Points!

Ok.. Today I decided to try to become more serious about dieting..I have racked my brain on this one..What diet? How many calories? Low fat? Low Carb? I was so sick of the questions..I have done Atkins before and it is a pain.. I decided today to start counting points! I went online and found this handy dandy little calculator that counts the points.. http://www.webmilhouse.com/pointcalc.php I am so excited about this! I know, it doesnt take much!!! But anyway, I also found how to calculate my points and I realized that I could have about 24-26 points a day.. That sounded ok.. I then looked online to see how many points 3 slices of pizza from Dominoes was.. OOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMGGGGGGG! Umm.. a WHOLE days worth of points.. I guess I will not be eating that anymore..

I have someone I know who has inspired me to do this..Her name is Debbie Fulgham..She has lost about 65+ pounds doing this..She actually joined Weight Watchers..I dont feel the need to do that but I do feel the need to count points..Debbie looks great.. I hope to be able to stick to it like she has.. She calls herself the "point nazi" haha.. She says she is VERY stingy with her points..Ill keep you informed on this in the days and weeks to come..

My Favorite Reality Couple

Sad but true, Its Mike Boogie and Dr. Will..The two members of the group they named "Chill Town"..I have never laughed so hard in my life watching a show until these two fools were put together again for Big Brother All Stars..They have patented the term "Showmance", which is the term the 2 of them gave to explain their "hook ups" with Janelle and Erika..No one can forget after every eviction, these 2 would go to the storage room and dance around all happy because they had just sent someone else home..Dr. Will is also seen on Dr. 90210 on E channel..He plays himself.. He and Boogie own a few restaurants and clubs in California and Atlanta..Whats funny is it doesnt matter what show these two goofballs are on, they are still funny.. I would have loved seeing them on the Showtime Big Brother.. That would have been HILARIOUS.. We can only hope for another Big Brother All Stars show.. Although, I am sure that everyone has caught onto their little games.. :) I need HELP!! :)

Blog Name Change

I decided today that I needed to change the name of my blog from Weight Loss and American Idol to Weight Loss and Reality TV.. I dont talk about American Idol that much and there are MANY other reality shows that I watch.. Do you remember "Temptation Island"? Wow, now THAT was a family show! HA My husband and I watched "Paradise Hotel" R-E-L-I-G-I-O-U-S-L-Y every week when that show was out.. Watching Dave was reason enough.. That dude cracked me up! He really thought he was a stud!! We pretty much rearranged everything to watch the show , because that was before DVR for us.. I found out about 1/2 way through the shows tenure that my sister was also an addict for reality TV so we would spend hours discussing the shows like we were their family or friends.. It was so funny.. I knew we had a problem when I found myself GREATLY bothered by one episode and my husband and I spent about an hour discussing it like we were there and actually had an opinion.. That was when I knew it.. I KNEW we were addicted to Reality TV.. We watch everything.. I havent been able to get into Survivor though..They have snakes on there and I cant LOOK at a snake, much less watch it on TV.. I avoid anything like that.. YUCK

OMG Paula!

Paula looks like shes been drinking again! geez.. I thought id have to comment while it was fresh on my mind!!! :) Looks like a fun season in store on American Idol! And what the heck was with the Goth chick with the nipples screaming? She definately thinks shes hot.. haha I dont know who was scarier , her or Paula?

UUGGHHHHH

I have been soooo busy I havent had time to post anything! I feel like I am so behind! Its American Idol night! My middle son is in the 8th grade at Riverchase Middle School and is trying out for the baseball team this week.. The coach is having tryouts take place at 5:30.. My oldest son is on the Varsity Baseball team and they have practice until 5.. This means tryouts will run PAST American Idol time.. Doesnt the coach KNOW THAT? My gosh! Thank God for DVR!!! We always missed our shows once baseball season started..NOT ANYMORE!! I heard today that they are holding tryouts for the next Real World in Birmingham this weekend! If I was young and single Id try out.. How much fun would that be? I remember the first season of The Real World when Julie from Birmingham was there.. She was so cute! The girl on the radio said that there is a good chance someone from Birmingham will be on it..I guess theres ANOTHER reality show I will watch.. I watch most of them.. My favorite, besides American Idol is BIG BROTHER..And when they started putting it on Showtime, I was TOTALLY hooked.. Countless hours watching them do absolutely NOTHING! Sometimes you could hear a good conversation but most the time, it was BORING.. DVR to the rescue!!! :) I will try to write more later..

