Off Topic: Roger Waters: The Wall Live

So, I'm constantly reading about how to improve my blog. I read somewhere that going off topic and telling a little bit about yourself is good. Well, last night I (kinda) fulfilled something on my Bucket List.

I've been wanting to see Pink Floyd in concert for many years, I've been a fan for about 25 years. The band is of course never going to completely reunite because two of the founding members are dead. However, I did see my favorite band member perform my favorite Pink Floyd album last night. Roger Waters performed "The Wall" in it's entirety in a grand over the top spectacular multi-media extravaganza at the Times Union Center in Albany.

I saw and experienced so much last night that I could go on and on but, I'll sum it up as succintly as possible with a bulleted list..

WARNING! SPOILERS FROM HERE ON! DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU ARE GOING TO THE SHOW AND YOU DON'T WANT THE SHOW RUINED!

Last night in the show there were (Note: measurements are just estimations on my part):

• Larger than life characters: a 60 foot teacher puppet that had spotlight eyes that lit up and changed from clear to red and was impressively mobile, graceful and busy with movement from every angle (even his hair moved), a "Mother" balloon that was about 30 feet high with red eyes that lit up, a 40 foot "Wife" balloon/puppet complete with red neon lips that lit up.
• A 40 foot wall that went up before your eyes, it was completed by intermission. Projected upon it were very stunning well choreographed, high def. visuals, that messed with your depth perception. It spanned the width of the entire Times Union Center. At times it seemed as though the wall was moving and a living breathing thing, it of course came crashing to the stage at the end
• Amazing music from a legendary album. I've been listening to "The Wall" since I was 13 and the album shaped my teenage years. So seeing this show meant more to me than just fulfilling something on my bucket list. My "inner child" was enthralled the entire show.
• Being in the presence of a music legend. At 68 years old Roger Waters still has it vocally and he makes it all look effortless.Although, they did change the key of a few of the songs performed later in the show, but still, he dazzled with his voice. I've always said he is arguably one of, if not the, best voice in rock music ever.
• A black inflatable pig blimp  as Greg Haymes from the Times Union said was "the size of a bus" that had red light up eyes and had various symbols of oppression and sayings on it, which I was sure was going to land in the crowd at a few points.
• A four foot tall "Pink" doll, 
• "Stormtroopers" complete with hammer logo banners, 
• Roger Waters "shooting" the crowd with a machine gun during the "dictator" section of the show ("Run Like Hell", "In the Flesh", "Waiting For The Worms")
• A ten foot long model of a WW2 plane that crashes in to the wall
• Pyrotechnics (Flames for when the plane crashed in to the wall, and 'fireworks' shooting up from the stage and down from the scaffolding behind the stage)
• The legendary "Pink Floyd" circle hanging over the stage behind the band (I thought it looked a tiny bit oval)
• Ten (I think there may have been more) local teens on stage wearing black t-shirts that said "Walls build fear" singing that famous chorus from "Another Brick in the Wall Part 2" "We don't need no education..."
• A small room with a chair, a window with a great view of an unnamed city, and a flat screen TV that folded up in to the wall ("One of my turns")
• During "Comfortably Numb" the singer who was singing David Gilmour's parts Robbie Wyckoff  was raised to almost the top of the wall as well as the guitarist who played David's guitar parts, David Kilminster (you could see them about mid-thigh up)
• Amazing lighting effects
• Realistic sound effects
• And last but not least. Roger Waters admitting he was "grumpy" and "fucked up" around the time he wrote and the band recorded "The Wall"

I really thought I was going to have many "Oh really, Roger?!?!?" moments because I knew he had tailored the show to modern days issues like War, Terrorism, Police brutality, the Occupy Wall Street movement, etc, but I was not offended in the least. It was an amazing once in a lifetime experience I will never forget. The tickets were expensive on the floor, about $200, but I can see why. I might feel gyped if I got to another expensive show and all I get is singing.

I've been to many concerts in my lifetime, 50+ ever since 1984 and the only concerts that come close to what I saw last night were Garth Brooks (Fresh Horses tour) and KISS (reunion tour and Psycho Circus 3D) and they are a very very very very very very very far away in the list of great concerts I've been to compared to what I saw last night. I feel as though I was changed last night. Don't know how, but I feel I am a better person for it.

