So, as I mentioned last time – my schedule is just absolutely insane. But it keeps me happy – I cannot stand to be bored. And downtime = bored time. So I keep my schedule packed in order to avoid this issue. The good news is that between classes, working, working, volunteering, homework, etc. I don’t have a lot of down time. Unfortunately this also means that a lot of times when I say to myself “I’m going to blog more than once a week!” – I don’t keep those commitments to myself. I am working on this.

With that, I wanted to be sure to post a new blog talking about this delicious new food that Matt & I tried last week. I know I didn’t mention this in my last post, but, Matt and I have decided to stop eating meat. Woah, woah, woah. I know what you’re thinking: “But Alex, you already stopped eating meat over a year ago!” – yes. You’re absolutely correct. In April 2009, I stopped eating meat. Mostly to see if I could.. and also because I think it’s healthier. Well. For just over a year, I stuck to it. Well, except for fish. I ate fish. Then, disaster struck… a new restaurant opened just down the road. 4Rivers Smokehouse… dun dun dun! I know, it sounds absolutely ridiculous. Giving up over a year for… barbeque? Well. It’s not just any barbeque. It’s serious. The best I’ve had since I lived in North Carolina, and that is a *big* deal. So, I tried it. And well… I was hooked, again. So for about six months, I ate meat. And a lot of it. And other food. A lot of that too. Not good. This brings us to recent day… well, recent.. two weeks ago. Matt and I watched a wonderful documentary called “Forks Over Knives” – if you have not seen it, and you need ANY convincing that meat is NOT good for you: please watch it. It is not preachy, it’s not pushy – and it’s smart. As soon as it was over, the decision was made. Some big changes needed to be made – and off we went! Admittedly, the documentary recommends a vegan diet. But. I love cheese. Love. love. love. And I think vegan cheese is weird.. and made of chemicals. I would rather have the real stuff – in moderation.

So. Long story short. Vegetarians. That’s us.

Last week, we had a delicious dinner of pan-fried cabbage, carrots, and onions, mashed potatoes, and Field Roast Smoked Sage and Apple sausages. Nope. No meat. They’re veggie sausages – and oh my goodness. They are *delicious* – look for them in the store. This is what they look like.

mmm... "sausage"...:)

This dinner was insanely easy. I made some mashed potatoes – which.. I think everyone knows how to make those (boil potatoes, mash them up with butter, salt, pepper, milk, and garlic. voila!). Then, in a large saute pan, use about.. a tablespoon of butter, and some olive oil (probably about a tablespoon).. and then.. (because I’m kind of lazy), I put in a bag of pre-chopped coleslaw mix. Then… you let it cook. Keep it moving in the pan to make sure it doesn’t stick (if you don’t have non-stick pans, that is) – and let it do it’s thing. Oh. Don’t forget the salt & pepper. Just let it cook til it’s browned. After it was almost there, we sliced the sausages up and threw them in the pan. Keeping in mind that they’re not meat… you pretty much just want to make sure that it’s hot and has a little bit of sear on the pieces. Sit down at a table with your loved ones. Put some mashed potatoes on the plate, and then top it with the cabbage and sausage mixture. Oh. my. goodness. So good. Sooooo good. Stop reading, get to your closes Whole Foods, Earth Fare, Wild Oats or whathaveyou. Buy these sausages – and make this now!

In other news… Friday morning I woke up with a pain in my ear. Ugh. Another ear infection. I went to Centra Care right away – got some drops, went home. As the day proceeded it got worse, and worse, and worse. Went back to Centra Care the next day. My ear canal was essentially… closed for business. No medicine was getting down there. So – the doctor inserted an ear wick (hello again, ear wicks!) and prescribed me narcotic pain relievers. Thank. Goodness. I don’t know why, perhaps it’s because I didn’t have ear infections as a child, but the … two … that I’ve had as an adult have been some of the most painful moments of my entire life. So, I spent the entire weekend in a percoset-induced haze. That brings us to today… still some pain in the left ear, ear wick came out this evening. But… guess what! Now my right ear is hurting as well! So, I have decided I would start using my drops in that ear too, nip this stuff in the rear! Hopefully, that will work.

