Weighty Wednesdays the Third

I’m checking in once again on how the whole weight loss/get fit scheme is going. You may recall from my previous two “Weighty Wednesday” posts that I’m part of a 20 week weight loss competition through my friend’s work. We’re “Team Downton Abbey”, and right now, we’re ahead of the competition in total weight loss. But for me so far, it’s been slow going. I’ve not lost as many pounds over the last two months as I would have liked, (although this week I think I lost the most of my team). I know I’ve been building some muscle, which weighs more than fat, but still, I need to see some bigger numbers dropping from that scale over the next few months.

I have lost ½ - 1 inch from most areas of my body and that is nice. I can also see some noticeable differences in the way clothes fit. I’ve had to cinch all my pants in via belt or drawstring just to keep them up and that makes me very happy. I’d say I’ve dropped a size already. And I can also see the loss in many areas of my body. My face is thinner. I have shapely ankles now, (no more cankles). And my “fat arse” is turning into a more shapely “donkey booty”, which I can live with, for now. I also see less cellulite on my thighs.

I decided a couple of weeks ago that I am going to need to step up my game a bit more than I have already if I want to see some bigger numbers on those scales over the next three months, (the length of time left in that weight loss competition I’m participating in). I’ve been working out every morning, but I’m going to try to squeeze in extra workouts in the afternoons several days a week to burn more calories.

I’ve also started to count my calories more religiously. I was trying to stay under 1500 before, but now I’m trying to keep daily intake under 1300 on most days. I’ve cut out most junk food and sugar from my diet, but I need to add a wider variety of vegetables, (I get 2-3 servings, but it’s usually a really big salad for lunch and try to get another veg in at dinner – I need to get three servings of different vegs every day). I’ve added fresh lemon juice to my water because I’ve read it boosts fat burning and helps detox the body. I’ve also added several supplements to my daily regimen, (I just need to remember to take them every day).

For the most part, I’m following the weight loss plan from Jackie Warner’s This Is Why You're Fat (And How to Get Thin Forever). I actually used this plan in late 2010 and lost a chunk of weight. Unfortunately I stopped following it religiously after a few months and stopped losing weight (at least I didn’t gain it all back). This time, I’m not only going to stick with the program until all the fat is gone, I’m going to work twice as hard to get it gone as fast as possible. I want to be in a bikini on a tropical beach with my Mr. Darcy this Christmas. Keep your eye on the prize.

Oscar Best Picture Favorites

In honor of last Sunday night’s Oscar awards, I wanted to list some of my all time favorite movies, which have also won Oscar’s biggest prize, Best Picture. (I’ll go by year to make it easier). Here's a link to where you can find the list of what movies won when.

1939 Gone With the Wind

This happens to be my favorite movie, so it’s fitting that I start here. I’ve seen this movie well over 50 times. I can practically quote it from beginning to end. I don’t know what element makes this my favorite movie of all time. Maybe it’s the chemistry between Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable, or the most beautiful costumes ever created for a movie, or the beautiful score. I think it’s all of the above and the great story that makes this movie so special to me.

1940 Rebecca

Laurence Olivier has never been hotter than he is in this movie! Hitchcock at his finest, superb casting, and it’s such a great suspense story. Love this movie!

1943 Casablanca

I don’t usually see Humphrey Bogart as sexy, but in this movie he is. And Ingrid Bergman is luminous in this film. Best movie dialogue ever! In my opinion, this movie has the best screenplay ever written. I know it went through tons of rewrites, but the finished product, story and dialogue, is perfection.

1958 Gigi

I love singing along with this movie, it’s such a fun film. Maurice Chevalier leads an awesome cast. Makes me want to go to Paris again, and ride a donkey, (maybe not the donkey).

1964 My Fair Lady

With music written by Lerner and Loewe, who wrote Gigi, it shouldn’t surprise you that I love the music in this movie and will always sing along when I watch it, (be warned future Mr. Darcy). But what I really love is Rex Harrison. Normally I wouldn’t find myself attracted to the callous, misogynist type, but he’s the exception.

