We decided last week to change the time we meet on Sundays from 5:00pm to right after the worship service (or around noon). After church was over, I ran up the stairs and into the classroom, threw my boots off, and stepped on the scale. And what I saw made me jump for joy! I lost 3.8 lbs this week which puts me at 156.6 lbs. The total weight I've lost in these 5 weeks is 9.4 pounds! Only 7.2 lbs to go until I reach my first goal. Awesome!
It was my mom's birthday yesterday. We had my parents and my sister over for lunch after church to celebrate the occasion. I made my mom's recipe of teriyaki chicken. I've had so many people ask me for the recipe that I have decided to share it here! It is so yummy and easy to make. Enjoy!
Momma Coburn's Teriyaki Chicken
Prep time: 5 min. Cooking time: 50 min.
Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken breast, unfrozen
garlic powder, to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly dust chicken breast with garlic powder on all sides. Then, place chicken breast in glass baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.
While chicken is baking, mix soy sauce, ketchup, and honey in measuring cup. When 20 minutes have passed, remove dish from oven and turn chicken over. Change oven temp to 300 degrees. Evenly cover chicken with teriyaki mixture and return to oven for 15 minutes.
Remove dish again, turn chicken, and baste. Return to oven for final 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve with brown rice and vegetables.
Note: For larger batches, increase sauce measurements and cooking times as needed. I made 4 lbs chicken in 2 dishes on 350 degrees for three 20 min. intervals. And sauce measurements were increased to 2/3 cup each. Also, the sauce is great to pour over the chicken when serving.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Music To My Ears
What a fun, busy week I've had! I played the organ for a wedding on Friday afternoon. I came home for about an hour afterward and then headed out to the Bible Truth Music regional choir conference in Yorktown, VA. (Please visit their website! http://www.bibletruthmusic.com/ ) I had 7 members of my choir, including myself, attend the event. The church served dinner on Friday, and breakfast and lunch on Saturday. Everything was delicious!
After we ate dinner, we immediately started learning 6 new songs that most of us had never heard before. We spent a few hours on Friday night rehearsing and learning the basics of the music. Right before we were released for the night, my mom, my husband, and I were asked to sing in the ensemble. So, we had one more new song to learn! We didn't get home until about 10:30pm. My baby boy was already asleep so I didn't get to see him that night.
Saturday, we had to be at the church by 8:30am for breakfast. I made the tough decision to leave my son, asleep, with my sister (the babysitter!). I really missed him but I knew it would go smoother if he didn't have to say goodbye to me. We rehearsed the 6 songs we heard the night before again on Saturday. Would we learn them in time? Yes! At 4:00pm, the concert started and we sang each song like we had practiced them for months. My sister got to the concert late so I kept peeking between the choir folks to get a good look at my son. He was a good boy during the entire concert. Once we finished our part, I quickly made my way to my seat so I could love on my son. He wanted to get down and play so I took him in the nursery so he could run around. It had been almost a whole 24 hours since I had seen him last and I enjoyed every minute holding him!
Alright, I've been saying that I would write about the NCAA basketball tournament and haven't done it yet. The time has arrived! We are down to the Final Four. I didn't do well in my brackets after the first round. But there were so many upsets this year! Of course, the teams I had been cheering for since the beginning of the tournament were ODU, VCU, George Mason, Richmond, and Hampton. These are the "local" teams for my area. Of those five, only one has gone far and that is VCU. They are playing Butler in the Final Four on Saturday with a chance to play for the championship game next Monday. No one thought they would do as well as they have. Actually, they had to play their way in to the regular tournament. A lot of analysts thought the committee should not have let VCU in at all. But, look where they are now?! They deserve this moment. Shaka Smart, their head coach, has been the conquering hero for the team. I hope they can go all the way and win the whole thing. It's going to be tough, but look at what they've already accomplished. It can be done.
I'll have another post shortly with my weight-loss results this week. See you in a little bit.
After we ate dinner, we immediately started learning 6 new songs that most of us had never heard before. We spent a few hours on Friday night rehearsing and learning the basics of the music. Right before we were released for the night, my mom, my husband, and I were asked to sing in the ensemble. So, we had one more new song to learn! We didn't get home until about 10:30pm. My baby boy was already asleep so I didn't get to see him that night.
Saturday, we had to be at the church by 8:30am for breakfast. I made the tough decision to leave my son, asleep, with my sister (the babysitter!). I really missed him but I knew it would go smoother if he didn't have to say goodbye to me. We rehearsed the 6 songs we heard the night before again on Saturday. Would we learn them in time? Yes! At 4:00pm, the concert started and we sang each song like we had practiced them for months. My sister got to the concert late so I kept peeking between the choir folks to get a good look at my son. He was a good boy during the entire concert. Once we finished our part, I quickly made my way to my seat so I could love on my son. He wanted to get down and play so I took him in the nursery so he could run around. It had been almost a whole 24 hours since I had seen him last and I enjoyed every minute holding him!
Alright, I've been saying that I would write about the NCAA basketball tournament and haven't done it yet. The time has arrived! We are down to the Final Four. I didn't do well in my brackets after the first round. But there were so many upsets this year! Of course, the teams I had been cheering for since the beginning of the tournament were ODU, VCU, George Mason, Richmond, and Hampton. These are the "local" teams for my area. Of those five, only one has gone far and that is VCU. They are playing Butler in the Final Four on Saturday with a chance to play for the championship game next Monday. No one thought they would do as well as they have. Actually, they had to play their way in to the regular tournament. A lot of analysts thought the committee should not have let VCU in at all. But, look where they are now?! They deserve this moment. Shaka Smart, their head coach, has been the conquering hero for the team. I hope they can go all the way and win the whole thing. It's going to be tough, but look at what they've already accomplished. It can be done.
