Ironically

I hate it when people just post pictures to a blog with no commentary. OR they are clearly missing big bits of life (ie she flew home to Seattle and isn't saying anything about it. WHY NOT!?).

So I flew home. And kitty and I both survived. I am not sure Shupa (Flora/my Dad's cat) is going to make it through. He seriously wants to be friends and little miss (Mei-Mei) is not about to have any of it. Again. It's a replay of last holiday season.

I am having a good time, even if I have managed to percolate a cold/sinus infection of some sort. So I far I have seen mostly my parents and Declan and Mary Alyce a couple of times. I really, really need to throw in my cousins (Riah and Jerusha, and kiddos!) and Robin (and Lorie Mae). Especially with the kiddos I feel like I am missing huge chunks of their lives. They are completely different. I am sure I won't even recognize Sheep cat from our brief introduction last year (yeah Gaby!).

So now I photo dump. And they aren't even mine! These are the hike my dad and I and his idiom class students went on Sunday. We had SOO much fun. I really enjoyed it. It did take a while (long while) to completely thaw out.

Update on the move to a more healthy Malia

So I am not sure there has been any substantive weight change since I started last Tuesday night. I have until Wednesday morning before I start demanding a refund. But I have noticed that the focus on portion controls, and not really having much option but to eat less food as well as just having a more defined meal (its all there, I don't need to/get to add anything) have helped me a lot. I am still adding a few extras (double-bubble anyone?) mostly drinks. This weekend I ate a 2nd "dinner" of a salad (blue cheese and dressing and apples, mmm good). Saturday I ate well until I substituted dinner I didn't want for a large piece of pizza. And Sunday I ate brunch with Merissa and Samantha and had pancakes for lunch and then steak dinner with Rebecca and Steve.
So I am not totally with the Diet-To-Go program . . . But I added plenty of exercise yesterday when Merissa's dog, Clyde, decided "off-lead" meant "totally gone." Roughly an hour and a half later (my phone was dying and I was too stressed to pay attention to the time) a lovely couple who had grabbed the triumphant hunter/hound dog who was barking and circling a dead deer carcass. Clearly it was the biggest animal Clyde had ever seen. I think he was rather proud of himself for finding it. He was not at all repentant for the stress. My cute little black flats will never be the same. Kelly and I circled the nature reserve several times trying to find Clyde. Ironically the dog who really needed the long walk was Clyde, but Kelly and I sure were the ones to get it!

Shenandoah River Park Hike

Samantha and I rented the Zipcar and drove out past Front Royal, only 15 miles from West Virginia and hiked along the Shenandoah River. It was gorgeous and wonderful to be completely (COMPLETELY!) out of the city. Samantha laughed at my interest in the slave quarters we passed. Its ok. I laugh at her all the time too.

Almost the end

Its just two days now until I return to the school grind. I can't say I am looking forward to it, but I am finally getting some "vacation" feeling time in. And here are the pictures to prove it.

Yesterday I took in the Seattle Wedding Show with my friend Robin who is getting married, as well as her mother and a friend. I can't say that I ever want to willingly do that again. What a nightmare. By the end my stomach hurt from bad (and a few good) wedding cake testings. There were a number of cool flower vendors. These represent just few of the pictures I took.

REI buying new hiking boots and renting snowshoes and poles. ToWe did cap the day well with a dinner at Claim Jumper, a place designed for overeating. Then Mom and Dad and I went shopping. Dad and I ended up spending close to two and a half hours inday we tried them out at Gold Creek up Snoqualmie Pass. It was great fun and very beautiful. I throughly enjoyed the chance to get out and about. I feel better today than I have in a while.