MEME GAME

This is a tag game. I was tagged to participate by my blogger friend, http://www.lbratina.blogspot.com/. In the context of web logs / 'blogs / blogging and other kinds of personal web sites it's some kind of list of questions that you saw somewhere else and you decided to answer the questions. Then someone else sees them and does them and so on and so on. I generally consider these to be actual questions and not some multiple choice quizzes that determine some result at the end (what color you are most like, what cartoon character are you, what 80s movie are you). I'll answer all of the questions and then tag someone to do the same.

1.WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE ? I was named after the Beatles song "Michelle".. well, thats what my mom told me..

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? When was the last time Exteme Makeover Home Edition came on? Man, that show gets me EVERYTIME!

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? NOOOOOOOOOOOO

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? rotisserie turkey

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Yes, 3 boys

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yeah

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? No, I like to be serious ALL THE TIME! NOOT!!

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? um.. NO

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? I dont eat cereal that often..

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Why would I waste my time doing that? :)

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? I used to leg press 600 pounds back in the day!

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? anything chocolate preferrably with caramel.. Yumm..

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? I notice their expressions..People do not think anyone notices, but I do.. :)

15. RED OR PINK? Red

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF? I have very little patience at times..Especially when it comes to losing weight..

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? " I Miss My Friend" sorry, I couldnt help myself!

18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Jeans and black boots

19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? french fries.. I know... not the best choice..

20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Oprah

21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? I would be red..Im intense like that!

22. FAVORITE SMELLS? Coco Chanel Mademoiselle- my most favorite smell EVER!

23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Todd

24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? South Carolina Football and Baseball, Pelham Varsity Baseball ( Whit's a senior), Riverchase Middle School Football and Baseball ( Tyler is on both teams) and Helena Wildcats football and Helena Baseball(Todds teams).

25. HAIR COLOR? brown

26. EYE COLOR? hazel green

27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? nope

28. FAVORITE FOOD? mexican!

29. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Neither.. Will Ferrell or Adam Sandler

30. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Chuck and Larry ( Another Adam Sandler movie )

31. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? purple.. yes.. purple..

32. SUMMER OR WINTER? summer, if it isnt too hot.

33. HUGS OR KISSES? kisses from Steve :)

34. FAVORITE DESSERT? 4 layer chocolate dessert

35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? I DONT LIKE TO READ BOOKS!!!

36. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? nothing.. I dont have one..

37. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Thursday night, no tv night..Nothing good is on!

38. FAVORITE SOUNDS? The sound of Tyler not singing :)

39. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? BEATLES!

40. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?South- Mexico, East- South Carolina, North-Nashville,West-Utah

41. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?I can sing..My husband like it!

42. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Montgomery, Alabama

Fav Band as a teenage girl?

When I was a teenager, I based my liking a band on one thing: Is the lead singer cute? Is the band full of cute guys? HAHA Sad but true.. the ONLY exceptions to my rule were if the lead singer could sing really well and I could sing along with the record (or CD as we call it , these days). This explains why my favorite band in the 7th and 8th grade was Duran Duran..Oh come on!! Those guys couldnt sing!!!!! They could barely play their instruments! But man o man could they just sit there and look HOT! I remember watching John Taylor and LITERALLY drooling! We all remember Ah Ha.. What the heck were they about? But who cares, the lead singer was pretty cute and so were all the other guys in the band.. haha Another band I loved was Loverboy..Mike Reno was hot back in the day and I could ALSO sing along with the music, so there was an added plus! I would have DIED before I would listen to Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, or Led Zepplin ( ahhem..ROCK ICONS).. Everyone else liked them but me. They werent cute and were basically my parents age back then..So basically, they BORED me.. When I think about it, ugghhh, they are my age NOW.. GEEZZ.. Anyway, there were a few bands that I loved that had not so cute lead singers but, I could sing with them..My all time favorite band as a teen was Journey..Steve Perry was not much to look at but man, could he wail! I dont think there is ANYONE around nowadays that could hold a candle to his vocal ability..Last night, my husband and I were looking at You Tube videos of him, when he was with Journey..This is what lead me to ask this question.. Where is he now? I am going to be looking into this.. I read somewhere that he had an accident that lead to a major hip injury that has basically made it impossible for him to perform anymore..I also read that he couldnt hit the high notes anymore and used the hip injury as an excuse not to tour with the band anymore..Who knows.. But I know this much: Steve Perry's voice is missed!! I hope he comes out of hiding soon!

BRRRRR!!

I am so sick of cold weather..The ONLY good thing about freezing cold weather is I can cover up and not feel as fat as I do when it is hot outside! I dont like hot weather either..I am all about the seventy degree mark! It seems that lately its either 32 or its 80! I really am getting ready to start my walking with Leigh and Deedra.. I just cant when it is freezing! I hope that this yucky weather breaks soon..