I'll have another post shortly with my weight-loss results this week. See you in a little bit.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Pounds for Crowns Week 4
Sunday, I stepped on the scale to get a disappointing loss of only 0.4 lbs. This puts my current weight to 160.4 lbs. I can't wait to get out of the 160s! I was surprised I didn't lose more knowing how much walking I did on Friday and Saturday. I hope this means I am going to have a great week soon and get into those 150s again. Anyway, my total weight-loss since starting back on WW is 5.6 pounds.
I decided to not watch "Celebrity Apprentice" until Monday morning because I was so interested in all the basketball going on. (Again, I will be posting more about the tournament later in the week.) But, what I saw was not surprising. Nikki did the right thing by taking responsibility for her team losing. She showed her integrity by not throwing someone "under the bus." Too bad it didn't help keep her around longer. She was a sweet girl.
Monday night, "DWTS" premiered for season 12. Most of the stars are average dancers but the one that surprised me the most was Kirstie Alley. I didn't think she would do that good, but she can dance! Top 5 dancers, in my opinion, are: 1. Ralph Macchio 2. Kirstie Alley 3. Chelsea Kane 4. Hines Ward 5.Kendra Wilkinson. The last two have a little more work to do to catch up with the top 3, but they have potential.
Last night, I watched one of the best episodes of "Biggest Loser" this season. The contestants were split into 4 teams, with the new black team needing one more member. They had to choose one player from all the previous contestants to come back and join their team. They chose Jay. Probably a good decision but my heart really wanted them to bring Arthur back. Kaylee finally realizes that she should go home and tries to get her team to throw the weigh-in to make it possible. But they won the weigh-in. This turns into a verbal-boxing match with Alison on how "you can leave whenever you want to." Of course, the red team (who lost the weigh-in) would still have to send someone home, whether Kaylee left or not. What happened next was the best part of the show. Justin told the teams to send him home so Courtney could stay. How awesome is that?! What a merciful thing to do. They respected his wishes. We got to see an update at the end of the show and it looks like he is doing very well. Just a heads up...next week looks to be crazy.
I have a wedding to play the piano/organ for on Friday, then a choir conference all weekend in Yorktown. And the Sweet 16 round starts Thursday for the NCAA tournament. As usual, I will be talking about it all right here. So come back!
I decided to not watch "Celebrity Apprentice" until Monday morning because I was so interested in all the basketball going on. (Again, I will be posting more about the tournament later in the week.) But, what I saw was not surprising. Nikki did the right thing by taking responsibility for her team losing. She showed her integrity by not throwing someone "under the bus." Too bad it didn't help keep her around longer. She was a sweet girl.
Monday night, "DWTS" premiered for season 12. Most of the stars are average dancers but the one that surprised me the most was Kirstie Alley. I didn't think she would do that good, but she can dance! Top 5 dancers, in my opinion, are: 1. Ralph Macchio 2. Kirstie Alley 3. Chelsea Kane 4. Hines Ward 5.Kendra Wilkinson. The last two have a little more work to do to catch up with the top 3, but they have potential.
Last night, I watched one of the best episodes of "Biggest Loser" this season. The contestants were split into 4 teams, with the new black team needing one more member. They had to choose one player from all the previous contestants to come back and join their team. They chose Jay. Probably a good decision but my heart really wanted them to bring Arthur back. Kaylee finally realizes that she should go home and tries to get her team to throw the weigh-in to make it possible. But they won the weigh-in. This turns into a verbal-boxing match with Alison on how "you can leave whenever you want to." Of course, the red team (who lost the weigh-in) would still have to send someone home, whether Kaylee left or not. What happened next was the best part of the show. Justin told the teams to send him home so Courtney could stay. How awesome is that?! What a merciful thing to do. They respected his wishes. We got to see an update at the end of the show and it looks like he is doing very well. Just a heads up...next week looks to be crazy.
I have a wedding to play the piano/organ for on Friday, then a choir conference all weekend in Yorktown. And the Sweet 16 round starts Thursday for the NCAA tournament. As usual, I will be talking about it all right here. So come back!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Catching Up
I apologize for not writing at all this week. There has been a lot going on! This post will take me from last Tuesday to Saturday. I'll write another post with my weight-loss results tomorrow.
So, last Tuesday night I watched "Biggest Loser." The two teams had to become one team, and lose more weight than they lost together the previous week. They had a group challenge and a pop challenge which teamed them up in pairs which was made up of one member from the previous red or black teams. My thinking during this episode is that we already know the red team has an alliance. Since that is the case, the black team should do the same. I know they were one team this week, but an alliance is in place to end, regardless of what color shirt they are wearing.
When it was apparent that they were not all going to get immunity and someone would have to be sent home, Marci should have kept her mouth shut. The black team should have voted Kaylee off to give the red team one less member in the long run. I hope Marci's decision to sacrifice herself doesn't hurt her girls in the coming weeks. Side note: Thank you, Jen, for your vote to send Kaylee home. I wish the other girls had done the same.
