Dude. So far behind on everything. AKA Days 12-16.

Well.  It seems that I'm not Superwoman.  And that's not because I don't have a red cape with matching tights.  I can't do it all.  And thus, am very far behind on many things, the least of which my poor daughter had to wear dirty jeans to her field trip.

NaNoWriMo:  So far behind on my writing that I'm contemplating bagging the whole thing.  Or, maybe I'll just aim for 40K words and be happy that I didn't lose my mind.

South Beach Diet:  We ended our two weeks of Phase One.  Both my Hubs and I made it through, unscathed, with a combined weight loss of 25 pounds.  12 of those were mine.  Not too shabby for just 2 weeks of paying attention to what I stuck in my mouth and avoiding carbs like they were covered in rat poison.

Now we're on to Phase Two.  Which is the really long portion of this whole shebang.   It's where we begin to reintroduce starches and carbs and fruit and yummy stuff back into our diet.  And I'm trying to not panic as I roam the aisles at the grocery store, planning each meal so we don't puff up like puffer fish because I fed us the wrong kind of rice.

I shall not be talking much about SBD anymore (much to my and your relief, I'm sure) because I'm kind of sick to death of talking about it.

Harry Potter:  Heading to my local theater this Friday morn to watch this epic movie that I'm quite sure is the best thing ever.  And then I'm eating a piece of cake.  Shut up.  Yes I am.

The End.

Day Ee-lev-ohn. NaNoWriMo and South Beach

If I fall asleep whilst writing this post, forgive me, kind reader.  It's been a very long day.

NaNoWriMo:  Week two kicks your butt.  Or maybe it's just my butt that's feeling kicks.  I mean, I'm doing ok word wise.  It's just the daily set a side time to write is going to be uber challenging for me because I'm also working a million hours this week.  (Woot for employment!)  It took me all day to finally sit at the computer to bust out a scene or two.

Also, I feel like I've just crested this immense hill that my main character had to summit.  And I'm totally scared to read what I wrote in fear that I'll read it and say, "man, my writing totally sucks rocks".  So I'm just going to keep writing without revising anything, lest I quit in throws of desperation for how much I suck as a writer.  Where is Stephen King when I need to ask him questions?

This is what I was thinking today as I was mopping the floors at my job:  what makes a writer?

I mean, here I am, writing.  Does that make me a writer? What about when I write a grocery list or a rent check.  Am I a writer?  Do I have to be published to be called a writer?  I've not had the pleasure of publishing, aside from the daily PUBLISH POST action I do when I post these little novels of drivel.  It's mind boggling.  And you know what I decided whilst all that mopping?  This:  I've got to buy a Swiffer.

South Beach Diet:  Today's temptation:  Bagel chips.  Also, I made sushi rice krispies for work and had to pretend that cockroaches had crawled on them so I didn't cram them into my cheeks like a squirrel.  Also, my Hubs deliberately coughed all over something that was making us jones for carbs.  He knows just what to do, man.  So, weight loss stands at 10 lbs.  I wore a shirt that used to fit like sausage casing earlier this year and was happy to see that today, it fit normal.  Although it's still the color of sausage casing, which makes me think I need to rethink my wardrobe colors.  So, lots of victories, both in the conquering temptations, weight loss and wearing nicely fitting shirts.  Sweet.  And thank God that the first two weeks are almost up.

I'm going to bed.

Day 10: NaNoWriMo and South Beach Diet

Day 10.  A week and a half in.  So let's get to it.

NaNoWriMo:  It's fitting to me that I'm about to bust through the 20K word count tonight, making my deadline that much closer.  As I told my good writing friend, it's official.  I've become obsessed with writing.  Today, I treated myself to lunch today at Qdoba (naked burrito) whilst out doing a bagillion errands and the entire time, I kept thinking about my main character and all she's going through.  It's a wee bit painful, because she's at the pinnacle of despair, her whole world is kind of collapsing.  I have to go up for air quite frequently, so that I can view her from afar before I plunge back into her world.  Very intenseish.

South Beach:  8 lbs gone in just 10 days.  I'm throwing a party when I hit 10 lbs.  And only serving hummus.  You're all invited.  It'll be a BYOB.  Bring your own bottle...of water.