Well, with that – I’m off. I *plan* on being back to work/school/life tomorrow… and I need to get some sleep.

Til then.

A

*recipe inspiration from: The Lazy Vegetarian

Well, as I have mentioned before – things are insanely busy. Here is an example of my weekly schedule:

Monday:

Work 8:30-12:30, Clinic 1:30-5:00

Tuesday:

Work 9:00-5:00

Wednesday

Clinic 8:45-11:30, Office Hours 12-5

Thursday

Work 9:00-5:00, ASGO Social Skills Group (Every other Thursday) 5:00-?

Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Off.

Sure – it doesn’t look bad at all. But then add to the mix: 12 hours of classes (plus homework and projects), the class I am TA-ing online (grading assignments and answering questions), applying to graduate school (yeah, I still need to get all of that done), and trying to have a life with friends and family. Something new up there is my new position as an undergraduate clinic assistant in the UCF Psychology Clinic – it’s really nothing more than a receptionist position – but it’s giving me real experience in a clinical practice where I have the opportunity to learn the scheduling and billing system. I enjoy it. It can get a bit boring from time to time, but that gives me the opportunity to get some homework and whatnot done. On Wednesdays, I spend several hours in the Psychological Society office since I was elected as President for the 2011-12 school year. I am really enjoying that position – it has given me the opportunity to meet a ton of like-minded individuals who enjoy some of the same things I do. During office hours, I accept applications and dues, meeting potential members, sell t-shirts, monitor finances, etc. With all of this, of course, I have classes. I am conflicted about taking all online courses this semester – it is wonderfully convenient for me, I can be doing two things at once, and I work mostly at my own pace (you know, the oh-my-god-this-is-due-in-30-minutes pace). The conflict, however, comes from feeling like school isn’t … real. Without having to go and sit in a classroom, it just doesn’t feel as realistic – and therefore, I find myself slacking from time to time. Not cool. Working on that.

Recently, I added something else to the schedule. As I have mentioned before, I have probably the best doctor on the planet. I see an endocrinologist by the name of Damon Tanton. He has been the only doctor I have ever seen who has taken the time to listen to me, let me ask questions, and not told me that all of my problems with weight, etc. are in my head. He has ordered tests and not put me down for my WebMD addiction. Overall, I hope you never have to see an endocrinologist for any reason – but if you do – I’m so sorry if you have to see anyone other than Dr. T. Central Florida is so lucky to have a professional like him to go to. Don’t even get me started on how sad it is to think about moving away from Orlando and not having access to him. I am not over-exaggerating when I say it would be worth me flying to Orlando twice a year for doctor’s appointments. Anyway – with all of that said, something he and I have discussed several times is the absolute need for me to lose weight. I’ve always said, and still believe, that it’s not being skinny that I’m worried about – it’s being healthy. Ideally, I would pursue weight loss surgery – it’s NOT an easy way out – as a tool to help me get the ball rolling and live a healthier lifestyle. Well, my health insurance does not cover *anything* related to weight loss, even though it would essentially free me from the five medications I take everyday, and would likely prevent me from needing to see an endocrinologist 2 to 4 times per year (sad as that would be :)). So, since I cannot pursue WLS, I have to depend on myself to make smart choices and do everything I can to make the most of what I have. Recently, I was given an amazing opportunity: three months of unlimited classes at a local dance-fitness studio: Studio K . If you know me, you probably know I’m not the most… gifted… person when it comes to rhythm and movement. When I first got the e-mail I said to myself “I’m not sure about this at all.” – but – I know I need to do something about my health, so – I jumped at it. Just a week and a couple of days later, I found myself in tennis shoes and workout clothes, in the lobby of Studio K – getting ready for “Flash Mob Cardio” – eek! The other really awesome thing about this experience is that my dear friend, Samantha is doing it with me – and Dr. T and his lovely wife! So I have a ton of support and everyone has really been very encouraging and even though I threw up halfway through that first class and sat out the rest – everyone has been super awesome and supportive. Today, Sam and I attended our second class, contemporary/lyrical and we REALLY enjoyed it. It was a lot slower than the Flash Mob Cardio class – but it didn’t seem any less intense. I definitely was still sweating and made it through all but about 10 minutes of the class. Yay me! Next week, Sam and I are trying some new classes and will probably be doing 2-3 classes together and I am considering one by myself on Friday morning. I am incredibly excited about these next few months and I really hope that I have success – it sure would be nice to see some changes.