Thursday was St. Patrick's Day...my favorite holiday of the year! I wore my green shirt, socks, nail polish, earrings, bracelet, hat, glasses and eye shadow. We ate breakfast at The Pub. They were serving corned beef and eggs, french toast casserole, breakfast Shepherd's Pie, and steak & eggs. After we left there, we headed over to Target for a little while before going to NASCAR Sports Grille to watch the ODU/Butler game. It was an incredible game, but I wish ODU had won. I'll be talking more about the NCAA tournament in another post this week.
Friday, my bff and I went to the zoo. Joshua loves lions and he had a blast looking at all the animals. We played at the playground and ate lunch there, too. It was a gorgeous day! That evening, my family sang at a benefit sing for Cystic Fibrosis. There was a great crowd out to hear the 6 Southern Gospel groups. We raised $725 in the offering that night. Awesome! If you are one of the ones who came, thank you so much for your contribution. It will go a long way!
On Saturday, I had what I would consider to be the perfect day. I woke up that morning to the news that my friend's brother-in-law had accepted Christ as his Savior. Now, I know this is always something to be happy about, but he was just given days to a week to live. His decision was needed urgently before he entered eternity! Then, we went to Busch Gardens for a few hours where we had the best time. Joshua rode quite a few rides, some by himself! It was so much fun. On our way back, Tim dropped me off at the mall to buy a dress and get my hair fixed up for the opera that night. He bought a tuxedo and brought me flowers. We ate at a fancy restaurant and had a great time with friends. I would love to go again in the future! I think we're going to try "The Mikado" next Spring when the VA Opera performs it in 2012.
Sorry if it feels like I crammed everything in here. I will admit that the basketball games took up a lot of my time when I wasn't out doing something else. I will do a much better job of keeping up with my blog this week...promise. :)
So, last Tuesday night I watched "Biggest Loser." The two teams had to become one team, and lose more weight than they lost together the previous week. They had a group challenge and a pop challenge which teamed them up in pairs which was made up of one member from the previous red or black teams. My thinking during this episode is that we already know the red team has an alliance. Since that is the case, the black team should do the same. I know they were one team this week, but an alliance is in place to end, regardless of what color shirt they are wearing.
When it was apparent that they were not all going to get immunity and someone would have to be sent home, Marci should have kept her mouth shut. The black team should have voted Kaylee off to give the red team one less member in the long run. I hope Marci's decision to sacrifice herself doesn't hurt her girls in the coming weeks. Side note: Thank you, Jen, for your vote to send Kaylee home. I wish the other girls had done the same.
Thursday was St. Patrick's Day...my favorite holiday of the year! I wore my green shirt, socks, nail polish, earrings, bracelet, hat, glasses and eye shadow. We ate breakfast at The Pub. They were serving corned beef and eggs, french toast casserole, breakfast Shepherd's Pie, and steak & eggs. After we left there, we headed over to Target for a little while before going to NASCAR Sports Grille to watch the ODU/Butler game. It was an incredible game, but I wish ODU had won. I'll be talking more about the NCAA tournament in another post this week.
Friday, my bff and I went to the zoo. Joshua loves lions and he had a blast looking at all the animals. We played at the playground and ate lunch there, too. It was a gorgeous day! That evening, my family sang at a benefit sing for Cystic Fibrosis. There was a great crowd out to hear the 6 Southern Gospel groups. We raised $725 in the offering that night. Awesome! If you are one of the ones who came, thank you so much for your contribution. It will go a long way!
On Saturday, I had what I would consider to be the perfect day. I woke up that morning to the news that my friend's brother-in-law had accepted Christ as his Savior. Now, I know this is always something to be happy about, but he was just given days to a week to live. His decision was needed urgently before he entered eternity! Then, we went to Busch Gardens for a few hours where we had the best time. Joshua rode quite a few rides, some by himself! It was so much fun. On our way back, Tim dropped me off at the mall to buy a dress and get my hair fixed up for the opera that night. He bought a tuxedo and brought me flowers. We ate at a fancy restaurant and had a great time with friends. I would love to go again in the future! I think we're going to try "The Mikado" next Spring when the VA Opera performs it in 2012.
Sorry if it feels like I crammed everything in here. I will admit that the basketball games took up a lot of my time when I wasn't out doing something else. I will do a much better job of keeping up with my blog this week...promise. :)
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Emotional Roller Coaster
Let me say it at least one time...I TOLD YOU SO! I knew Brad would choose Emily in the end. She has been the favorite from the very beginning. Even his family knew she was the one for him. Watching the show last night and the proposal was beautiful. You could really tell they were in love.
Then...
Brad is interviewed during the "After the Final Rose" special and says that he and Emily have been having a hard time. They have postponed their wedding twice and broken up at least once. Emily later confirmed what he said and admitted that she watched the show each Monday which made her emotionally distressed. Chris Harrison really wanted to help their relationship out, so he brought in the previous bachelor/bachelorettes that had successful relationships to give some advice. I really hope Brad and Emily will look to them for help as they try to work this all out.
The best part of the "After" special was when Brad brought her ring back, correctly sized. He told her that it meant more to him today than it did the day he proposed if she would accept it. She did! Hopefully, they will do as Emily said and "start over with a clean slate." I know it must have been hard to watch Brad with the other girls each week. And then, they had to keep their proposal a secret for 3 months. During that time, she was still in Raleigh, and he in Austin. I talked to my hubby after the show to get his thoughts on their relationship. He felt that they were seriously trying their best to make it work and things would get better soon. I hope so.
This morning, I woke up to the news that Ashley H. is the new "Bachelorette." I am not really happy with this decision but I guess it'll grow on me. I really felt that a new girl would have been better. I guess people are already emotionally invested in Ashley and want to see her do well. Probably better for the ratings because of that. The next season of "Bachelorette" airs May 23.