Today was also painful on the food front because I had to make a food that was red for work tomorrow.  So I made sushi rice krispie treats.  It's rice krispie treats formed to look like pieces of sushi, wrapped in red fruit roll ups, Swedish Fish on top for nagiri, red sugar crystals as sesame seeds.  My awesome buddy and pal, Winn, is the inspiration behind that particular madness.  I'm pretty sure that I'm never going to get the butter off my hands.  It was, in one simple word:  sticky.  Very very very sticky.  Here's hoping they go over well at work.  Also, I forgot to take a picture.  Because my hands were covered in butter.

But I didn't cheat.  Not at all.  Not even to pop one tiny red sugar crystal in my mouth.  And for that, I'm kind of proud of myself.  Because two weeks ago?  I might've licked the counter clean of all the spilled sugar.

Hope your Wednesday is humpy and lumpy like my sushi.

Day 9: NaNoWriMo and SBD, with some Christmas crafts thrown in for spice

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here at Chez Murphy.  That doesn't mean that I have my tree up already, or lights twinkling in the windows.  It doesn't mean that I'm watching movies with my kids like Elf or Polar Express.  It also doesn't mean that I'm whipping up batches of cookies or wreaths of fudge, planning my holiday menus with care.  Nay.

What that means here at my house is that I'm busy making Christmas crafts.

I do this every year.  I blame my mother, who started me early down this road, making sequined ball ornaments for teachers, watching her crochet a baby afghan for the procreating teachers I had through the years.  So, in keeping with family tradition, I make at least half of the gifts that we give away.

Sometimes it's a scarf, sometimes it's a toe sock filled with dry rice and cloves to be heated up in the microwave to sooth those tense muscles.  Sometimes, it's a rag doll, or a doll quilt.

This year, I only had a few crafts to undertake.  Which is good, because between my full time job as a wife/mom, my part time job at the mall and the full/part time job as a wanna be writer, there was hardly any time to pick up a knitting needle.

So this year, I focused on my two nieces, living abroad in Germany.  Just about everything I've ever given them has been either hand sewn or knitted.  I like this, I hope that one day, they remember Aunt Kearsie as that Lady Who Made Me Cool Stuff That I Probably Just Drooled On Or Let The Dog Use As A Chewtoy.

For my youngest niece, I added to her collection of felt food and made these:

Felt utensils

A flipper spatula, a rubber spatula, a wooden spoon, a whisk and an utensil cup, to hold them all.  I might get crazy and add to this, it just depends on time.

Then, for my older niece, I found out she collects elephants.  Sooo, I sewed this little thing up:

Now back to our regular junk.

NaNoWriMo:  inspiration struck twice yesterday, which had me at my keyboard, tap tap tapping away.  I've just put my main character into the worst situation possible, which made my head hurt and I had to take a giant break where I watched the first episode of Conan on TBS and ate a leisurely lunch.  Now I'm back, refreshed, if not a bit sleepy from my Zucchini Lasagna, and ready to write some intense scenes.  Or watch a movie.  With my Snuggie.

South Beach:  Totally bored to death, but I lost 2 more lbs so whatareyougonnado?  Tonight, I'm making something uber easy:  Italian Chicken.  I'm just beating the tar out of a couple of chicken breasts and marinading them in Italian dressing, then cooking at 325 for an hour.  Boom.  

Hope your day is oisome. 

Day 8: NaNoWriMo and South Beach

*Yawn*  Man, I'm getting up earlier and earlier thanks to stupid DST.  Ok ok it's not stupid, but dude, I really don't want to be waking up at 6:00 in the morning.  I'm not that much of an achiever, I tell you.

Let's get to it.

NaNoWriMo:  I'm doing just peachy.  At least today.  Also, wasn't that such a pessimistic thing to say?  It's because my main character is, indeed, a mega pessimist.

Also, I'm super excited because I introduced a new character.  She was so needed.  She's named after my 12th grade English Honors teacher, Ms. Shaddy.  Woot!  Also, I loved Ms. Shaddy because she was super fun and she loved me because I used colloquials with every breath.  And her red pen loved my papers because I'd write things like "MacBeth was rad".  And she'd circle that RAD and jot to the side COLLOQUIAL.  What's awesome about Parasomnia, is that I can use colloquials ALL THE TIME.  Muahahaahahaha!

