam, seeing me next to the open seat and deciding that balancing on 6 inch heels is safer than an encounter with me.  Not any more... very exciting! 
   
In weight news, I have lost 1.4 of the dreaded 3.4 overnight weight gain.  I doubt I will shed more over this weekend, but I will be back with a vengeance come Tuesday. 
   
Enjoy the long weekend! 

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Pictorial Proof of Progress

I am a bit late to the blogging game, and I feel it is only fair to show some pre/post surgery pictures...
  
Wimbledon- June 2010
  
  
Elounda, Crete- August 2010
  
  
Rome, Italy- October 2010
  
  
Dublin, Ireland- January 2011 (3 weeks post-surgery- sorry, but I can't refer to myself as being post-op.  It sounds too much like a transgendered person experiencing her own breasts for the first time.)
   
  
Sevilla, Spain- February 2011
  
   
Greve, Italy- April 2011
   
   
That is more than enough pictures for one day!