1965 The Sound of Music

Yes I sing along when I watch this movie too, but it’s not the music that makes me love this movie, it’s the beauty of Austria and the chemistry between Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer that make this movie special. You can feel their attraction the minute they pop up on screen together.

1985 Out of Africa

This is another movie that I love for its location and chemistry. Africa is gorgeous and so is Robert Redford. It also has one of the simplest, yet sexist, most romantic film moments ever – the hair washing scene.

1993 Schindler’s List

I cry every time I see this film. I cry when people die. I cry when Liam Neeson cries. I cry when Voldemort falls in love with his Jewish maid.

1998 Shakespeare in Love

This movie makes me laugh. Love Geoffrey Rush. Love Colin Firth with an earring. Love Judi Dench. Love Voldemort’s brother.

2003 Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King

As a geeky girl, this movie, and it’s first two parts which I like to combine into one very long movie, has everything I could want in a film: action, romance, a great story, a beautiful score, and some very HOT men.  

2010 The King’s Speech

Colin Firth!!! Sure it has a good story, and a great cast, but mainly my love for this movie is due to COLIN FIRTH!!!

Do you have a favorite Oscar winner?

Colin Firth’s Fight Club – Who Would Win in a Fight Pt 2

Colin Firth is ready for a fight!

Yesterday we played “Who Would Win in a Fight” with Richard Armitage. Today it’s Colin Firth’s turn. How would some of his most memorable characters rate?

Mr. Darcy vs. Pirates

Both are good with a sword. Both look nice in billowy, white shirts. Both function well when wet. Darcy is noble and heroic when it comes to saving women from caddish men. Pirates are caddish men. So I’m going to call this one for Darcy.

King George VI vs. Ninjas

On the one hand, King George has His Majesty’s Secret Service, (like the Spooks), the Royal Army and Navy, etc. on his side. On the other hand, his stammer may hinder his ability to give orders fast enough to take out the ninjas before they, to quote my friend Marcie, “reduce him to spaghetti”. This is a tough call. If the King’s spooks are like Lucas North, (as played by Richard Armitage), then he’ll win, if they are more like Bill Haydon, (played by Colin Firth in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), then they are toast. I think I may have to give this to the ninjas just for that reason.

Colin Firth vs. Zombies

One look at Livia’s yellow, bumblebee/smile face dress and the zombies will kill themselves…again.

Mark Darcy vs. Superman

Superman can fly, has super strength and x-ray vision. Mark Darcy is a top Human Rights Barrister, capable of rescuing women from Thai prisons, making omelets, and wearing reindeer jumpers. And he knows what to say to a woman: “I like you, just as you are.” That makes him a winner in my book.

Who would win in a fight? – The Richard Armitage Edition

Who can beat him?

My friend’s son loves to play “Who Would Win in a Fight?” He’s constantly asking me to pick between two options, like Zombies vs. Ninjas, or Wizards vs. Jedi, and determine who I think would win. We play this game so often; I got him a t-shirt for Christmas. So I was thinking it might be fun to play a Richard Armitage version of “Who Would Win in a Fight?”

Sir Guy of Gisborne vs. Pirates

This is actually a tough call. Neither Guy nor the pirates are squeamish. Both are good with swords. Both look good in flow-y shirts and messy, shoulder-length hair. If you were to put Guy up against Jack Sparrow, Guy would have a greater amount of courage in his favor, as Jack does tend to run away when things get hairy; however, Jack has much better luck than poor Guy, whose plans usually go wrong. But Guy can ride a horse, and he looks much better without his shirt on, so I’m going to vote for Guy.

Lucas North vs. Ninjas

Ninjas are known for their stealth and their skill with weapons. They are also strong and agile. Lucas North is also skilled in stealth and the use of many weapons. And he is also strong and agile. I would call this one a draw, but Lucas has one thing working in his favor. Lucas North looks better without his shirt on, so I’m going to give this one to Lucas.

(I’m sensing a theme.)