Also, I wonder if Ms. Shaddy remembers the time in a class discussion that I referred to one of the characters in the book Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens as "Mr. Peckersniff".  Also, unless you know that book or characters or were in that classroom, you'll not understand one word of that.

But my favorite memory of Ms. Shaddy's class was from the last day of class.  I found a cardboard cut out of Mel Gibson somewhere in Ms. Shaddy's room.  Just the top half from the movie Lethal Weapon.  And all the students and Ms. Shaddy signed the back of it.  Mel sat in the passenger seat of my Dodge Rampage as we drove around town.

Good times, good times.

South Beach:  While I'm SO OVER THIS AND JUST WANT A PIECE OF BREAD ALREADY FOR THE LOVE OF GOD ALMIGHTY, I am excited that I am, indeed losing the weight.  Not a whole lot, but a little.  So.

Also, last night I made the yummiest dinner ever and have to put the recipe here for you.  Because I need content Because I think you'll like it.

Stuffed Peppers

You'll need:

Peppers (I used red, orange and yellow, but green would be fine too)

Ground turkey (I got taco flavored kind, because that's all the store had)

1 can of tomato sauce

1/2 an onion, chopped

Mexicanny cheese

*Brown rice (in recipe, but we can't have that until next week so we just omitted)

Preheat oven to 350.  Wash your peppers. Slice them in half any way you want.  Clean out seeds and ribs.  Place on baking dish sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes.  Whilst peppers are baking, brown your meat.  I added less than 1/2 a chopped onion.  You could add spices as well but mine was already taco flavored.  After meat/onions are browned, add the can of tomato sauce.  (Also add cooked rice if you're including this)

Take peppers out of oven and put scoops of meat mixture in each pepper shell.  Top with cheese (I used 2% Colby or something) and bake for 20 minutes.

Voila.  And yummy.

Hubs and I each got two halves, leaving him enough for lunch.

*if you included rice, you'd have lots to work with.

Sooo, happy Monday.

Days Six and Seven: NaNoWriMo and SBD with a sprinkle of DST

Man I love me some abbreviations.

I'm combining Saturday and Sunday together b/c dude, nothing exciting enough happened to warrant a special post for each.  Also, it's weird updating the bloggage today, as I never do on the weekends.  I might have to do other weird things today, like pluck my eyebrows and dust my baseboards.  Wait, I better not get too ahead of myself.

NaNoWriMo:  Still plugging right along.  Like my diet, I fear this next week will be me repeating over and over "Dude, I am SO OVER THIS".  I must stay the course and blah blah keep writing blah blah write write yada yada waaaaaaah.  My word count is doing just fine though.  Not anorexic at all.  But it could definitely use some protein.

Aaaand segway to next, um, segment.

South Beach:  Diet is fine blah blah not cheated yet blah blah.  Man, I need some cake.  No, I need some Twizzlers.  No!  I need a Diet Coke!  Yes!  That I can have.  One nice thing:  I perched on the scales, held my breath and thought nice light thoughts of down feathers floating gently in the breeze and saw that in 6 days I'd lost 6 lbs.  Not too shabby.  It gives me enough drive to see what the numbers will be by the end of next week.  Also, I'll bet a piece of cake weighs 6 lbs.  Shut up, yes it does.  *repeats to myself over and over*

Today I must make more Baked Egg Cups.  Seriously, such an easy recipe, easy to store in the fridge, easy to pop in the microwave, easy to eat.  It's just plain easy.  And, I ate the last one day.  So.

Daylight Savings Time:  Oh haaaaiii, DST, thanks for waking me up bright and early at 6:45 a.m.  I want to like you, but I fear me waking up earlier in the day will only force me to be either a) way more industrious and cleany housish or b) spend way more time wasting the hours on the computer, throwing blankets of guilt on my conscience, hating your guts.  Let's hope for a), shall we?

Happy Sunday.