Then...
Brad is interviewed during the "After the Final Rose" special and says that he and Emily have been having a hard time. They have postponed their wedding twice and broken up at least once. Emily later confirmed what he said and admitted that she watched the show each Monday which made her emotionally distressed. Chris Harrison really wanted to help their relationship out, so he brought in the previous bachelor/bachelorettes that had successful relationships to give some advice. I really hope Brad and Emily will look to them for help as they try to work this all out.
The best part of the "After" special was when Brad brought her ring back, correctly sized. He told her that it meant more to him today than it did the day he proposed if she would accept it. She did! Hopefully, they will do as Emily said and "start over with a clean slate." I know it must have been hard to watch Brad with the other girls each week. And then, they had to keep their proposal a secret for 3 months. During that time, she was still in Raleigh, and he in Austin. I talked to my hubby after the show to get his thoughts on their relationship. He felt that they were seriously trying their best to make it work and things would get better soon. I hope so.
This morning, I woke up to the news that Ashley H. is the new "Bachelorette." I am not really happy with this decision but I guess it'll grow on me. I really felt that a new girl would have been better. I guess people are already emotionally invested in Ashley and want to see her do well. Probably better for the ratings because of that. The next season of "Bachelorette" airs May 23.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Pounds for Crowns Week 3
I lost 1.6 lbs this week! This brings my total weight-loss to 5.2 lbs and I now weigh 160.8 pounds. I think I had a pretty easy week. There were a few times that I was tempted to cheat, but I surprised myself at how strong I was to not give in. My splurge meal this week was going to eat Mexican food and I ordered a full order of flautas (but no guacamole). I ate 2/3 of the plate. It was so yummy! But I made sure that I ate good all week so I could spoil myself. I did not get out to walk as much as I wanted to, but my goal is to do more walking this week. The good thing is I am supposed to walk around the zoo on Friday and around Busch Gardens on Saturday. That should give me enough activity even if I don't get to walk earlier in the week.
Last night's episode of "Celebrity Apprentice" was crazy. Lisa was definitely put in a position to fail by a majority of the team. She didn't really help herself in the boardroom either which put the final nail in the coffin. Why couldn't she have been more outspoken in front of Mr. Trump as she was during her interviews? Goodbye, Lisa. It was nice having you these two weeks. I personally felt that Dionne Warwick should have been fired after the way she disrespected Marlee. I hope she's the next to go.
Joshua, my son, has had hiccups off and on for the last few days. I think this means he's going through a growth spurt. His appetite hasn't really changed so I don't know for certain. He is finally growing out of everything in the 9-12 month size. I had to get some new clothes for him this week. Answer me this...how do you make a kid gain weight that doesn't eat a lot? He's not a finicky eater. He just eats when he wants to. His last visit to the doctor was awkward because he was underweight. I want him to at least be in a healthy weight range when we go back in a few months. I know he looks just like his father (tall and skinny), but Joshua needs to gain some weight.
Tonight is the finale of "The Bachelor." I will be tweeting live tonight if you want to follow along. http://twitter.com/rngfreckles Make sure you keep a tissue box nearby! Also, they will be announcing the next Bachelorette on Jimmy Kimmel tonight. I don't normally stay up that late so I'll find out tomorrow. Of course, I'll be talking about it here. Until then, don't forget to fill out your NCAA basketball brackets! I love this time of year. Go ODU and Hampton!
Last night's episode of "Celebrity Apprentice" was crazy. Lisa was definitely put in a position to fail by a majority of the team. She didn't really help herself in the boardroom either which put the final nail in the coffin. Why couldn't she have been more outspoken in front of Mr. Trump as she was during her interviews? Goodbye, Lisa. It was nice having you these two weeks. I personally felt that Dionne Warwick should have been fired after the way she disrespected Marlee. I hope she's the next to go.
Joshua, my son, has had hiccups off and on for the last few days. I think this means he's going through a growth spurt. His appetite hasn't really changed so I don't know for certain. He is finally growing out of everything in the 9-12 month size. I had to get some new clothes for him this week. Answer me this...how do you make a kid gain weight that doesn't eat a lot? He's not a finicky eater. He just eats when he wants to. His last visit to the doctor was awkward because he was underweight. I want him to at least be in a healthy weight range when we go back in a few months. I know he looks just like his father (tall and skinny), but Joshua needs to gain some weight.
Tonight is the finale of "The Bachelor." I will be tweeting live tonight if you want to follow along. http://twitter.com/rngfreckles Make sure you keep a tissue box nearby! Also, they will be announcing the next Bachelorette on Jimmy Kimmel tonight. I don't normally stay up that late so I'll find out tomorrow. Of course, I'll be talking about it here. Until then, don't forget to fill out your NCAA basketball brackets! I love this time of year. Go ODU and Hampton!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
What I Saw
Sorry for being late on getting to this post. Here are the shows I watched this week and my thoughts.
Celebrity Apprentice:
Seriously? We have this much drama in the first week?? Crazy. Which describes most of the celebrities on this season of "Apprentice." But I must say, it is a very good group this time around. Most of them are pretty famous and have powerful, outgoing personalities. I have a feeling this will be the best (and most controversial) season to date. My favorite to win is Marlee Matlin, the deaf actress. It would be a great lesson to those with disabilities that you can do anything your heart desires regardless of handicap.