Thorin Oakenshield vs. Zombie

What Zombie? You mean that headless thing over there that Thorin decapitated, (while not getting a drop of zombie drool on him or his friends)? It happened so fast I didn’t even have time to include a picture of Thorin’s opponent. Point Thorin, (and he didn’t even need to remove his shirt)!

Richard Armitage vs. Superman

I don’t care that Richard can’t fly, or that he doesn’t have super speed or x-ray vision. He’s my superhero and therefore, he wins!

And they lived happily ever after… or not

Are you watching Once Upon a Time on television? Well maybe not if you live outside the U.S., which many of you do. But if you do have access to the show, you should check it out. It was created by two of the writers for Lost and has that same sort of feel to it. I love this show! It’s exciting, mysterious, quirky, weird, wonderful, and tons of fun. And the cast is superb. The show keeps you guessing as it takes the fairytales you’ve always known and loved and twists them around each other in a modern way, not unlike the musical Into the Woods, (which has always been one of my favorites), or the Shrek movies, (which are some of the funniest movies out there).

Even though I loved Snow White and Cinderella as a kid, I don’t remember wanting to find that sort of fairytale romance back then. I think I was more attracted to the Han Solo types. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I started to dream of finding a Prince Charming, or more likely a Beast that needed to be turned into a Prince Charming. (That probably explains all the loser boyfriends I had in college. I was waiting for them to change into Charmings.)

As I’ve been watching the show, I’ve been trying to think of what my favorite fairytales are. I like Beauty and the Beast and those stories loosely based off it like The Phantom of the Opera. I’m also a fan of The Little Mermaid, (both the original, depressing Anderson version and the happier Disney version). I’m not really fond of Snow White or Sleeping Beauty. I think it is because those two women needed to be rescued by men from evil women, whereas Beauty and the Little Mermaid were a tiny bit more proactive in trying to find their men. I fluctuate on whether I like Cinderella or not, I think because on the one hand, she’s got some courage, but on the other hand, she still needs a lot of help to get her man. Obviously girl power resonated more with me as a kid, (and an adult). The stories I never liked were ones with stupid children in them: Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the Beanstalk.

Josh Dallas as Prince Charming

Back to Once Upon a Time, they really do have an excellent cast; and their casting department certainly knows how to find a handsome prince or two. Actually all the young men are quite dreamy to look at. Prince Charming, played by Josh Dallas is very good looking. But for me, the sheriff is the fairest of them all. Jamie Dornan oozes sexiness and looks damn good in leather, (not unlike a certain gentleman we all love – Richard Armitage – in fact there are quite a few similarities between Sheriff Graham and Sir Guy of Gisborne).

Jamie Dornan as Sheriff Graham

So what are your favorite fairytales?

Make Room for Darcy

While many of my friends spent the weekend sleeping in, or enjoying the sunshine, (or snow as the case may be), I spent this weekend cleaning out closets and drawers; getting rid of stuff I don’t want, or will never need. I must have recycled a full bin’s worth of items, thrown out several bags of trash, and have no less than ten large boxes to take to charities tomorrow sitting in my car. I’ve also moved the furniture around in my bedroom. Why have I done all this work you ask? I’m making room for the future Mr. Darcy.

Over the last year or so, I’ve come to realize that I’m a tiny bit of a hoarder. I’m certainly not going to be a candidate for a reality show about my hoarding anytime soon. I’m too neat for that. But I do tend to hold onto things that I’ve begun to realize I really don’t need to hold onto: pictures of people I don’t remember, books I’ll never read again, clothes I don’t wear anymore, etc. My closets were stuffed, but now I’ve made room in case Mr. Darcy should want to move in a few of his things. And by moving the bedroom furniture around, I’ve given him a little extra space on his side of the bed, (if he should choose to stay for a sleepover – wink wink, nudge nudge).

But I also realized that moving with all the crap I had would be a tedious and time consuming project. By weeding out so much of the unwanted and unneeded stuff that I had accumulated over the years, I’m making the process of moving in with the future Mr. Darcy much easier. (Or should I need to store some of it while I travel the world with him, it will take up a much smaller, cheaper storage unit).