Well, with all of that, I’m hitting publish for the night. I have set a goal to really spend more time writing here – so – hopefully you’ll hear from me more!

Til next time!

A

Since I last updated you all I: attended a wedding in the Bahamas,  visited Hogwarts, appeared on TV, was elected president of the Psychological Society at UCF, subbed a few classes, finished Spring semester, started Summer semester, saw a few movies, and finished one (leisure) book. Whew.

First of all, Kim & Jason got married in February and the hubby and I joined them as members of their bridal party aboard the Disney Dream. The wedding was absolutely beautiful, and being able to spend time with some of our dearest friends was a really great experience. It was a nice weekend trip, and I am so happy for the two of them. I could burst! The two of them took a lovely honeymoon to Europe and managed to arrive in London the very day of the recent royal wedding – so essentially, they were honeymooning with the royal newleyweds. Go Zoncas! About a week after we returned from the cruise, my brother in-law and sister in-law came down to visit from Michigan and we, along with my mother and father in-law went over to Universal Orlando and visited the new Harry Potter themed portion of the park. It is fabulous – the themeing is perfect and they’ve done a really great job with making you feel like you are definitely in Hogwarts/Hogsmeade. I didn’t ride the new attraction, and it turns out I should be glad I didn’t. My father in-law got sick to his stomach after getting off and well, no one likes that feeling! I pretty much just spent my time in Hogwarts staring, mouth open, at all of the amazing details and drinking butterbeer. I would like to have a butterbeer dispenser installed in my kitchen. I would give up all other calories to drink butterbeer day and night (I know this would probably last for about a day before I got sick of it – but oh man, it’s good)! Of course we did some other fun things while Erin and Steve were here – which, I cannot go on without saying that Erin looks FABULOUS! I hardly recognized her from a distance. She’s an inspiration, that one!

In other news, I was… on the news! I did an interview with a local news station about my participation in the TRI Origins Study and my difficulty with being overweight my entire life. I was really proud of myself for doing that and putting myself out there. I’m hoping my words will help other people who experience the disappointment of unsuccessful weight loss feel better about themselves and realize they’re not the only ones! I had my few moments of fame… :) I was elected as President of the Psychological Society, which is really cool! I’m very excited about the upcoming year and planning events for other students interested in Psychology. Excitingly, I received my certification to substitute in Orange County and have done that a few times… I enjoy it – middle schoolers are crazy! I have learned that I definitely don’t want to spend all of my time in a classroom, and the people who do are saints.

Finally, in school news, I finished the Spring semester – it was not as successful as I would have liked, however, it wasn’t too bad. My overall GPA is slowly by surely creeping up from when I neglected my studies the first time I was in college, and by the time I graduate from UCF should be a great representation of the kind of student I really am. I am now in the midst of the summer semesters and wishing that I hadn’t taken statistics online, but suffering through. I recently changed my major from dual degrees to one BS in Psychology with a minor in Communication Sciences & Disorders. The bottom line is that when it came to CSD – I just wasn’t passionate. I refuse to go into a career that requires passionate individuals and not enjoy what I’m doing. It would be detrimental to my clients – and unfair. So, I’ve re-examined that quite a bit and am now pursuing a career in counseling and therapy. I start applying to graduate programs this fall – which means the GRE is just around the corner! Eek! Not looking forward to that.

With that – I feel that I have properly updated you all… I am traveling to Michigan next week as my lovely niece, Zoe, is graduating from high school! I’m looking forward to that and intend to spend more time with this blog during the trip and when I return.

Talk soon!