As always, thank you for reading.

Houston we have a problem. Abort mission! I repeat abort mission!

I've been doing really well on the walking/hiking front so I wanted to test/push myself. I also had a candy bar to walk off because I went over my points last night. So, I was going to walk five miles. I didn't want to go the old route. crossing four lanes of 55 MPH traffic isn't exactly my cup of tea and that was is only 2.5 miles and I didn't want to lap the block, so I figured I'd walk on the quieter side of our neighborhood. I went to Google Maps and measured how far five miles would be to walk. I had my plan, so I put on my, sunglasses, ball cap, sneakers and Ipod and headed out.

I live near one of those three digit state routes. Probably the most well known one in the Capital Region is 146 in Clifton Park. That's exit 9 off 87 where The Crossing, the newly re-named Northern Lights  and Clifton Park Center all are as well as lots of restaurants.The three digit state route near my house has some nice wide shoulders so I should have no problems walking on them, right? Well, those nice wide shoulders end less than a 1/4 from where my road meets the state route, and there's no sidewalk. Oh wait. There is a sidewalk. It looks more like a ditch because it's curved inward in the middle. I didn't want to twist an ankle so I stayed on the road. I was actually walking on the sold white line rather than walk on the "sidewalk".. Also the "sidewalk" is only about 1/8 of a mile if you're lucky. It's also not well maintained.  In addition to all of that, there's a few pretty scary curves, even when you're driving, on that road where I had to practically walk in the road. I kept scouting out the other side for the walk back and saw little to no shoulder. So, needless to say I turned around.

I considered going my old route, but walked right past it. I got home to discover that I had walked a little less than my regular 2.5. I did 2.2.  However, I'm pretty sure my heart rate was pretty high when those cars came whizzing by when I was walking with little or no shoulder so I should get some kind of bonus! Nonetheless, at least I accomplished something I set out to do. I walked off that candy bar I finished off last night that put me over points. So at least some good came out of it. Not that I'm complaining.

As always, thanks for reading

Wild times at the Dunkin Donuts

So I was commenting on one of the blogs on the Times Union site and I mentioned how I once worked at a 24 hour Dunkin Donuts. I worked every single shift that place had and a big part (at least 75%) of that time I worked the overnight shift, 10pm-6am. I've seen some crazy stuff.

There was a guy doing handstands in the lobby, a guy I had never met before asking me to go away with him on a bus to another state because I was beautiful (we were right across the street from the bus station), people driving drunk through the drive thru, the NYC prison bus that came at 2am with spouses of prisoners visiting their husbands in a maximum security prison. They were some of the toughest women I've ever seen and would hate to have pissed them off. There's also the person who came in a few nights in a row who appeared to be homeless. I think I saw her a few days later on "Unsolved Mysteries". My personal favorite were the sorority pledges that were forced to stand at attention in a line outside the windows while their sisters sat on the inside having fun. There was also the guy who came in about once a week or so, so I knew his order. He knew I knew his order. He came in high one night and he was totally blown away that I knew his order.

So the point to all of this is the Christmas gift I received for my first and only year working there. It was a tradition for the Manager to take the microphone from the DJ and to give gags gifts out for Christmas while explaining why she gave them. For example, one of the assistant managers was always saying "I saw it on Oprah" so they gave her a paperback written about Oprah. Ok, that's cool. That's fun! Then my turn came.

Now, keep in mind this was 1993, I was just barely 20, so it's all kinda fuzzy in my mind, but I do remember she said "Every time I see you, you're eating". We were allowed to eat anything we wanted at anytime, for free, as long as it was not in view of customers and we weren't too busy. So I'd pop a munchkin from time to time. Obviously those munchkins were popped about the time the manager would pop in to say hi when I worked nights. I also remember eating a lot of frozen chocolate chunk cookie dough.

So she takes my gift out of the bag and it's this horrible little stuffed person magnet with a red bathing suit on that says "Eating is My Life" across the chest and she reads the words to me "Eating is my life!" and laughs. The whole place laughed with her.