I have to admit something, when I first saw Richard Armitage’s episodes of The Vicar of Dibley I wondered where Harry put all his stuff when he moved in with Geraldine. He complained he didn’t have enough room for all his things when he moved from his large London flat into that small cottage. So how did he get it all to fit into Geraldine’s already crowded cottage? Did she have to clean out her collection of pin-up posters of Sean Bean and Johnny Depp to make room for a picture of his sister Rosie?

But I needn’t worry now. The future Mr. Darcy will have a couple of drawers, about a foot of closet rack space, and a few inches of bed to make him feel right at home. *giggles*

A Wonderful Wingman…uhh Wingwoman…Wingperson

Some wingmen are better than others.

It’s Friday again, and that means tonight is the night when most singles are out on the town, hunting for their own future Mr. or Mrs. Darcy. I’ll be doing the same very soon, and what I want to know is should I bring a wingman with me, (or perhaps more than one)? Naturally when I say “wingman” I’m not referring to bringing along a guy, but saying wing-woman sounds rather silly.

I’ve asked my newly single brother and several other friends their thoughts on whether single women should have wingmen with them when they go in search of men, and if so, how many they should take along, and I’ve found some rather opposing viewpoints on the subject. Some men find women alone difficult to approach, (especially in bars and clubs), possibly because women who are alone send off a vibe of inapproachability, either because they truly want to be alone, or because they’re nervous about being alone and not having any back up in case weirdoes should approach them. This would suggest that it is always better to have a friend/wingman along for courage. However, other men prefer approaching single women because they are less likely to be rejected if it turns out the woman would rather stay with her friend; and he doesn’t have to worry about insulting the friend by not paying attention to her.  I think this is a valid point. “Never leave your wingman.” It would be difficult to get to know a guy better with a friend hovering nearby, yet you’d hate to leave her alone and wingman-less herself.

So what about having more than one wingman? One person told me that three is the magic number. That way, you can go off to chat with the guy, and the other two people have each other to keep them company. This way too, the guy doesn’t have to worry about ignoring just one person and leading your wingman feeling rejected. Most of my guy friends, however, said they’re too intimidated to approach a woman when she’s in a much larger group, like walking into a den of lions. So if you are looking for a man, don’t travel in packs.

But what kind of wingman should you bring with you? One guy told me not to go with other men, even if they’re gay, as it will appear that you are already taken. My personal experience has taught me that you never want to go with drama queens or attention hogs either, since you’ll never get the chance to really get acquainted with the guy. Nor should you take along friends who don’t understand the meaning of discretion and are likely to spill all your secrets or tell embarrassing stories about you. I also think you may want to avoid taking women who are also single who may be in competition with you for guys, (those who look similar to you in appearance, or those who have the exact same taste in men who may try to pull his attention from you onto themselves). And you should probably avoid taking your knock-out best friend as well. So, in other words, you should bring two married, older women with you, who will talk up your better traits, then fade into the background, when looking for guys.

What's your advice?

Chocolate Covered Colins

When the ancient Greek and Roman poets spoke of the nectar of the gods they were probably describing honey, one of the few sweeteners they had at the time, but obviously they had never experienced the wonders of chocolate. No, that honor rested with the tribes of Central and South America on the other side of the world. In those countries cocoa beans were used as currency because of how precious they were. But once the Europeans had access to those precious beans, they turned it into a culinary art which chocolatiers around the world have continued to elevate and perfect.

I can’t think of a chocolate I don’t like. Nope, I take that back, I can’t stand the cheap faux chocolate they use in cheap holiday candies. That is not real chocolate. But other than that, I don’t have a preference what kind of chocolate I’m eating. And, unlike many people, I don’t really have a favorite company. Hersheys, Ghiradelli, Cadbury, Godiva, Nestle, Mars; they are all favorites of mine. I do love dark chocolates, slightly bitter. I love chocolate truffles. It’s all good. (Although I do have a favorite go-to chocolate right now: Andes Mints. It satisfies all chocolate cravings while freshening your breath. A must have on date nights.)