A

After a long period of “oh my gosh – I have no time for anything!” – I finally had a few evenings to read Charlaine Harris’ newest Sookie Stackhouse novel: Dead Reckoning. With the fourth season of True Blood coming up soon, I was quite excited to get back to Bon Temps, LA and see what the characters were up to since the last novel came out. For those who read the books and watch the show, you know that they aren’t exactly the same – and certainly aren’t not currently on the same timeline, however, I really like these characters and it’s nice to have something to hold me over before the new season starts up. With that said, I have very mixed emotions about this book. I enjoyed reading it because it was a nice, light read (especially compared to the academic reading I’ve been doing!) – but I felt like something was definitely missing. I am having trouble putting my finger on what exactly was lacking – but there was definitely something… off. I feel that Ms. Harris may be feeling pressured to write more novels due to the wild popularity of the show (and the genre in general) and I think that shows in the somewhat unexciting and predictable plot lines that have come about in this and the last new novel. In this particular story, it felt like Ms. Harris was under the impression that a battle absolutely must take place and she was writing, and writing – and then oh, shoot! She’s almost at the end of the novel – better throw that battle in! And then the book is, essentially, over. The sad thing is I will read every single Sookie Stackhouse book that gets published – and I might be unhappy with them, but I will eat them up and I will love them for the great things: Ms. Harris’ great talent in creating and writing characters and my guilty pleasure of Vampire love.

What will you need:

• Old Navy Flips Flops
• Spool of 3/8″ single face satin ribbon
• hot fix rhinestones (aka iron on, glue on the back)
• hot glue gun
• scissors
• match/lighter

We found it was much easier to leave the ribbon on the spool and pass it through the flip flop as we wrapped it around the “thong” portion. The smaller the flip flop, the more difficult this will be – so, if you’re doing children’s size, it will be MUCH easier to cut a LONG piece of the ribbon off the spool. You’ll want to cut the edge of the ribbon at an angle so that it’s pointed and then hold a match/lighter to the end of it to melt the edge. The melted edge is dual purposed – it keeps the ribbon from fraying and it helps to push a bit of the ribbon between where the shoe and the thong portion meet to keep the ribbon in.

In order to thread the ribbon in – you’ll need to push the thong portion out of the shoe  a bit – if you flip it over, you’ll see that the “circle” on the bottom of the shoe will move, just shove it out a little bit so that you can see light through the shoe. Then, thread the ribbon through and tie a small knot on the end. Pull the thong portion back up so that it’s holding the ribbon in, but the shoe is also back in one piece. One the ribbon is in securely, you can start wrapping – we didn’t really pay attention to which direction we were wrapping – so this is really up to you. We wrapped the ribbon tightly around the thong, overlapping each wrap. As you are wrapping, stop periodically to put a dab of hot glue on the bottom of the thong and then wrap another piece – this will keep the ribbon tight as you go around the shoe.

We just wanted to make sure that you couldn’t see the brown color through the ribbon, that’s why we overlapped. It gets a little dicey around the portion that goes between your toes, but if you just turn the shoe and work around it you’ll be fine! Don’t forget to keep stopping to add a dab of glue here and there to keep the ribbon tight around the shoe. Once you get all the way around, be sure to put some glue at the bottom of the thong portion, cut the ribbon off the spool at an angle, melt the end again with a match/lighter and then feed it through the hole again just like you did before.

It’s really up to you whether or not you’d like to add rhinestones at this point – I think the ribbon is really pretty on it’s own – but I also like shiny things. To add the rhinestones we used an affixing wand to heat them on to the ribbon. What you do is take the rhinestone and put it where you want it on the shoe and then hold the affixing wand on top of the rhinestone to let the glue melt and attach to the ribbon. The tool looks like this:

Read the directions, please! These little boogers get hot, and I don’t want you to burn yourself by accident! Also – it WILL melt the flip flops – so only apply rhinestones where you have wrapped ribbon! Again, the rhinestones are up to you – you can use as few or as many as you would like; but here’s what my finished product looks like:

I apologize for the poor quality of the photos – I took them on my phone and my hands seem to have been shaky or something! Anyway, I hope that you like them – I know I sure do! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

Are you getting married soon? Are you already married? What was your favorite accessory on your wedding day?

Matt and I got married on October 11, 2008 and my favorite accessory was my something(s) new – a necklace from my sister and a shiny new penny my Mom gave me!