There's irony that I have my tracker in the background

Yeah. Real funny. I was an 18/20 back then and only about 210. My Mom recently found the horrible little stuffed person in stuff I had boxed up and left behind when I moved to Minnesota in 2003. She presented the stuff to me when I was up there visiting her in May. Time had taken it's toll on the horrible little stuffed person magnet. It was pretty gross looking as you can see in the picture. Good enough excuse to throw it out, so I did. I have no idea why I kept it. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

As always thanks for reading

Inspirational songs

I'm sure my idea of an inspirational song is different than yours. Your musical tastes might not be the same as mine either. I know I'm not as much as a country fan as I once was but I still consider myself a Garth Brooks fan, so I have to include him here because he's made so many great inspirational songs that can apply to a weight loss journey.

Here are a list of songs(complete with links to You Tube) that I find inspirational and that are very important to me when it comes to inspiring me to keep going on my journey if I need it, for my walks, or to just inspire me to keep keeping on. I might be doing a series of these but here are some songs for now, in no particular order, (although the first two just happen to be my favorites of the list and they're in my order of preference)

1. Alive - Meat Loaf
2. It's My Life - Bon Jovi
3. Do It Our Way (Play) - Alesha Dixon feat. real members of Weight Watchers
4. One Moment In Time - Whitney Houston
5. Standing Outside The Fire - Garth Brooks (All I could find was a homemade video with the song)
6. This is the Moment - From the musical Jekyll and Hyde sung by Anthony Warlow (All I could find was a live video)
7. Do What You Gotta Do - Garth Brooks
8. The River - Originally recorded by Garth Brooks, but all I could find is the Scotty McCreery version
9. It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken - The Tragically Hip
10. I Run For Life - Melissa Etheridge (I couldn't find the official video. I figure the Oprah version was good enough)

That's enough for now.You may question why I put the last one on there. It's kinda a downer. Well, it's here because it reminds me that there are far worse things to overcome in the world than my weight and the fact so many people have beat cancer means I can certainly triumph over just about anything.

I'm sure you've noticed that not all of them are fast tempo songs so you might not want to put them in your Ipod for your next work out. You may want to add them to your workout play list or not. Maybe just save them for a rainy day or even not listen to them at all. All I know is I love music and it can be very powerful and these songs have encouraged me and pushed me many times in my life when I needed it. Might post some more as they come to mind.

Enjoy!

As always, thanks for reading.

Weight Loss Interview Series: Irene MacCollar

I haven't done one of my interview series entries in a long time. I had almost forgotten about it. Here is another installment. Irene and I know each other because her son married my Stepdaughter, so we share our wonderful Granddaughter! Enjoy!


Name?    Áine Irene MacCollar

How do we know each other?  We share a grand daughter! :)

Favorite pop culture things (Movie, Music(performer or band), Television show, Author, etc(Whatever favorite(s) you want to talk about))  indie music (especially Glen Hansard, and his bands The Swell Season and the Frames (not the US Frames)) and indie films especially English and Irish ones, living on the harbor in a beautiful part of  the world, fave actors are : Cillian Murphy, Mads Mikkelson, Daniel Craig, Dame Judy Densch, Kathy Bates, Colin Ferrell, Darren Healy, very rarely watch TV but would gladly watch Mad Men if it ever has another season.  Antique and cottage architecture and design, watercolors and writing.

Favorite guilty pleasure with food?  dark chocolate covered malt balls, carrot cake and those orange chewy "circus peanuts".  I feel guilty just listing them!  I have banished circus peanuts from my life indefinitely, as they are almost pure processed sugar and thus very dangerous for me. I try to never use the term "guilty pleasure" because gaining weight is not a pleasure. I call these foods "toxic to my health and dangerous to my future".

General location? (i.e. I'm 15 minutes outside of Albany, NY in a suburb of a suburb of a suburb so I say I'm from Albany when I'm online)  Belfast, Maine (A small, artistic, liberal harbor town community not far south of Acadia)

Hometown?  Petersburg, NY

Please feel free to tell me as much or as little as you want about your personal life. i.e. what you do for a living, relationship status, etc.  Divorced X2, best friends with the first and don't speak to the second, author, poet, artist, very proud mother of one perfect son, an awesome daughter-in-law, and the most beautiful and talented grand-daughter that ever lived (oh and did I say I was humble?).  I lived for ten years on a Maine island, and miss it terribly. Planning to move to Ireland at some point in the next two or three years part time and later full time.  Can live quite happily for long periods of time without human contact. Former journalist (along with all my other past professions) turned novelist (mostly erotic fiction: think Stephen King & Catherine Cookson meet Dr. Ruth and you'll have an idea of my work).