The only issue I have with chocolate is that we in America don’t seem to have as much variety in our chocolates as our friends in other countries have. Take Kit Kats for example. The U.S. has maybe a half a dozen flavors; the U.K. has twice as many; and Japan somewhere around 100 flavors of Kit Kats to chose from, (it’s like Bertie Botts Every Flavor Jelly Beans). Somehow this doesn’t seem fair to me, (not that I’m anxious to try potato flavored chocolate), but variety is always nice. It’s for this reason that I like to collect chocolate when I travel, (well collect is not the right word, as I don’t keep it for long before I devour it).

It must not be forgotten that chocolate is also good for your health. It’s a mood enhancer, it might reduce cancers, and it increases your libido, (although this claim cannot be proven). However, I think chocolate definitely increases one’s sex drive, especially if one's Mr. Darcy was covered in it. Food for thought.

Let’s pretend this is a Chocolate Covered Colin.

P.S. Thanks to Marcie for putting this idea into my head.

The Cult of Darcy

A God Among Men

Does having a shrine, or two, dedicated to a fictional character, make you a member of a cult? If it does then I’m a proud member of the cult of Colin Firth’s Mr. Darcy, and the cult of Alan Rickman’s Severus Snape! (I've not been a fan of Richard Armitage long enough to amass a shrine to him.) And I know many of you are cult members too.

What is it about some actors (or some books, TV shows or movies) that make us want to collect mass amounts of memorabilia, which are usually completely useless and costly, and then give said items pride of place in our already cluttered homes? Why do we create little mini shrines to these demigods of pop culture? 200 years from now, will archeologists unearth these shrines and conclude that there was a subgroup in our culture that actually worshipped Colin Firth, Alan Rickman and Richard Armitage?

Right now, if my home were “unearthed”, scientists might argue that Colin Firth is my Zeus-like top god. There is a giant, framed, painted picture of him hanging over my desk.

Doesn't it look just like the picture at the top?

Not to mention the postcards, key rings, bookmarks, and smaller pictures of Colin as Darcy lying around all over the house. And that doesn’t include the huge amount of general Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice stuff I have. I also have a rather large collection of cartoon Darcy merchandise from this site.

Wizard I'd like to .....

Continuing with this logic, the archeologists of the future may decide that Alan Rickman’s Severus Snape is some sort of Underworld god like Hades. I’ve got posters, matted prints, action figures and Gentle Giant busts, wands, key rings, and buttons all about Snape, (my favorite button is a dreamy shot of Alan/Snape with “WILF” on it – as in Wizard I’d like to F***). I’ve also got several generalized Harry Potter “shrines” throughout the house as well.

I don’t even want to think about what they’ll be saying if I end up creating a shrine to Richard as Thorin or Guy.

A Valentine’s Lament

For those of you who have a significant other, Happy Valentine’s Day. For those who don’t, Happy Don’t-Kill-The-Annoying-Cuddling-Couple-Next-To-You Day. Contrary to the title of this post and the way I’ve begun, this is not going to be a post lamenting my lack of a man on the supposed “most romantic day of the year”. On the contrary, this blog will ask the question, “Where was Adele 15-20 years ago when I was going through messy, emotional breakups?”

I’ve recently joined the throngs of people who have gone gaga over this amazing singer (pun intended). Sunday night she swept the Grammy Awards, winning all the categories she was nominated for, and when you listen to her album 21 you can totally understand why. Her songs capture every emotional up and down associated with a horrible breakup. They seem to say, “I feel your pain; I’ve been there before myself; now let’s go slash his tires and move on with our lives.” This girl is brilliant. And, she is just a girl, or at least she was when she wrote the songs, and that makes her even more brilliant. If it wasn’t about breaking up with a guy who married someone else, I’d have Someone Like You as my wedding song. I think it’s one of the prettiest ballads I’ve ever heard.

Ok, so I’ve lied, I am going to lament my lack of a Mr. Darcy on Valentine’s Day. When I finally find him, he’s going to have a lot of making up for lost time to do. This approach might work.