My cat

This picture just cracks me up..This is my cat..Doesnt he look mad? He absolutely hated the snow.. haha He wouldnt even look at me to take this picture..His name is Max..I dont know why we named him Max..We call him "Boy cat".. I have funny story about this crazy cat..We got him about 13 months ago..He was a WILD KITTEN..Cute but MY GOSH he was all boy! He is about the prettiest boy cat I have ever seen..Anyway, back in October, my oldest son was outside washing our cars and this woman comes up to our yard and my son watches her pick him up..He asked her what she was doing and she said "This is Mr. Whiskers" My son answered back " Um, no maam..That is our cat..His name is Max"..He said she kept holding him tightly to her and petting him and said " No, this is Mr. Whiskers! He looks just like him! He is 14 years old and even has the same scar on his ear like he does" My son said it was like something out of the twighlight zone..He said she was very insistant that this was Mr. Whiskers..And for the record, the cat has no scar on his ear..Anyway, she finally went away but she insisted that that was her cat..I thought it would have been funny if she took him, thinking that wild kitten ( he wasnt even a year old yet) was a 14 year old cat..Boy would she have been in for a surprise! HA So now, this cat has 3 names..Max, Boy cat and Mr. Whiskers.. What was weird to me is we had like 3 people ask us if we had seen their black cat that was missing..I swear we didnt steal him! :)

Finally snow pics!

Ok.. I have finally gotten the pictures from the snow on Saturday..It was pretty while it lasted :) I wish it would have lasted longer :( This was the first time that Todd actually got to see snow falling more than a flurry..The only child that was here during the Blizzard of 93 was Whit..I was pregnant with Tyler..Tyler has seen a few small snow days.. But he really didnt remember them..Only snow they really remember is one time when we lived in Homewood back in like 2002, when it snowed at midnight and I woke them up to watch it..I have a feeling we might get some more snow this season.. With all the wet weather and the low temps, it is bound to happen! I just dont want to lose power..YUCK!

American Idol week 2

American Idol is all I expected it to be this season..It is also a much needed "wind down" with all the sadness and stress in my life these days! There was a MAJOR standout last night..The girl that made it through to Hollywood in Season 5..WOW is all I can say.. I remembered her from before..She was AWESOME..THAT girl will make it to the top 10, unless she cracks under pressure, as so many others do..I have this funny feeling she wont, though..She said she was heartbroken when she couldnt continue in season 5 because of her visa..I am thinking she will soar like an eagle when she gets to Hollywood..The guy that had the son that looked EXACTLY like him, ponytail and all also stood out for me..I cant remember names people, lets remember that! HAHA I am great with faces, but please, dont ask me a name!!! Anyway, his story was heartbreaking, to say the least and his little boy was ADORABLE..He got to come into the room where his daddy auditioned after they let him through to Hollywood and he said "Hi Simon, Hi Paula, WASSUUP Randy!" That was so cute!! That other guy from Austrailia was good too..HE WAS HOT! He will DEFINATELY get the hot guy vote..He could sing too..The look on Paula's face was PRICELESS..HA! I look forward to tonights airing..

SO SAD :*(

I found out about 2 hours ago that Rick Burgess's son, Bronner died last night..I had planned on uploading a few pictures from the snow and talk about that but I am just in such shock from this issue that I cannot think of anything else..I have listened to the Rick and Bubba show for about 13 years now..I have met Rick numerous times out in public and at several functions for Special Olympics..I have always appreciated the fact that he supported Autism, he told me he had a cousin that was autistic.. Also, I guess when you listen to someone on a daily basis, even if you are not face to face, you feel a sort of "bond" per se with someone..My youngest son, Todd, plays football for Speedy's team and I cannot imagine the pain that Speedy and his family are feeling right now since they are all so close and have kids near the same age..I am having the hardest time even beginning to understand the pain that the Burgess family is having to deal with..What they are dealing with is a nightmare that all parents fear.. I guess the only thing we can all do is pray for them..They have tons of close family and friends that will take care of them.. My heart goes out to the Burgess family and for their adorable son Bronner "Cornbread" Burgess..Much love to you all..

My poor sister!