How did you lose your weight?  I personally don't believe that most "diet" plans can lead to permanent weight loss unless it's a way of eating that you can use every day for the rest of your life.  I changed my lifestyle permanently:

1. HOW I EAT: smaller portions off a smaller plate.  When eating out,  I refuse dessert and I ask for a take out box when the meal first arrives at the table so that I can package up half of the meal before I even get started. Set my fork down while I am chewing or talking.  MOST RESPONSIBLE FOR MY SUCCESS: every time I go for seconds or larger portions, I ask myself (DEMAND of myself) "am I eating this because I am really still hungry, or is it because the food looks and smells really good?" Almost always I admit I'm not really hungry and it keeps me from eating more.  Always STOP eating when I have had just enough (not when I am "full" - learn the difference), and either remove my plate from the table or physically push it away where I can't munch off it while I'm waiting for all the others to finish eating their seconds and thirds.  While watching videos and want munchies?  I try to keep my hands busy (crochet) and I keep a stash of grapes (easy to pop into the mouth just like chips) and when necessary I pop up some fat free popcorn.  I always prepare the plates from the counter and stove, and never set the serving dishes on the table home-style.  I ask people that I regularly eat with to help me by not eating dessert at the table because I've worked so hard, am not strong enough to resist, and  it is like having a beer in front of a newly recovering alcoholic: cruel.

2. WHAT I EAT:  I try to always use organic and fresh and I rarely eat anything processed, commercially frozen or canned food is a very small part of my diet.  I know what my triggers are (sugar, mainly) and have to be very strict with myself.  I have admitted about myself that processed sugar is not something I can satisfy myself with by taking "just a taste".  However, I allow myself one day a month (usually my most hormonal day) when I can eat ALMOST anything I want (chips and chocolate, mostly).  If I have an intense craving once in a very great while, I will allow myself a small or normal portion of that food in order to avoid the binging that inevitably results from denying a craving.   I know that I cannot have baked goods or snacks in the house or I will binge on them, so I set rules for others to hide it if they must bring it in (and hide it very well, I'm like a hound dog when I know it is there somewhere).  I know that if there is a bag of chips in the house or a monster bag of peanut M&Ms (for examples), I will not be satisfied until I have eaten the whole bag in one sitting, so at all costs I try to keep them out of the house.

MY VERSION OF EXERCISE:  I'm not a diligent exerciser, so I do other things, for example I ALWAYS do the stairs, try to walk my errands around town instead of driving, and park as far out in a parking lot as is possible so I have to walk a good distance to the store and back - little things like that.  Just keep moving every opportunity you have. I know that I will have to do some sort of serious exercise to maintain my loss.

HOW I TRACK MY WEIGHT:  I have a quality scale, and weigh myself every day at the same time of day and with the same scale.  I know that it's normal or me to gain and lose two or three pounds over the course of a day or two and don't get freaked about it, and don't ever count the ounces only the full pounds (why stress over what is likely water gain or menstrual bloating?).  I once had readings 5 lbs apart from each other in the same 24 hour period!  If the scale shows that extra couple of lbs more than two days in a row I take it seriously.

FINALLY:  I carry a fat picture in my wallet as motivation to stay on track when out.  It's a perfect photo because it is me with my son, who is one of my motivations for getting healthy. In it I am wearing clothes I picked out especially to hide my fat behind, and vow I will never look so frumpy and older than my years again.  Having gone from a tight 24 to a loose 12, I now walk that fine line between "inappropriately young for my age" and "One hot grandma!!" It's a blast. I also keep a pair of my "fat pants".