Day Five: NaNoWriMo and South Beach Diet

Man.  Today is a wicked awesome day.  For several reasons.  You're dying to know why, aren't you?  Of course you are!

Ok, so NaNoWriMo:  I did an unplug today with my dear friend, Marisa, whom I want to heap accolades and gratitudes to for talking me down from my mental ledge yesterday.  I've been writing blather and nonsense in a novel form, feeling horrendously inadequate, questioning every life choice I'd made, wanting to quit already.  It's so amazingly wonderful to have someone there who completely understands the desperation and frustration and all kinds of tions you go through whilst writing.

Also, for the uninformed, an unplug is where you don't play on Facebook or answer emails or paint your toenails, you just sit and write for an hour.  And probably will be the reason I have any sort of success in this whole writing bizness.

Also, two majorly huge humongously awesome things happened today whilst unplugging.

1.  I figured out the name of my book.  May I introduce you to a little novel called PARASOMNIA?  Yes, I'm beaming with pride.  It's like holding my first born.  Except this one doesn't poop on me.  Also, if anyone uses my name for their book, I might have to find you and cut you.

2.  I figured out the ending of my book.  Woot!!  Seriously, that was why I was on that mental ledge yesterday, pulling my hair and eyelashes out, throwing my hands up to the sky in a plea for strokes of brilliance or at least something decent like.  So now, all these words are going somewhere.  Writing a book, at least for me, is like trying to decipher what shape an object is in the dark.  I know it's there, I just can't figure out what it is.  And then slowly, slowly it's like ohhhh this is a square.  Or something.  Also, I just know all your dirty minds out there have taken these past few sentences and tweaked them to your base and wicked means.

South Beach:  Nothing to report, other than I sifted through about eleventy hundred pieces of Halloween candy for something to put in my kids' lunch boxes and escaped the incident with nary a piece of sweet chocolate and peanut butter in my mouth.  Phew.  It was a close call.

We're here to the weekend, which I foresee as being a hard time for me and the Hubs.  We're getting munchies and cravings and just in general want to stuff our faces with something normal.  Like bread.  We must stay the course.  We must plan our meals and snacks.  We must go to the library because we need new books.  Or wait, that's just me.

I hope you have a very very happy Friday.

Day Four: NaNoWriMo and South Beach

So.  It's Day Four.  You're dying to know my thoughts on said day.  I shall appease you, because I am merciful.

NaNoWriMo:  As you can see by my word count over there ---> I'm doing ok.  Not spectacular.  Not incredible.  But ok.  Kind of like my haircut right now.  I'm praying for inspiration and genius to strike me, for plot and structure to flow through my neatly trimmed nails/fingers.  I'm hoping for good music to inspire me.  But I can't shake the feeling that I'm quite possibly a giant poser.

For fun, here is the song that inspired my little story.



Such a fun song.  Kind of like the voice of my main character.  Now if only I could figure out what's going to happen to her...

South Beach Diet:  Also going well.  You know, the Hubs and I were talking last night about the last time we did the SBD way back in 2005.  I think we fell off the wagon early, probably because of a holiday or a vacation or something fatty and caloric.  And what the difference is between that previous endeavor and now.  I think the biggest difference is that we're doing this new way of life/eating for health, not just to look high school skinny.  Although, I wouldn't turn my nose up of I dropped oh, say 60 lbs.  It could happen.  Shut up, yes it can.

I think the biggest element of success this time around is planning.  Now, I'm not a good planner.  Sure, I like my lists and writing lists and carrying lists and thinking of lists.  But using said lists?  Not so good at that.  I lose my list.  Or fish it out of my bag to find my list folded up with a wad of gum stuck in the middle.  Or with kid snot on it.  So at the grocery store I wing it most of the time.  Or I plan a craft.  Say, sewing a queen sized quilt (this is a true story).  Except, I get to the fabric store and have nary a clue just how big the dimensions are for a queen sized quilt.  And so said quilt really becomes fit for a twin sized bed.  I'm just not good at planning.

But this time I had to kick that planning in the butt.  So I planned and set out all our meals.  That includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I know what you're thinking.  You're feeling overwhelmed by it all, frustrated by the whole idea.  I know, sweet reader.  I understand.  I normally feel this way too.  My husband says the word "plan" and I get the hives.  But this time, I don't know, it's just working.