We all have either had this done to us or we have done it unintentionally..My sister was approached by a woman at her garden club meeting today and the lady asked her if she was PREGNANT..My sister has 2 kids, ages 7 and 4..She has absolutely NO INTENTION of having another baby again. She does NOT look pregnant by ANY stretch of the imagination..My only assumption is the lady was OBVIOUSLY drunk when she made that comment! But seriously, WHY DONT PEOPLE THINK BEFORE THEY OPEN THEIR MOUTHS? I dont ask ANYONE if they are pregnant..I dont care of they have an OBVIOUS bump that protrudes all the way to China! Unless it is already a widely known pregnancy..Until then, I just mind my own business..I had this happen to me one time..My oldest son was like 6 months old..I was still fat as a hog after giving birth to him..Actually, I had gained after he was born..Anyway, this kid comes up to me and rubs my belly and says " OMG! ANOTHER one?" I gave him DAGGER eyes and said "Nope, Im just FAT".. I knew he was totally embarrassed..As was the stupid lady that said that to my sister today..Anyway, I told my sister today that I was gonna blog about it! HA BTW, my sister is NOT fat either..She is like me, could stand to lose a few pounds but is in no way remotely close to looking like shes with child!

American Idol=Family Night!

Geez..Where do I begin? I have said before that my whole family absolutely lives for this show..This is THE ONE TIME during the year that all 3 of my boys, my hubby and I all sit together and watch the show..I have to admit that as a mommy, these are times I really do cherish..Aint nothin better than hearing the laughter that comes out of my sons and hubby while watching some goofy dweebo try to sing Mariah Carey..Very badly, I might add..Actually, I recall watching Taylor Hicks's audition..Taylors vocals were great..He was definately different.. and good..But good lawd! He sure didnt look the part..He had some weird Joe Cocker shyboy thing going..He had this gray hair and just looked WEIRD when he would sing..And then when he would finish, hed do this weird thing with his eyes and face that CRACKED my kids up.. Sadly, they would rewind his performance on the DVR numerous times and die laughing..Sorry Taylor..We did vote for you though!! We really enjoyed watching you transform from a really weird guy that could sing to a great performer..And he has turned out to be really cute too..He just needed some polishing..

This is where I will begin my comments on the show..There is gonna be some polishing going on I am sure in the next few weeks..A few standouts ..The one person that REALLY stood out for me was the 26 year old girl from Philadelphia that had the daughter with Rett's Syndrome..To be honest, I bawled my eyes out..I dont mean tear up..Tears were POURING out of my eyes while her story unfolded..My family looked at me like "not again?" haha I seem to have a soft spot for special needs..My brother is autistic and I will talk about him in a later post..But anyway, there I was bawling saying " I am voting for her if she makes it all the way" :) Another standout was the girl that LOOKED and sounded like Carrie Underwood from Dallas..She had her own sound that sounded like her..To be honest, I am not sure she would go very far in Country Music, even if she won American Idol..Carrie Underwood came at a time when there was a slow down of newcomers..She had such a sound that was very reminiscent of Trisha Yearwood and Martina McBride as well..She would also probably drown in the sea of Pop singers..I do not think that Jordan is faring nearly as well as she should just because of the competition she is facing..

I think it is time for a male singer to win..How about the farm boy? Wow he was cute! He had a good voice that sounded alot like any good male country singer and dang he was so innocent and adorable...The teenage girls would go crazy voting for him.. But, I am afraid that he would be eaten alive by Hollywood..I could be wrong..I guess we will have to wait and see..This is about all I gotta say about this on this post..I will talk more later.. :)

Michelle James

I want to go ahead and let you know that all of my opinions that I have on American Idol are coming from someone who has actually been in the music business..Michelle James was my stage name..I had VERY MINOR success in Country Music about 7 years ago..I had a CD out and 2 songs off of it went to number 60..I played at City Stages 2000..Talk about FUN!! I also opened for George Jones at Looney's Amphitheater that year as well.. It is quite costly to make and promote a CD..I was an Independant Female artist so it wasnt long before we were out of money and I was a single mother to 3 boys at the time..Also, the thought of staying out late in a local bar to "pay my dues" and become a better performer was not very appealing to me..I guess I just didnt have the hunger for it..I was also 30 years old and thats a little old to be STARTING a singing career..I dont regret the decision to not persue it any harder than I did..I wish that American Idol was out when I was younger..I think that American Idol has been such a great tool to help people that would have NEVER been given a chance to make a career out of something they love..From my experience in the business, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood would have NEVER made it if it wasnt for this show..We saw all the interviews that they did with Taylor Hicks and Bo Bice..They had been struggling with their music career locally..Im not saying they werent making a great living doing it locally but they definately wouldnt have made it as far as they have and become a household name if it wasnt for American Idol..Plain and simple :) So anyway, if you find me a little overly critical of something or someone pertaining to the show, I want you to know that I view the show a little differently than alot of people do..Maybe a part of me thinks of how I would have done it if I would have been on American Idol? I may not be an expert per se, BUT I have an ear for it and I go crazy when someone doesnt use the best of what they got to do well in the competition...JMHO :)