What piece of advice would you give someone trying to lose weight?  No offense to those who have lost while on commercial diet plans, I too lost on them  - several times, but always regained the lbs and then some, which is in keeping with many of the statistics. Some statistics also say that many who gain back those lbs, gain more on top of them, and that is mostly what I've had happen and have seen around me.  However, my advice is based on my own experience, and is not representative of everyone's experience.  Don't follow any diet plan that you cannot follow every day for the rest of your life.  Will you drink a protein shake for breakfast every day? Count points for the rest of your days? You know you won't, and so you run a significant risk of regaining. So, my advice is to change your lifestyle in ways you can live with the rest of your life.  These changes can be made a lot more easily than one might think, and the statistics will be on your side for the new you to be healthier and keep off the weight long term.  In the last year, I have never been hungry which I am honest in saying, because for the 28 years before that I was a terrible emotional eater - could never feel full until I was actually physically in pain.

Is there someone you'd like to give a shout out to that really has been integral in your weight loss? More than one person? If so, who and why?  No shout out by my son and his family are my greatest motivators.

What made you decide to lose weight?  I reached middle age and was suddenly aware that I was going to get old and it was now or never.  I was pissed at myself for all the years I allowed myself to be a treated like a second class citizen stripped of my femininity and youth and only got second glances because I was fat and not because I was attractive. I knew aging as an obese person increased greatly my propensity for serious health problems, and self-imposed loneliness.  Finally, the deciding factor was the birth of my grand daughter.  it made me strong enough to say enough was enough.

  

How did you surprise yourself?  It should not have been a surprise, but I just feel like a different person, I'm very happy with myself and my body, and dressing better and not hating myself every day of my life (conciously or not) for allowing myself to be fat. I did that before.

Has your presence on the internet affected your attitude toward your weight loss? If so, how?  No-one has actually "attacked" me, but I do find myself having to curtail my enthusiasm around others who have never had to lose weight or who are unhappy with their weight but not doing anything about.  My enthusiasm seems to make them sad and I don't want to do that. The only negative thing someone has said was one of my doctors of all people, who commented that statistics prove very few people maintain large weight loss.

Do you feel that people treat you differently?  The way others treat me in social and everyday situations. Sad and inexcusable but very true, it's like I am finally a real person that they are interested in talking to and flirting with, etc.  My change in physicality is not solely the reason for this. When I felt better and happier with myself, people wanted to be around me more, they are more interested in my life and who I am.  It's like I'm a light bulb that finally started to glow.

Are there any changes that you don't like?  Don't believe people when they say you'll lose a lot of breast weight, if I thought quality sexy 40 G wire-free bras were nearly impossible to find and afford, quality sexy wire-free 36 G's are impossible. The way everyone talked, I was looking forward to the girls resizing to a C cup or lower!  And, much of the time I still see the fat Áine in the mirror and not the thin one, which is emotionally problematic.

What are you going do when you get to goal?  Haven't decided, I better decide soon because I reach my goal (70 lbs lost) in 4 lbs.  (that's my original goal, I'd really like to lose another 5 after that)

If you would like to be featured in my "Weight Loss Interview Series" please email me

22 vs 30/32

These are my new 22 jeans on top of my old 30/23 jeans. I'm thrilled!

Before and After Part 2

So here's the one year on Weight Watchers pictures. 72 lbs lost

And here's the "Halfway" pictures. 120 lbs lost

Workout songs on my Ipod

I don't work out  as much as I should, but I went out walking today. I did a 2.5 mile walk in 50 minutes, just like Google said it would be. As one of my longtime Internet friends said "Google knows EVERYTHING".

While I was walking I kept zapping through the songs on my Ipod. I have a lot of  "Easy Listening" and Broadway songs on it and that of course is not very conducive to helping a workout. I also haven't updated my Ipod in years so it's not up with the times, not that I necessarily would be that "with the times" anyway. However, "Moves Like Jagger" should be on my Ipod for workout purposes and just general listening pleasure. Regardless, it got me thinking about what the best workout songs are on my Ipod. I came up with 14 of them out of a possible 22 fast tempo songs on my Ipod. For the record, I have 96 songs on my Ipod, but I digress. Here are the songs in no order:

1. Alive - Meat Loaf
2. Bad For Good - Meat Loaf
3. Runaway - BonJovi
4. The Monster is Loose - Meat Loaf
5. Last Dance - Donna Summer
6. Dirty Vegas - INXS
7. In View - The Tragically Hip
8. In the Land of the Pigs The Butcher is King - Meat Loaf
9. If We Never Meet Again -Tommy Conwell & the Young Rumblers
10. I Will Be There - Glass Tiger
11. I Run For Life - Melissa Etheridge
12. I Beg Your Pardon - Kon Kan
13. Hey Ya - OutKast
14. Spanish Train - Chris DeBurg

They're not perfect, it's not the songs I'd pick for a workout necessarily, but that's what's on my Ipod. I chose them because either they have a good driving beat, they're inspirational, or they drive me to do better. They could just do all of that together too.