 

Maybe next year. *sigh*

And Always Let James Lipton be Your Guide

Take the straight and narrow path, and if you start to slide, give a little whistle, and always let your conscience be your guide. – “Give a Little Whistle” from Pinocchio

Jiminy Cricket was Pinocchio’s conscience, trying to keep him on the right path. For many of us, this role, when not being played by our own inner voice, takes the form of our friends, family, teachers, etc. But for me, the voice inside my head, when I’m trying to decide whether the action I’m contemplating is a good idea or not, is Inside the Actor’s Studio host James Lipton. I’m not saying that I actually hear his voice talking to me. I’m not that far gone…yet. But sometimes, when I’m thinking about making a certain career or major life decision, I often ask myself, “What would James Lipton ask me about this decision, when he’s interviewing me on Inside the Actor’s Studio?”  Would I be too embarrassed by my decision to answer comfortably? Would I have to lie about it? Try to cover it up? Could I turn it into a funny story? A life lesson others could learn from? And often, I will let my answers to “his” questions determine whether I should take the action I’m contemplating. Because, if you are too embarrassed at the idea of the world knowing what you’ve done or why, then maybe it’s not such a great thing to do in the first place, and you need to think it through better.
 

James Lipton interviewing Colin Firth on Inside the Actor's Studio

I’m not an actress, but I do love that show, and a part of me has always thought that if I ever did anything worthy of being interviewed, I wanted James Lipton to conduct the interview. I will admit that I have a small little obsession with this fantasy. I actually stress out over how I would answer the Bernard Pivot questions. I don’t have a favorite word! Nor a least favorite word! I don’t want to just spout off some random words here. Nor do I want to list some politically correct, contrived B.S. like some of the celebs do. Words are important on this show. They say something about the interviewee. I want my words to say, “Isn’t she funny/smart/clever?” And when James asks me, “What turns you on,” what if I forget myself and say, “Richard Armitage?” Will people think less of me when they hear my favorite curse word is “Holy Crap,” and not something bleep worthy? Will I be forever haunted by the noise that I hate, (that raspberry/fart noise people make with their mouths – makes my nose itch), as people follow me around doing it on purpose to irritate me? What if there are too many professions I wouldn’t want to attempt for me to choose just one?

Boy, just thinking about this makes me stressed that I’m really going cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. At least answering that final question will be easy.

James:

“If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?”

Me:

"I would like God to say, 'This is your reward, enjoy.'”
 


Heaven must be missing an angel!

It’s not raining men… yet!

It’s Friday. For many singles, that means it’s date night, or find a date night. But it’s not date night for me, at least not tonight, not until I find my Mr. Darcy. But how am I going to find him? I’ve researched several websites with tips on where you can find single men. Here’s a few of my favorite tips, (and some that won’t work so well for me), on where you can find single men.

Bars and Clubs

This is a highly unlikely place for me to find a man since I don’t drink, smoke, or like crowded places with loud music.

Work

Currently a rather difficult task since I’m working from home right now.

Church

No, not going to happen. I don’t go to church, but I can’t imagine it being heavily populated by Liberal Democrats like me.

Libraries and Bookstores

This has some potential. I like to read, and it doesn’t have to be costly. There’s a nice B&N nearby, but I don’t have a clue where the closest library is.

Coffee shops

I’ve got a nice Starbucks two blocks away, and it’s always full of cute guys, but I don’t drink coffee, and their prices are a bit high for tea, so I’ll have to check into ways to keep from spending lots of money while I sit around waiting for Mr. D to show up.

Weddings

With my luck, I’d meet the groom minutes before the wedding.

The Gym

If I could afford to use the gym and not just the hand weights I have at home, I’d be there in a heartbeat.

Online chat sites/dating sites

Too many things can go wrong with this option. I’m not ready to give up/give in just yet.

Those items were on most of the online advice sites. But there are a few other places I plan to try out when I go to England next fall.

The Train or Plane

If I’m sitting next to a potential Mr. Darcy for hours, you better believe I’m going to chat him up.

Where would you suggest I go to find my Mr. Darcy?