Now, I'll be realistic and admit that it's just day four, there's plenty of time for temptation (like the fresh Krispy Kreme today at work or the myriads of Halloween candy in my kitchen) to kick me around and beat me into submission.  But I feel different this time.  Stronger, maybe?  Determined?  I don't know.  But I like it.

A quick recipe:

Pinto Beans with Salsa

You'll need:

Crock pot

Bag of dried pinto beans

Jar of salsa

Water

Wash beans.  Soak beans overnight.  I did this using my crackpot.  In morning, drain beans, pick out the gross stuff like rocks.  Put back in crock pot.  Empty jar of salsa (I used a big jar).  Fill same jar with water.  Add to beans.  Cook on low for 12 hours. 

My beans could've used a bit more water, but the family seemed to enjoy them.

Bon Appétit.

Back to NaNo...

Day Three of NaNo/SBD

Are you bored to death yet?  Well, don't look now, folks, but we've got 27 more days in the month of November.

So.  NaNoWriMo.  Still writing.  In fact, I need to up my word count.  I read an interesting blog post by Maggie Stiefvater, author of Shiver, one of my faves.  She had a different look on NaNo, I'm glad I read it because it was good to see both sides of the, um, thing.  Also, I'm so glad I want to be a writer, because words are my life and all I can think of to describe the issue of NaNo is "thing".  Man.  I blame working today as reasons why my brain is pudding.  Also my feet are dead.  Dead, I say.

South Beach Diet.  Still on it.  Already losing weight.  I know I know, I'm not supposed to weigh myself every day.  Well, get over it.  I'm going to.  Because my scale is right.there.  And I really want to know.  So weigh every day I shall.  And you can't stop me.

I'm sorry, kind reader.  I blame the Halloween candy in my kitchen calling out to me.  It's those Almond Joys.  Durn you, Almond Joys!

Anyways, let me share with you another good low carb meal that I made last night.  Because I know you're not nearly bored enough.

Zucchini Lasagna

You'll need:

Two or three zucchini (depending on size), sliced in pretty little round slices, skin still on

Spaghtetti sauce (I bought this way expensive sugar free kind)

1 lb ground turkey (you could use beef but I never do)

Mozarrella cheese (shredded, preferably 2% or low fat kind)

Brown your meat. When browned, drain if necessary.  Put meat back in skillet, add in spaghetti sauce, heat until warm.  Spray a glass casserole dish (I use the regular 9 x 13 or whatever) with cooking spray.  Put thin meat/sauce layer on bottom of dish.  Layer of zucchini slices.  Meat/sauce layer.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Zucchini layer.  Meat/sauce layer.  Cheese.  Repeat until you've depleted your zucchini/meat/sauce/cheese. Bake at, oh I don't know, something like 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Or until bubbly.  Or until the zucchini isn't tough.  Or until you think it looks done.  

Voila.

It was nummy.

Happy...what day is today?

Day 2: NaNoWriMo/South Beach

Welp, folks, I managed to make it through one entire day of NaNoWriMo and South Beach.

As you can see I added a little widget thingy to help me keep track of my word count.  Because it's all about counting words this month.  Look over there -->  See it?

You may be wondering, why am I writing about NaNoWriMo and South Beach on this here blog?  Well, it's because I figure if I make my goals for both public, to all three of you who read this, then you three kind readers will help keep me accountable.  But if I do it alone, then it'll just be more room for failure.

NaNoWriMo:  I'll just be writing a few scenes today.  One of the beautiful things about NaNo is that they like you to fly by the seat of your pants.  And that's just the way I like to write.  It's a rush, almost, sitting here at my Mac, with nary an idea of what will come out as the result.  It's like verbal lip rings.  Daring and bold, and a bit risky.  I like it.  So I'll be writing lots of scenes, just to spit them out.  And then revise them later.  String them together.  Fix words and whathaveyou.  All in hopes it turns into a novel.