I'll be doing another post all together for Inspirational songs as well as a post for my personal perfect workout play list.

Thank you for reading.

A Milestone Bordering on TMI

In case you can't tell by the title of this post, this post will be bordering on TMI (too much information). Maybe even entering TMI territory for the faint of heart. You've been warned.

There are milestones I've been keeping to myself because they are just TMI. Although I do share quite a bit on this blog and I'm willing to share probably more than some people, there are some aspects of my life I like to keep private. However I feel that I can skirt around TMI with a milestone I had last night.

One thing that is a big deal to me since I've lost all this weight, is not having to use the handicapped bathroom. I felt so awful going in and using it. Although, 99% of the time I wasn't inconveniencing anyone. One time I used it at our local Chinese buffet and an older lady with a walker came in and couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Even if I didn't really inconvenience anyone I got some dirty looks sometimes. I can only imagine what they were thinking. Shudder to think. Weird thing is, I am still in the habit of using the handicapped bathroom when I don't really need it anymore. I need to consciously remind myself that I don't need the handicapped stall anymore. I pride myself on not needing it any more and don't feel like I freak anymore because I don't have to use it.

Well, we went out to celebrate Hubby's birthday with some friends and there's a beer (snob) bar that Hubby loves to go to, so we had to go there. They have a very tight ladies room and I avoided it at all costs when I was heavier. It's a 'one holer' (which in my family means there is one toilet) and the walls are probably about six inches away from the toilet on both sides. Well, I conquered the ladies room last night. It was something on my weight loss bucket list and I'm so thrilled. I probably hadn't used that bathroom in at least two years and we've been there at least ten times in the last two years.

That is all. Thank you for reading. Hope I didn't cross the line with TMI.

Can you hear me now?

I'm going to be interviewed for a podcast for the blog Half Size Me. So you're going to be able to hear my very unique North Country, Canadian, New York, sometimes Minnesotan accent. Really looking forward to it! Very honored and very excited! The podcast should appear on the blog sometime in July or August. I'll make sure to promote the crap out of it so you won't miss it;-)

120 Down 120 To Go.

I did it! As of about 5:15pm tonight I officially found out I'm at the midway point! I've lost 120 lbs! I have 120 left to get to my goal of 145! I am so excited!

Halfway pictures coming soon!

End of May Catch Up

Not much to say. Just wanted to pop in and say "Hi". So, Hi! Hope all is well with you!

I know I've mentioned how I'm going to go to meetings every week now. Well, that got thrown out the window in the month of May. The week of May 14 I was sick, the week of May 21 I was out of town (yes I know that's no excuse, but I don't want to go to any other meetings than the one I go to), and the week of May 28 they were closed due to it being Memorial Day. Really looking forward to seeing everyone Monday. I'm hoping I've made it halfway to my goal. In the three weeks I could have lost five pounds. I can't wait to weigh in!

Me after hiking the Indian Ladder Trail

I had another milestone. I did something my husband and I have been talking about since we first got together seven years ago. I did the Indian Ladder Trail at Thacher Park! It was a bit strenuous at times. I had to stop a few times and a few times I was downright scared, but I did it.

We almost did that trail about five years ago. While we were doing the trail we realized that I would have been whining and complaining all along to way if we had taken it five years ago. My how times have changed.

After living in the Capital Region for almost seven years I finally I got a library card at one the bigger local libraries yesterday. I checked out The all-in-one Blogging For Dummies book. I thought I knew a lot about blogging. Well, I do and I'm learning some other stuff about blogging too. Some of it I want to use and other stuff I'll just ignore. I'm not here for a popularity contest, I'm here to share my story and inspire people. If I get lots of readers in the process, great. If I don't, well that's fine too. Blogging can be hard work, but I don't need to work at it that hard for my purposes.

As always, thank you for reading.