Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Biggest Loser Contest

I received an email this morning that said:

MWR's 6th annual "Biggest Loser" Contest will begin on January 13.

MWR is Morale, Welfare, and Recreation. Those are the people at Crane that manage the gym and the pool and other recreational kinds of things.

So, here are the rules.



  1. Teams are made up of two individuals.

  2. Entry fee is $20 per team.

  3. Initial and final weigh-ins are to be conducted at the Crane Gym. Participants must wear T-shirts and gym shorts for weigh-ins.

  4. The team with the highest percentage of weight loss at the end of the contest wins.

Payouts (AKA PRIZES!!!)


1st place -- 40% of entry fees
2nd place -- 20% of entry fees
3rd place -- 10% of entry fees


Initial Weigh-In is January 13th.
Final Weigh-In is March 10th.

My partner is Helen B. Wish us luck!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Therapeutic Writing

Okay, I know that this might be right out of left-field for those I haven't talked to in the past week. Others may not know about the last week or so, but may know enough history to not be surprised by this plan. But I think I have a solution to some recent goings-on in my world.
I'm going to write about it!

Have you seen the movie, "Something's Gotta Give"? Diane Keaton's character is heart-broken by Jack Nicholson's character. She writes a whole play/musical about their short, but eventful tryst. She's seen sobbing for days as she writes about it. But it's very healing. And ultimately, the show is a huge hit!

So, it crossed my mind to write about the whole situation between me and Jeff and Jeff's father (my ex-husband) and his current family.

I didn't get the idea during one of the many times I watched the movie. It came to me last night when I was trying to come up with some way to turn this situation into something more positive. It crossed my mind that I could take all this pent up emotion and my desire to write and spin a tale about the whole ordeal. A tale that would be somewhat factual and somewhat entertaining. Perhaps we too could write a play or a musical or a book that would make money, make people laugh, and make Mike and others like him think about their actions.

I could use the experience to cleanse me, heart and soul...as I'm still find reasons to beat myself for choosing so poorly a man to start a family with. The money could put Jeff through school. And hopefully the notoriety will embarrass the heck out of Mike. Okay, that last one wouldn't be the primary goal...but it would be a nice ancillary benefit.

I like it! I'll start writing chapter outlines right away.

I can't wait to share the idea with Jeff.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Holiday Eating Tips

Bear in mind, I did not write these. I received them, read them, laughed at them, and decided to share them. Enjoy!

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. While you're at it, have one for me. Have two!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape AND SIZE of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day? I don't think so.

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read these tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Have a wonderful Christmas season!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Christmas Music

Okay, I'm going to give you some insight into my spontaneous emotions. For those that know me well, you know that I am probably the most emotional person we both know. I take medication to control it mostly. But there are times when my meds cannot mask my true feelings.

Sometimes, this is a bad thing...when my depression is really deep and I don't really know why. But I'm not writing about those times right now. What I'm sharing today is all about those times when something just touches my heart so truly, that I can't help but cry. You know, like when you're watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with Ty Pennington and they just yelled 'Move that bus!' Okay, it's like that. Only it doesn't have to be that grand a gesture to invoke tears in me.

I was sitting at my desk at work, doing a somewhat tedious task that doesn't require a whole lot of brain-power. And I was listening to my Casting Crowns "Peace on Earth" CD. The song "While You Were Sleeping (Original Christmas Version)" played. It's track #4. I hear this song EVERY time I listen to this CD. But today, I truly HEARD it. I stopped typing and just listened...and then cried. I don't know if anyone noticed that I'd stopped typing. I'm pretty sure no one noticed that I started crying. But the words to the song mixed with the lovely melody just touched me in a way it hadn't before. And I could not control the emotional reaction.

Here is the song. (you probably want to scroll to the bottom of this page and turn off my music player)







And here are the words. I hope it touches your heart as much as it touched mine.

Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you're lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight, tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

Mary shivers in the cold
Trying to keep the Savior warm
Born among the animals wrapped in dirty rags
Because there was no room for Him
In the world He came to save


Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today

Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we're lying in the dark
There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King

Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Building a Dog House

The following story could be fictitious.

Once upon a time there was a mother and son who lived in a small home in a small town. Actually, the mother lived there and the son only visited occasionally as he was away at college. One particular Saturday night, the mother agreed to let the son drive her car for the evening, even though she originally had plans to drive it herself. The son was asked to be careful and even agreed to put gas in the car. There appeared to be an understanding between the mother and the son to the point that the mother was comfortable leaving the local area, trusting her son would not disappoint her by breaking the rules.

Though not mentioned specifically that Saturday night, the standing rules are: No sex. No drugs. No alcohol. No cigarettes. No breaking any laws. No breaking any hearts. And no doing anything that will embarrass your mother. The son has heard these rules enough to know them by heart.

Upon getting home from her night out with friends, the mother went to bed. The son still wasn't home, but he had sent a text message letting the mother know where he was and what he was doing. The mother was not worried about the son and was just comforted knowing that he was with friends, enjoying an evening of camaraderie.