South Beach:  So I didn't cheat at all yesterday, despite the two giant bowls full of candy from my kids' trick or treating forays.  I would say I deserve a Klondike bar, but alas, they are not South Beach approved.  I did find a good recipe I'll share, because I can't bore you enough with my "day to day run of the mill shizz"  (Love that, Shelley!)

Baked Egg Cups

(I found this recipe on my Spark Recipe app on my iPrecious)

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Spray cups of muffin pans with cooking spray.  I did all twelve.  Even though the recipe only calls for six.  I'm an overachiever. 

You'll need:

Ham slices (I used Canadian bacon instead, because that's what I had)

Eggs (I would use large eggs, not jumbo or dude, you'll be overflowing with eggs)

Salt/Pepper (I also used Paprika)

Cheese (low fat, 2% kind)

Chives (didn't use this at all, because I didn't have any)

After cups are sprayed, line cups of muffin tin with ham or Canadian bacon slices.  They will stick up out of the cups.  This is ok.  I used two Canadian bacon slices for each cup, overlapping them.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Take out of oven, crack open an egg and pour it into the Canadian bacon cup.  Break yolk slightly.  Salt, pepper, paprika.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs.  Add cheese.  I skip this part for myself, because I don't have to have cheese.  Call me weird.  Serve immediately.  Or, do like I did and put them in an airtight container so Hubs and I can grab one each morning, heat it up and voila!  Breakfast.  

Also, today, after I do my cleaning/laundry/blahblah/writing/music listening/Ellen watching I'll start making felt toys for my two awesome nieces.  I must get a head start on this because they are in Germany, so I must account for shipping.

I shall be using this picture as inspiration:

This is from the etsy shop royalrugrats and they make amazing felt toys, should you be in the market for such niceties.

Also I have one last locker hooking project.  I know, I know, you wish I'd shut up about locker hooking if I'm not going to do my tutorial.  I agree, frustrated friend. I shall get right on that, after NaNo is over.

Happy Tuesday.

We interrupt this regularly scheduled blogpost to bring you breaking news

Ok, so it's not exactly breaking news but whatev.

So it's November 1st.  November shall be an interesting, challenging and very different month for me.  Why, you ask?  Well, inquisitive reader, let me tell you.

November is all about two things.  Well, really more like three or four things, but for sanity's sake, let us just touch on two things.  I hope you've washed your hands.

1)  NaNoWriMo.  It begins today.  That means for the next month, I shall write my novel, piece by piece, bit by bit, word by word, iTunes playlist by iTunes playlist.  It shall be a writing fest.  Or, a tool which drives me over the edge and I lose my mind, wearing my bra outside my clothes and eating clothespins dipped in mustard.  Whichever.  My goal every single day is to hit a word count of 1,667 words.  Some days, I'll be full of the words, spilling them here onto my trusty Mac, ready for the next day.  Some days, I'll be sitting here plucking my eyelashes, desperate for words to smack me upside my head.  I shall keep you abreast of the situation.  Also, I shan't use the word "abreast" ever again.  *washes eyes*

2)  Today also begins the day that my Hubs and I embark on a journey of low-carbness.  His doctor recommended the South Beach Diet for him, and as I'm a kind of gal to jump on the wagon with you should you hurdle down the road of weight loss, I am joining him in this endeavor.  Also, it's just way too hard shopping for two kinds of meals.  I'm nothing if not simple.  So today, after I sit here at my Mac, writing all this nonsense to you, I shall stand up, get out of my pajamas, clean up a little (because my mind likes a calm and soothing atmosphere and I'm tired of tripping over shoes), I shall sit back down to my computer, write a bit, then I shall head to the kitchen, where the magic happens (diet magic, although I'm not opposed to other kinds of magic, like laundry magic or toilet cleaning magic) and whip up some breakfasty things for me and Hubs to grab in our crazy busy lives.

I know, my life is so riveting, you're dreading the end of my post, wherein I close the door to my life, leaving you wanting more.  I know, kind friend.  But never fear, I shall be back tomorrow, with more drivel and nonsense and updates on writing and diet magic.  I am so benevolent, aren't I?

So, should you want to join me on either journey as above referenced, let me know!  There's room on my wagon for more.

Happy Monday.