The challenge this week was to raise the most money by making, selling, and delivering pizza. Of course, Mr. Trump split the team into guys vs. girls. Project manager for Team Backbone was Richard Hatch, and for Team ASAP was Starr Jones. The guys really tried their hardest and seemed to put the most effort in, but lost to the ladies by almost $100,000. In the boardroom, Mr. Trump decided to fire David Cassidy. Although he wasn't the project manager, but because he was a sissified DIVA, he was let go on week one. Don't get me wrong, I do not care for Richard Hatch or his attitude at all. But watching David rely on Jose Canseco for backup, acting like the "little guy," made it hard to ever see him as the winner of this show. Let's see how they do next week!
The Bachelor:
The "Women Tell All" aired this week and, boy, was it a doozy! If you've been reading this blog, you know that I think Michelle is crazy and shouldn't have been on as long as she was. But the way some of the girls treated her was completely uncalled for. Who knew Jackie could be so mean? I will admit, Michelle was pretty funny if she was being sarcastic in all of her private interviews. Looking back, I could see how she was probably being silly. Thanks to Ashley H. and Britt for standing up for her.
Speaking of Ashley H., if I were her, I would have waited to die my hair until after the "Tell All." It just looked really strange to see her one way and then reminisce about stuff with the old hair-do. Just saying! And did anyone else notice she still couldn't say she loved Brad? He should give her the number of his therapist. He works wonders apparently!
Next week is the finale. Yay! (Go, Emily!!!) I will be tweeting live again if you'd like to follow. http://twitter.com/rngfreckles
The Event:
I had to watch this show on Tuesday from Hulu because of the above show. ;+) I do not believe in aliens. (Sorry to those that do!) But I have been hooked on this show from the first week. They had a 2-hour special event on Monday that answered a lot more questions but the preview for the coming weeks made me more intrigued. Ah! I probably won't comment on this show a lot but if I get requests to mention thoughts, I will.
Biggest Loser:
Not much to say this week except Sarah had it coming to her. Didn't she look great at the follow-up? I'm hoping she'll announce a pregnancy at the live finale. I hope, at least, they keep up with her progress whenever she does get pregnant.
Guess that's all from the world of television from my perspective. I'm watching "Who Do You Think You Are?" when I can, but that one is basic. Nothing deep or controversial to talk about, just interesting. :-) Keep me in your prayers when you think about it. I start a super busy 8-week stretch this weekend. Thanks!
Celebrity Apprentice:
Seriously? We have this much drama in the first week?? Crazy. Which describes most of the celebrities on this season of "Apprentice." But I must say, it is a very good group this time around. Most of them are pretty famous and have powerful, outgoing personalities. I have a feeling this will be the best (and most controversial) season to date. My favorite to win is Marlee Matlin, the deaf actress. It would be a great lesson to those with disabilities that you can do anything your heart desires regardless of handicap.
The challenge this week was to raise the most money by making, selling, and delivering pizza. Of course, Mr. Trump split the team into guys vs. girls. Project manager for Team Backbone was Richard Hatch, and for Team ASAP was Starr Jones. The guys really tried their hardest and seemed to put the most effort in, but lost to the ladies by almost $100,000. In the boardroom, Mr. Trump decided to fire David Cassidy. Although he wasn't the project manager, but because he was a sissified DIVA, he was let go on week one. Don't get me wrong, I do not care for Richard Hatch or his attitude at all. But watching David rely on Jose Canseco for backup, acting like the "little guy," made it hard to ever see him as the winner of this show. Let's see how they do next week!
The Bachelor:
The "Women Tell All" aired this week and, boy, was it a doozy! If you've been reading this blog, you know that I think Michelle is crazy and shouldn't have been on as long as she was. But the way some of the girls treated her was completely uncalled for. Who knew Jackie could be so mean? I will admit, Michelle was pretty funny if she was being sarcastic in all of her private interviews. Looking back, I could see how she was probably being silly. Thanks to Ashley H. and Britt for standing up for her.
Speaking of Ashley H., if I were her, I would have waited to die my hair until after the "Tell All." It just looked really strange to see her one way and then reminisce about stuff with the old hair-do. Just saying! And did anyone else notice she still couldn't say she loved Brad? He should give her the number of his therapist. He works wonders apparently!
Next week is the finale. Yay! (Go, Emily!!!) I will be tweeting live again if you'd like to follow. http://twitter.com/rngfreckles
The Event:
I had to watch this show on Tuesday from Hulu because of the above show. ;+) I do not believe in aliens. (Sorry to those that do!) But I have been hooked on this show from the first week. They had a 2-hour special event on Monday that answered a lot more questions but the preview for the coming weeks made me more intrigued. Ah! I probably won't comment on this show a lot but if I get requests to mention thoughts, I will.
Biggest Loser:
Not much to say this week except Sarah had it coming to her. Didn't she look great at the follow-up? I'm hoping she'll announce a pregnancy at the live finale. I hope, at least, they keep up with her progress whenever she does get pregnant.
Guess that's all from the world of television from my perspective. I'm watching "Who Do You Think You Are?" when I can, but that one is basic. Nothing deep or controversial to talk about, just interesting. :-) Keep me in your prayers when you think about it. I start a super busy 8-week stretch this weekend. Thanks!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Pounds for Crowns Week 2
I stepped on the scale Sunday evening, hoping to pull a large number. Instead, I got a disappointing 0.6 pound loss. I know, I know...it's better than gaining! But I was still looking forward to losing 3 or 4 pounds this week. Oh, well. I just know that I need to do more activity this week than I did last week. Maybe this means I'll pull a large number next week! Anyway, this week's weigh-in put me at 162.4 lbs and a total weight-loss of 3.6 lbs.