American Idol

This is my first official post on American Idol..It isnt much but I had to have a first post..They keep saying this is the BEST American Idol EVER..I am wondering if this is a marketing ploy, especially since it IS the seventh season..I am sure there is worry that eventually people will grow bored of the show..I dont know though..I NEVER got tired of Seinfeld, Friends or Cheers and they were all LONG RUNNING shows.. But ANYWAY.. They said that the season with Taylor Hicks was the best too..I really loved that season..The talent was AWESOME!!! I secretly was pulling for Chris Daughtry but I spent every week calling in for Taylor because he is a hometown hero..Taylor really is a great performer and has such a soulful voice.. My family really enjoyed watching him go from being an eclectic local performer to becoming a polished looking professional..He still looks and sounds great! As for Chris Daughtry, his voice BLEW ME AWAY! I am really into the kind of music he sings even though I am a mom..My sister is a mom and she LOVES Chris Daughtry..She even saw him when he came to Birmingham last Spring..I remember the night Chris was voted off I called my sister to check in with her and make sure she was ok..It was like someone had died.. When she answered I saw " Are you OK?" "she said "OMG! I cannot believe that Chris got voted OFF! They kept that pageant (explective deleted hehe) and sent him home!" We laugh about it now ( actually laughed about it then too because her reaction was so funny) but at the time we were in shock..Chris and Taylor should have been in the final 2, not Katharine..She is beautiful and all and can sing but shes no CHRIS DAUGHTRY.. hehe.. I have Chris singing "Wanted Dead or Alive" for a ringtone on my cell phone..I know, I have a problem! :) I hope someone like Chris will be on the show this season!

Consignment Classics

This is my store, located in Helena, Alabama. Showing off the store is my son and his friend. In the background is another son of mine. Boys are SO SILLY! My son who is "peeking" out of the door looks alot like "Howie" in the movie "The Benchwarmers" in this picture, according to my husband .. HAHA He really does! Anyway, We are next door to Golden Rule BBQ..We sell quality brand name "gently used" clothing. We are going to start accepting sporting goods such as baseball bats, gloves and golf gear soon. We currently have a few "baby gear" items like a baby crib and a basinett along with a stroller and bumbo all 30% off..If you know anyone who needs baby gear tell them to come get them quick before they are gone! Once they are gone, we are no longer accepting baby gear. We are wanting to focus on clothing for the family and small sporting goods.. We are also going to accept formals for the upcoming prom season. I worked as a make up artist in the past and I am offering services as a make up artist for anyone that wants their make up done before a prom..$15 a face! Just make an appointment at Consignment Classics at 277-9190..

Ok.. So...

So, this blog is entitled "Weight Loss and American Idol?". You look at it and think what in the heck do those 2 things have in common? Well, in your life there might not be any kind of relation..But in MY LIFE, THIS TIME OF YEAR, thats all that matters! HA In my family, life pretty much revolves around American Idol..Hey, I already have it ready to record this week.. We have been on a "count down" since they started showing the commercials back in December.. As for the "Weight Loss" part, this is something that I have to do all the time.. I have spent most of my life on a diet it seems..I have done every diet, every diet cliche known to man..I have peed more times on a stick to see if I am in ketosis than I care to imagine. By the way, that diet didnt work for me.. :) The picture that I have on my blog is a picture of me and my husband when we went on a cruise, back in 2003.. I was about 25 pounds lighter than I am now.. Dang I was hot! HA I would like to get there again..I have gained and lost the same 25 pounds ( and then some at times) for the past 10 years it seems..I want to lose it all once and for all and learn to keep it off..I am hoping this blog will help me..I was diagnosed with "Wilson's Syndrome" a year ago..It is an autoimmune disorder that affects your thyroid..So basically, my own body is killing my thyroid.. OH JOY! Well, that explains alot and why I have a hard time losing and keeping weight off..Heres a link to info about it so you can understand what it is..http://www.wilsonssyndrome.com/

Anyway, tomorrow is AMERICAN IDOL DAY! I am so excited! Of course, I will be on here to comment on the show.. :)

WOW!

Hey Yall!
This is my very first post EVER! I am first going to give props to Leigh Bratina for inspiring me to do this. I LOVE her blog and I think that I need to also do something like this. I am hoping my blog will be half as entertaining as her is!