So, what HAVE I been up to, then? Well. I joined the Psychological Society at UCF and so far have attended three meetings; two of which we got to listen to some of the psychology faculty speak about their areas of interest and how they got into their field. I’m also going to be joining the UCF chapter of NSSHLA, which is the student version of the America Speech, Hearing, and Language Association. I haven’t been able to make it to a meeting yet for various reasons – however, I’m definitely planning on attending the next one and really hope that I’ll be able to. I really enjoy being a part of campus organizations because it makes me feel more like a “real” college student. I’m looking forward to more activities with those groups and hopefully will meet more people; that will be nice. Not too long ago, I assisted with check in and meet and greets at ASGO’s Law Enforcement and First Responders Autism Awareness training. I LOVED that. It’s such a great program that ASGO puts together for individuals in those fields who may not have any experience with individuals who have Autism and it was a great experience to get to meet the police officers and firefighters who were able to attend.

The other thing that I’ve been doing that I think is super exciting is participating in a medical research study at the Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes. I came across TRI’s website when I was looking for information about diabetes after my father had a seizure early in the fall and it was attributed to his blood sugar being too low (he’s okay now - I think he was over medicated). I spoke with Dr. Damon Tanton, who is my endocrinologist (he’s one of the best doctors/human beings I’ve ever met in my entire life) and he was definitely behind me participating. The study that I’ve been participating in is called ORIGINS and it’s purpose is to try to find out why some people develop diabetes and some people don’t and what the genetic causes are behind diabetes. Most of you probably know that both my father (Type II) and my husband (Type I) are diabetics and I have PCOS and metabolic disorder – so – I felt that anything I can do to contribute to a better understanding of these conditions would be fantastic. I signed up as soon as I got the go ahead from Dr. Tanton and they called me from TRI the very next day! After going through the screening visit I was accepted into the study and it’s been a breeze since. My favorite parts of the study included a DEXA Scan (I was able to see my body composition and my entire skeleton – cool!) and a fat and muscle biopsy. I was REALLY nervous about the biopsies because I am a COMPLETE baby – but – if they told me they needed to do them again, I would absolutely do it. I know I might be a little weird – but I got to see a little piece of my muscle and I think that is just one of the neatest things in the world. The staff at TRI is fantastic. I have never been a huge fan of medical professionals as a whole – because I have unfortunately had some real doozies of doctors. I find myself wishing that TRI was a primary care office! Florida Hospital TRULY has some of the most wonderful people working for them – I’ve never had an unpleasant experience, and the TRI folks just add to my list of great experiences.  If you’re interested in getting involved in a medical study or just want to see what TRI is all about, I would definitely recommend you stop by their website.

The other exciting news is that Kim & Jason’s wedding is just around the corner! February 24th we’ll be setting sail on Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship the Disney Dream for a three night cruise. The wedding is going to take place on Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay – and I just cannot wait. I know it’s going to be absolutely beautiful and I am so happy for Kim and Jason. This has been a long time in the making and finally it’s so close! Matt and I are both in the wedding party and we couldn’t be more excited to support them! We’ve been doing dress fittings lately and this weekend have plans to put together some welcome gifts for the guests and I’m sure we’ll be decorating our fancy flip flops soon! With Kim’s permission I’ll be posting photos of those here because she’s got some great ideas and I’m sure lots of folks would be interested in turning an inexpensive pair of Old Navy flip flops into something really nice. Of course, Smash Photo is photographing the wedding events – and I just cannot WAIT to work on those!

Of course I’ve been working and studying and doing homework, but that stuff is all kind of boring. ;) I’ve started a new book called “Left Neglected” by Lisa Genova which I am REALLY excited about. I’ve been waiting for this book to come out for over a year after reading her first novel, “Still Alice”. Genova writes about neurological disorders in her books and if this one is anything like her first – it’s going to be wonderful. “Left Neglected” is about a woman who suffers a right-hemisphere stroke and develops the strange condition left neglect after the traumatic brain injury. I’ll be sure to review this novel as soon as I finish with it – which hopefully will be very soon!