I found so many good foods to eat that are low in point value. Some days, I don't have enough room in my stomach to eat all of my daily allotment of points. Joshua and I went for a walk on Monday and we'll probably go again one or two more times this week. I say "we" but he was just in the stroller. We go to the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton when it's too cold or wet outside. I am very thankful to have a place to walk indoors so I have no excuse to get out and be active.
My son has been an emotional kid so far this week. He's thrown quite a few temper tantrums and has had attitude changes at the drop of a hat. His nose has been running all day so I would like to blame this on him possibly being sick. But I really think the culprit is teething. Yes! He will be 18 months on Thursday and he is already getting his 2-year molars in. My mom mentioned it to me tonight and after researching the symptoms, I am 99% positive this is the issue. He has been early for all of his teeth so it doesn't really surprise me, but this is the first time he has had any teething problems. His only symptom of teething in the past has been waking up frequently in the middle of the night. But today? He has been fussy, grumpy, runny-nosed, chewing his fingers (rather than the norm of sucking on them), and refusing some food. I just hope he gets these teeth in quickly because it's hard to handle a grumpy little boy who cries at any given moment.
Of course, I did watch my favorite TV shows this week. But it's late and I'm too tired to write about them right now. I will do my best to post tomorrow. Goodnight!
I found so many good foods to eat that are low in point value. Some days, I don't have enough room in my stomach to eat all of my daily allotment of points. Joshua and I went for a walk on Monday and we'll probably go again one or two more times this week. I say "we" but he was just in the stroller. We go to the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton when it's too cold or wet outside. I am very thankful to have a place to walk indoors so I have no excuse to get out and be active.
My son has been an emotional kid so far this week. He's thrown quite a few temper tantrums and has had attitude changes at the drop of a hat. His nose has been running all day so I would like to blame this on him possibly being sick. But I really think the culprit is teething. Yes! He will be 18 months on Thursday and he is already getting his 2-year molars in. My mom mentioned it to me tonight and after researching the symptoms, I am 99% positive this is the issue. He has been early for all of his teeth so it doesn't really surprise me, but this is the first time he has had any teething problems. His only symptom of teething in the past has been waking up frequently in the middle of the night. But today? He has been fussy, grumpy, runny-nosed, chewing his fingers (rather than the norm of sucking on them), and refusing some food. I just hope he gets these teeth in quickly because it's hard to handle a grumpy little boy who cries at any given moment.
Of course, I did watch my favorite TV shows this week. But it's late and I'm too tired to write about them right now. I will do my best to post tomorrow. Goodnight!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Controlling My Anger
I apologize for not writing about "The Biggest Loser" this week. I wanted to wait a little while before writing because I was SO mad about this week's episode. I have heard comments on FB and Twitter about it that I would like to address as well. Guess we should start at the beginning...
After last week's weigh-in, we find the contestants are sent home to their families for 2 weeks. I think it's a little earlier than usual but a lot of these people were very homesick this season. Most of them did a great job keeping up with their diet and exercise programs while away from the Ranch. When they got back home, they knew the challenge would be to run a 5k. The reward...you could pick your trainer again in the order you finished the challenge. My thoughts, at this moment, were, "Great! Now the teams can go back the way they wanted them to be originally. No big deal!" But then Sarah does the unexpected! She chooses to stay with the black team, essentially sealing Arthur's doom. I heard some people say they were upset with Jen, but she was in the same position Arthur was in and was going to be sent home if she didn't get to re-choose her trainer. Please don't blame Jen! It really is Sarah's fault for what would become the most emotional weigh-in I have ever seen.
Black team weighed in first and kicked some booty! I am so proud of them!! Then, the red team. Rulon weighed in first and had me thinking that the red team might actually win the weigh-in. But the rest of the team had horrible numbers. Moses and Kaylee apparently had a hard time being accountable to their weight loss at home. They didn't show it or mention it until Arthur said something in the interview. Funny, the red team didnt even acknowledge that the father and daughter had dropped the ball. As poor Arthur goes up to get his weight, he is reminded that he could have immunity if he loses over 18 pounds. Then the scale shows he only lost 16. I screamed. I knew what that meant. But, hark! In comes Bob and Jillian to tell the red team to get some backbone and keep him on the ranch. Was there now hope? Uh, no. The red team decided to vote with their own interests at heart and booted Arthur from the ranch. My thoughts? Go black team and go Courtney. I hope every red team member loses every weigh-in left in the season...and Sarah, too. (Who I was cheering for, but no longer.)
Another thing that has gotten my blood boiling this week is the NFL/NFLPA labor talks. Court documents released this week showed how the NFL and the owners would have had access to $4 billion (yes, that's billion with a "b") during a potential lockout. And the players would not have had access to the money. But the crazy thing is, a 1-2 year lockout has been premeditated for 3 years now. Unbelievable! Good thing is the judge who presides over the NFL disputes ruled in favor of the players and that money will now have to be divided properly to the players for "damages" and such. As I write this, both sides have agreed to extend the CBA talks thru next Friday. I hope this means that they are seriously trying to get a new CBA and not just attempting to delay the inevitable. Can't we just get this deal done peaceably?
Now that I've shared what has burned me up this week, let me share some good news! My darling son has been on a great schedule since the beginning of last week. He's been getting up early, eating breakfast and lunch on time, laying down for a good nap without fighting, and going to bed at a decent hour. I didn't really do anything to cause it, he's just been a good boy! I guess God is the one I should thank for this change of behavior in him. It has been such a help to know how to plan my days. Let's hope that this schedule continues! Have a great weekend everyone.
