Hugs

All of a sudden, I'm getting lots of hugs from men.

I'm definitely not naturally the huggy type. I'll do it, more with some people than others. Some women are really into it, and I can do OK with that. I don't initiate hugging men, unless it's their birthday or something. And their wives are right there. Or, if it's a very old friend or one of my multitude of brothers.

Suddenly, though, everyone's hugging me. I don't hate it; it's just sort of different.

Paul thinks it's weird, but he's even stiffer than I am outside the family. I also think it's a "young people" thing. I look and dress younger now, so I'm dealing with social customs I had not been a part of for a while.

Four foods on Friday -- my second

#1.  Does your family usually eat meals in the kitchen or somewhere else?


We have a teeny dining room/library where we eat. 

#2.  Who usually does the dishes in your house?


Usually me. The kids are in training. Paul will pick up the slack.

#3.  What’s your favorite small appliance or tool in the kitchen?


My crockpot!

#4. This one’s for my son. Share a recipe for chili.


Vegan chili
3 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 small can diced green chiles
1 can black beans
1/4 cup chile powder
1 T. cumin
6 gloves minced garlic
1/2 cup diced onion
1 T. olive oil


Cook onion in olive oil until softened and brown. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook for at least 20 minutes. 

Creepy new music

I can't decide if I really like Ben Lee. Or hate him.

I heard his "Blush" song at a store. And loved it. "Catch My Disease" is cute, of course.

Too much of his other stuff is just super-creepy, though. It sounds like really bad '70s pickup lines or something. 

This is the first time in a long time that I've bought an album and been disappointed. That happened a lot when I was buying more music, but I hadn't regretted buying music in forever. I should've just bought the "Blush" single. Maybe the rest of the album will grow on me eventually. I guess we'll see.

Two miles today!

I ran two miles straight, without slowing to a walk, today.

If you had told me six months ago I was going to be able to run even 1/4 of a mile, I would've laughed at you. Even at the beginning of November, I thought I'd be lucky to be able to run a mile by Jan. 1. Now, my Jan. 1 goal is 3 miles without stopping, and I don't really expect it to be a problem.

Old habits

I'll often hesitate while Paul and I are cuddling, particularly in a narrow space like the couch. "What's the matter?" he asks. I'll worry aloud that I'm going to squish him too much. He says, "You can't hurt me. I'm tough. Besides, you're a Skinny Girl now!" (That's what Tiffany calls those of us on eYou.)

I know, intellectually, that I'm a lot smaller. And I do feel skinny in comparison with what I used to be -- but I still worry about silly things like hurting him because it was a kind of humiliation I was trying to avoid for too long. 

Or -- and this is really strange -- I sometimes worry that I'm not going to fit in seats. I had gotten big enough that I often had tight fits. Now, I have plenty of room, but I'll circle and eye a seat before risking the embarrassment of trying to fit into one that's too small for me. It's never anywhere close to a problem anymore, but I have yet to get out of the habit of worrying about it.

Romantic comedies

Since we've been holed up at home for various reasons (sickness, fires) over the last couple of weeks, Paul and I have been catching various romantic comedies on TV, most of which we had seen before. It's not a genre either of us actively seek out, but we can enjoy them, particularly the older ones, before they turned completely sleazy.

"While You Were Sleeping" was on the other day. Paul was watching it, and I mentioned that that movie was cute. He said he had never seen it. I said he definitely had -- he'd seen it in the theater. With me.

He told me -- jokingly -- that it must've been one of my other boyfriends. That's one of his chestnuts -- it's "your other husband" who did fill-in-the-blank. I didn't think so, so I went and looked up what year it came out. It was 1994, and we were together then. It took him a while, but he remembered.

Then, "Moonstruck" was on the other night. I had seen that as part of a college film class, but Paul thought we'd seen it together.

Now it was my turn to say "That must've been one of your other girlfriends." Paul dated a lot before we got married. Sure enough, when the scene came on where the sweaty baker played by Nicolas Cage carries Cher's character to bed, he knew it wasn't me. The woman he was with when he saw it said, "I would've made him take a shower first."

Not the kind of thing I would've ever said. Well, maybe now (I'm "mouthier," you know), but definitely not as a single woman!

Sickness, Part II

The kids are coming down with illnesses, one-by-one. Each illness seems slightly different and still fairly short-lived.

We're going to miss a birthday party in Corona tomorrow because of it.

'Tis the season.

My coat

Early in October 2007, I was working a nonprofit garage sale.

It was freezing, and I didn't have warm-enough clothing, so I started looking through the outerwear we were selling.

Then, I saw it. It was maroon. And warm. And a roomy Size 10, made by Talbot's, a nice, long-lasting brand.

The coat fit my arms, but I couldn't button it -- nowhere close, as at least six inches gapped as I pulled it tight. But, that was OK, as it kept me warmer than nothing.

Oh, and it was $2. So I bought it.

It was both practical and a piece of aspirational clothing. I'm not the type who buys smaller size clothes to motivate me, as I know some women do. Before my current plan, too many weight-loss goals that I wasn't hitting would stress me out and spur more overeating, so I would never buy anything that didn't fit perfectly. But this coat was both wearable and really cheap, so I broke my rule.

That coat fits me now. In fact, it's big. My arms swim in it, and it overlaps even my chest by a number of inches. Right now, I'm hanging onto it, as it's warm (and I'm now a California weather wimp, despite living most of my life in much colder climates) and it's not that much too big yet. But it's not long for my closet, I don't think.

My mix tape addiction continues

New exercise class

I'm starting YRG this week. The running has been great, but I needed something for my core -- never a strong point. So, I'm starting this.

YRG stands for Yoga for Regular Guys/Gals and the class is taught by a former World Wrestling Federation champion, Diamond Dallas Page. I used to sort of follow WWF garbage when I lived with my parents because my little brothers were all into it. But, this guy is after my time.

It should be interesting.

I had been wanting to do yoga, but I didn't want Yoga Church. Or to feel Amazonian and klutzy next to teeny yoga babes. So, this is coming along at a good time.

A mix tape for you!

This is courtesy of the greatest website -- ever.

I was supposed to go see The Hold Steady (the band in the first song on this "tape") last Tuesday, but I couldn't pull it off. Paul wouldn't have wanted to go on a work day, and he really wouldn't have wanted me to go alone. Had I pushed the issue I could've done it -- but what it boiled down to is I didn't want to go badly enough to push the issue. Now, of course, I'm regretting it a bit.