Well, that’s all for now. Until next time,

A

As I mentioned in my last post I’ve been listening to NPR quite a bit and back in September I heard a segment on one of my favorite shows “All Things Considered” that included an interview with Ms. Donoghue in which she read an excerpt from her newest novel, Room. This fabulous novel is told from the perspective of five year old Jack, who for all intents and purposes is a “normal” five year old boy. He loves physical education, toys, reading books, and spending time with his mother. There is, of course, one major difference – he was born and has spent his entire life in an 11 x 11 foot room. It’s very obvious, very early in the book that Jack and his Ma are being held captive and he is a result of his mother’s continuous abuse and rape by their captor, Old Nick. Jack is a very intelligent boy, and his way of seeing the world is heartwarming and horribly sad all at the same time. If only we could see things as simply as Jack does – it would be such a wonderful feeling, to be so free – but all I can think is how absolutely trapped and imprisoned he is; he just doesn’t know. All in all, I highly recommend that all of you read this wonderful novel. It is, of course, quite sad – but – such a great, great piece of work!

In addition to school, I’m still working part time in the college of education budget office. I still love it! It’s a lot of fun because I just love the people I work with. I’m also participating in a pretty amazing medical study at the Translational Research Institute with Florida Hospital. The study is researching why some people get diabetes and why some don’t. The best part is all of the testing is free to me and they share all of the information with Dr. Tanton. Hoping that the tests will help shine some more light on what my body is doing metabolically speaking. In volunteering news, we are taking a break from social skills this semester so that we can develop some new and exciting activities for the kids!

I am still reading when I have a spare moment to read leisurely and for fun. I have spent a lot of time listening to NPR lately – 45 minute trips (one way) to and from school allows for that! One of my favorite segments is when they review a new book, they always sound so good! The book I’m reading right now is called Room by Emma Donoghue. It is SO good so far! The premise is quite sad, but the writing is just fantastic. Room is about a little boy named Jack who is born into captivity after his Ma was kidnapped and raped. Jack’s whole world is Room and his friends are the objects inside. Very intense.

What are you reading right now? How’d you hear about it?

Until next time!

A

I’m not even sure how I came across this book, but it was a cheap book on Kindle and I though it might be a fun little read. I’m still not sure exactly how I feel about. I read in one day – probably because I just couldn’t believe all of the insanely stupid things Ms. Cutler (I’m sorry – this book is “fiction”.. so uhh.. Jacqueline) got herself into; and how STUPID men could be to risk their careers – and families – for this girl. I’m not going to give away what happens – but – it’s a bit predictable. It’s not an absolutely horrible book; but it’s a bit graphic and as I mentioned before – uncensored. If you want to read about what interns do on Capitol Hill, and believe me – it’s not work – then pick this one up. It’s a quick read, perhaps best saved for a day at the pool, or maybe a sick day. It’s scandalous!

I read and reviewed Mallory’s other two books from her Jolie Wilkins series last week and as you were probably able to deduce from my reviews; I loved them! While I did really enjoy this book, I think that Jolie might be my favorite of Mallory’s two heroines. I think, though, that it might be because we got to know Jolie a little bit better than Dulcie. I know the next Dulcie book is in the works – and I’m really hoping for more back story on Ms. O’Neil – Regulator of creatures from the Netherworld. In this book, we learn that Dulcie is a faerie living in a town occupied by other paranormal creatures – vampires, demons, witches, warlocks, and even hobgoblins! Dulcie job essentially equates to the police officers of our world. The job, though, is just to make money so she can eventually retire and concentrate on her real love: writing romance novels. To Kill a Warlock is centered around the investigation of some gruesome murders – and Dulcie’s relationship with a mysterious investigator from the Netherworld. Dulcie’s book has drama, relationships, humor, murder (!), and a warning for the parents, again – yes – there’s sex. I will say that’s a bit more mild than Mallory’s Jolie books!

Definitely recommend it! I think one of the greatest things about H.P. Mallory is she’s an independent author – she has published three books and is pretty darn successful - independently! I really hope that some of my readers will giver her a try; more independent authors should be supported and recognized for the work they do.