After last week's weigh-in, we find the contestants are sent home to their families for 2 weeks. I think it's a little earlier than usual but a lot of these people were very homesick this season. Most of them did a great job keeping up with their diet and exercise programs while away from the Ranch. When they got back home, they knew the challenge would be to run a 5k. The reward...you could pick your trainer again in the order you finished the challenge. My thoughts, at this moment, were, "Great! Now the teams can go back the way they wanted them to be originally. No big deal!" But then Sarah does the unexpected! She chooses to stay with the black team, essentially sealing Arthur's doom. I heard some people say they were upset with Jen, but she was in the same position Arthur was in and was going to be sent home if she didn't get to re-choose her trainer. Please don't blame Jen! It really is Sarah's fault for what would become the most emotional weigh-in I have ever seen.
Black team weighed in first and kicked some booty! I am so proud of them!! Then, the red team. Rulon weighed in first and had me thinking that the red team might actually win the weigh-in. But the rest of the team had horrible numbers. Moses and Kaylee apparently had a hard time being accountable to their weight loss at home. They didn't show it or mention it until Arthur said something in the interview. Funny, the red team didnt even acknowledge that the father and daughter had dropped the ball. As poor Arthur goes up to get his weight, he is reminded that he could have immunity if he loses over 18 pounds. Then the scale shows he only lost 16. I screamed. I knew what that meant. But, hark! In comes Bob and Jillian to tell the red team to get some backbone and keep him on the ranch. Was there now hope? Uh, no. The red team decided to vote with their own interests at heart and booted Arthur from the ranch. My thoughts? Go black team and go Courtney. I hope every red team member loses every weigh-in left in the season...and Sarah, too. (Who I was cheering for, but no longer.)
Another thing that has gotten my blood boiling this week is the NFL/NFLPA labor talks. Court documents released this week showed how the NFL and the owners would have had access to $4 billion (yes, that's billion with a "b") during a potential lockout. And the players would not have had access to the money. But the crazy thing is, a 1-2 year lockout has been premeditated for 3 years now. Unbelievable! Good thing is the judge who presides over the NFL disputes ruled in favor of the players and that money will now have to be divided properly to the players for "damages" and such. As I write this, both sides have agreed to extend the CBA talks thru next Friday. I hope this means that they are seriously trying to get a new CBA and not just attempting to delay the inevitable. Can't we just get this deal done peaceably?
Now that I've shared what has burned me up this week, let me share some good news! My darling son has been on a great schedule since the beginning of last week. He's been getting up early, eating breakfast and lunch on time, laying down for a good nap without fighting, and going to bed at a decent hour. I didn't really do anything to cause it, he's just been a good boy! I guess God is the one I should thank for this change of behavior in him. It has been such a help to know how to plan my days. Let's hope that this schedule continues! Have a great weekend everyone.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Monday Night Fiasco
As promised, I watched last night's "Bachelor." Chantal had the first date. Their safari was amazing! My son, Joshua especially loved seeing the lions. Their date seemed kinda "buddy"-ish. Like they might have a crush on each other but not really in love yet. I know she has declared her love for him but I don't know if it's for the right reasons. We could tell what she really wanted to do in the fantasy suite. Thank goodness Brad chose the outdoor bed so they probably wouldn't be tempted to do anything beyond kissing. Maybe it was chosen because he knew Chantal would want to know him more (in the Biblical sense), and this was a safe escape route. But I'm sure he'll never confess to that.
Emily's date was so sweet. They rode on an elephant, a dream of hers. Chris Harrison mentioned in his blog that they allowed her to take some pictures of her riding the elephant so she could show her daughter later. Brad confessed at lunch that he was ready to be a father to Ricky. I believe this is what catapulted the conversation of further admiration from Emily later that night. At dinner, they seemed very comfortable with each other. Then the dreaded "fantasy suite" card came. She told him straight out that she knew what the suite is for and was not interested being a bad example to her daughter. But she laid down the law that she would only accept the offer if they could have chance to talk privately and keep things at the slow pace they have been going. (In other words, no sex. Good girl!) Right before the cameras left them at the suite, Emily told Brad she had fallen in love with him. And here's the best part...HE SAID IT BACK TO HER! Ali, from last season's "Bachelorette," said in a tweet that she was surprised he let that slip. They aren't supposed to give away those feelings too early. She said she felt like now he will just be stringing Chantal along for the final week.
Ashley's date is where things really went downhill. They flew a helicopter out to a gorgeous place called God's Window. They ate a picnic lunch while looking over a beautiful valley. During their conversation at lunch, Brad started asking some pretty serious questions about their future together. Ashley did not ask Brad one time what his plans were. It was all about her and what she had planned. I think it hurt Brad that she was not mindful of what his plans might be. Every time they talk about something important and she doesn't like what is said, she shuts down. This makes Brad shut down even more and it turns into a vicious cycle. He did offer the fantasy suite, and she accepted, but it was over by this point.
At the rose ceremony, Brad had the decency to take Ashley aside and explain his feelings. When Ashley said she was surprised that he was sending her home, it made me want to scream. How can you expect a proposal in a week when you don't even know what your future life together might look like? Chantal said it best during her date. When you are engaged to someone, that means you are ready at any time to get married. Ashley apparently did not have the same line of thought. I thought she should have been sent home much sooner than this week, but at least Brad finally opened his eyes to her.