The next day, the mother had to get up and go to church where she was to be the song leader. Upon seeing her car, she was shocked that apparently someone found the need to throw mud at it from all directions. She was careful not to soil her church clothes as she opened the car door. To her dismay, the interior reeked of cigarette smoke. Her blood pressure immediately increased. Even if the son wants to ruin his health by smoking, he has been told repeatedly that the mother does NOT like the smell of smoke and NO ONE is allowed to smoke in her home or her car. As she sat in the driver's seat, it was apparent that someone (most likely the son, but no one knows for sure) had sprayed a smelly spray throughout the car, probably in an attempt to cover up the cigarette smoke. The windshield and rear-view mirror would need to be cleaned in order to have a safer view when driving. But there was not time to accomplish this task prior to having to be at the church.

Before even leaving the driveway, said car was making a ringing sound and displaying on the dashboard that it was in dire need of fuel. Again, having not enough time to perform this necessary task prior to church, the mother prayed that she could make it to a gas station on her way home...which she did.

When these issues were raised to the son, he insisted that he could explain. He provided a story about having to go fetch a drunk friend from a party in the middle of nowhere, running out of gas, and getting stuck in the mud. Prior to getting home, his friend got sick in my car and that's why it smells like a cross between 'ewwwww' and 'too-many-flowers-for-such-a-small-space'. But the son ensured her that he had taken the time to clean out the car.

The mother doubted the words of the son. First of all, the car didn't smell like someone got sick in it. It smelled like someone smoked in it. And the ashes on the door and the dash only further supported her theory. Second, it was not obvious that anyone had been sick in the car. Unfortunately the car is filthy enough that the one clean spot would have glaringly stood out. Third, the mother is not sure that the son's friend would have even called to get a ride home. He's not a very smart drunk (as if there was such a thing) and likely would have driven himself home...unless of course he couldn't find his own truck.

As the son was explaining his side of the story, the mother noticed his packed bags sitting at his feet. He explained that he needed to head back to campus as he had an interview. The chances of that being true is about as likely as it being untrue. The mother figures, why speculate at this point. It would be just as believable that the son was heading back to college just to remove himself from the one place on the planet where he'd have to endure the wrath of the mother.

So, the son has returned to the safety and comfort of his college dorm room, a full 48 hours prior to planning to do so. Just as well as the mother didn't really have the time to build a dog house for him to sleep in.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Monday, Monday

It's so quiet in the office this morning. The "office" being a room full of eight cubicles, surrounded by seven offices with actual doors. Sure I can hear the printer and one of our scanners. Several co-workers are typing and shuffling through papers. And I can hear one muffled conversation going on somewhere, though not loud enough to make out specific words. Everyone is busy and stepping into their Monday quietly. I love that!

It will change though. And probably soon. As we get caffeine into our bodies, we'll start talking more. And it won't be long before the phones start ringing. And I'm sure to have someone in my cubicle sooner or later that needs me to do or explain something...or who simply wants to talk for a bit.

But right now, as my PC reboots after an important update, I'm enjoying the slow, peaceful start to the week.

I have plans to have dinner with friends tonight. And I have plenty to keep me busy between now and then. Should be a lovely day!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

-- Virtual Open House --


I've had several people ask me if I was having a Holiday Open House for my MK business. Unfortunately, by the time I was ready to plan it, my calendar was booked.

I promise, next year I will do one mid-November. So, be ready! I will be!


Instead, this year I've decided to have a VIRTUAL Open House!


Here's the deal:

-- FOR DECEMBER ONLY --

When you place your order between the 1st and the 15th, you get 20% off your total order.(Purchasing by the 15th will guarantee a 'by Christmas' delivery for anything I don't already have on-hand.)

When you place your order between the 16th and the 31st, you get 10% off your order.

So, no matter when you shop until the end of December, you'll get a great discount.
So feel free to stock up! And tell a friend!




PLUS, when you purchase a TimeWise or Velocity set (cleanser and moisturizer),
you get $5 off of your choice of foundation!



That means that if you purchase a Velocity set with a liquid foundation before December 14th, your cost goes from $36 to $24.80!

And a TimeWise set with a mineral foundation, your cost goes from $58 to $32.40!

If you ever wanted to try a new quality skin care line, now is the best time to start!



So, visit my website and check out all of our limited-edition holiday items as well as all of our great regular-line items. Knock out some of your Christmas shopping or pick out a few things to make YOU look gorgeous.

You can place your order online, send me an email message, or give me a call.
And I'll do everything I can to get your order to you as soon as possible.

My little disclaimer: Just to make my tax preparation easier, I will be charging 7% interest on the retail value (the 'before discount' price). Questions or concerns, please let me know. Thanks!

Leslie Doyle
Independent Mary Kay Beauty Consultant
www.marykay.com/lesliemdoyle
lesliemdoyle@hotmail.com
812-296-7152