If you watched the show with me last night, you probably saw the "Dancing with the Stars" cast reveal as well. I sat, anxiously waiting, just to get highly disappointed. There are only 11 stars this time, and only 3-4 of them are even names I recognized. NONE of them are "A-listers." Here's the list:
Women:
Kirstie Alley (Pretty well-known actress)
Kendra Wilkinson (Reality Star/Playboy Bunny...which I did not know until Tom said it last night.)
Wendy Williams (Talk Show Host - I don't watch her or know anything about her but I'm sure she'll be fun to watch.)
Chelsea Kane (Disney Kid - I'm sorry, I don't even know what show she is on. I don't have a tween in my house yet.)
Petra Nemcova (Model - Never heard of her)
Men:
Chris Jericho (Wrestler/Rocker - really? never heard of him either)
Mike Catherwood (Loveline - I didn't know that show was still around until I saw it on "Bachelor.")
Romeo (Rapper - as in Lil' Romeo...remember? I haven't heard any of his stuff recently.)
"Sugar" Ray Leonard (Retired Boxer - YES, I've heard of him! I think one of my Uncles sparred with him but I could be wrong.)
Ralph Macchio (Actor - as in THE Karate Kid. But he has gotten a lot older. Wow.)
Hines Ward (Wide Receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers)
As you readers know, I am a Patriots fan and cannot stand the Steelers. (Sorry, Mr. Robert.) BUT, I will be cheering for Hines Ward this season, with Sugar Ray as a close second. My gut feeling is that Ralph "The Karate Kid" Macchio will be the winner. I heard a rumor that he is a great dancer. Hmm...very interesting... Guess we'll see!
Don't be afraid to post your comments below. I like feedback on my thoughts. Just know that all vulgar or questionable comments will be instantly deleted. Thanks!
Emily's date was so sweet. They rode on an elephant, a dream of hers. Chris Harrison mentioned in his blog that they allowed her to take some pictures of her riding the elephant so she could show her daughter later. Brad confessed at lunch that he was ready to be a father to Ricky. I believe this is what catapulted the conversation of further admiration from Emily later that night. At dinner, they seemed very comfortable with each other. Then the dreaded "fantasy suite" card came. She told him straight out that she knew what the suite is for and was not interested being a bad example to her daughter. But she laid down the law that she would only accept the offer if they could have chance to talk privately and keep things at the slow pace they have been going. (In other words, no sex. Good girl!) Right before the cameras left them at the suite, Emily told Brad she had fallen in love with him. And here's the best part...HE SAID IT BACK TO HER! Ali, from last season's "Bachelorette," said in a tweet that she was surprised he let that slip. They aren't supposed to give away those feelings too early. She said she felt like now he will just be stringing Chantal along for the final week.
Ashley's date is where things really went downhill. They flew a helicopter out to a gorgeous place called God's Window. They ate a picnic lunch while looking over a beautiful valley. During their conversation at lunch, Brad started asking some pretty serious questions about their future together. Ashley did not ask Brad one time what his plans were. It was all about her and what she had planned. I think it hurt Brad that she was not mindful of what his plans might be. Every time they talk about something important and she doesn't like what is said, she shuts down. This makes Brad shut down even more and it turns into a vicious cycle. He did offer the fantasy suite, and she accepted, but it was over by this point.
At the rose ceremony, Brad had the decency to take Ashley aside and explain his feelings. When Ashley said she was surprised that he was sending her home, it made me want to scream. How can you expect a proposal in a week when you don't even know what your future life together might look like? Chantal said it best during her date. When you are engaged to someone, that means you are ready at any time to get married. Ashley apparently did not have the same line of thought. I thought she should have been sent home much sooner than this week, but at least Brad finally opened his eyes to her.
If you watched the show with me last night, you probably saw the "Dancing with the Stars" cast reveal as well. I sat, anxiously waiting, just to get highly disappointed. There are only 11 stars this time, and only 3-4 of them are even names I recognized. NONE of them are "A-listers." Here's the list:
Women:
Kirstie Alley (Pretty well-known actress)
Kendra Wilkinson (Reality Star/Playboy Bunny...which I did not know until Tom said it last night.)
Wendy Williams (Talk Show Host - I don't watch her or know anything about her but I'm sure she'll be fun to watch.)
Chelsea Kane (Disney Kid - I'm sorry, I don't even know what show she is on. I don't have a tween in my house yet.)
Petra Nemcova (Model - Never heard of her)
Men:
Chris Jericho (Wrestler/Rocker - really? never heard of him either)
Mike Catherwood (Loveline - I didn't know that show was still around until I saw it on "Bachelor.")
Romeo (Rapper - as in Lil' Romeo...remember? I haven't heard any of his stuff recently.)
"Sugar" Ray Leonard (Retired Boxer - YES, I've heard of him! I think one of my Uncles sparred with him but I could be wrong.)
Ralph Macchio (Actor - as in THE Karate Kid. But he has gotten a lot older. Wow.)
Hines Ward (Wide Receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers)
As you readers know, I am a Patriots fan and cannot stand the Steelers. (Sorry, Mr. Robert.) BUT, I will be cheering for Hines Ward this season, with Sugar Ray as a close second. My gut feeling is that Ralph "The Karate Kid" Macchio will be the winner. I heard a rumor that he is a great dancer. Hmm...very interesting... Guess we'll see!
Don't be afraid to post your comments below. I like feedback on my thoughts. Just know that all vulgar or questionable comments will be instantly deleted. Thanks!
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