I just went on the scales and I weighed 100.4 kilos. I shook my head in disbelief and walked away to make a pot of coffee. Then I thought, I must have not looked at it right and went back on the scales, but it said the same thing: 100.4 kilos. I am totally discombobulated. That means I have lost 800 grams since yesterday and I have lost exactly 25 kilos. Yippee! Now, I didn’t eat that much yesterday for the simple reason that I wasn’t that hungry. I just sort of snacked when I wanted something to eat, but I didn’t have a real meal, whatever that is in my case. As a night time snack I had Melba toast and a tall glass of milk, but the Melba toast is hardly any sort of food at all, it just satisfies my craving for something chewy to eat. Well, I am happy, I am not complaining at all, because that leaves me with just 400 grams to lose until I hit 100 kilos, so wow!
I very reluctantly went to bed at 9 pm last night. I really wanted to stay up some more until ten, but I forced myself to go to bed at nine. The digital box came for the TV and Eduard installed it and now we have God only knows how many channels, and we have 3 really good movie channels and I got hooked watching those yesterday. It is a 2 month trial, if you don’t want all the channels you just get the basic package without the movie channels, but I can see how you may want to keep wanting to have those. I don’t know, they show good movies, so I guess it depends on how expensive it is. It is very tempting, of course. But then again, I don’t want to get hooked watching movies all the time, so I am very torn at the moment. We’ll see, I am glad it is a 2 month trial, that gives me some time to make up my mind.
Yesterday I went into town in the morning, so before I left I made sure I looked spiffy. I wore my new tunic and I was planning on walking there, so I had to decide which shoes to wear. I couldn’t wear my new shoes because of my toe and for the same reason I couldn’t wear my pointy ankle boots. I couldn’t wear my moccasins, because I only wear those with socks, and I also couldn’t wear my black sandals, because after awhile the left sandal goes whanky and I start to walk on the edge of it, which is a little uncomfortable. So I ended up wearing my expensive orthopedically correct sandals which squish my toe just a little bit but not too bad. Then, once I pulled the front door closed behind me, I made a split decision and instead of going right to walk into town, I turned left to go to the bus stop. Why walk for half an hour when you can get there by bus in less than ten minutes? Just as I got to the bus stop, a bus pulled up, so I was downtown in no time at all.
Then I went to the newly opened, brand spanking new city hall, which had only been in use for two days. I thought there were going to be lines, but I hardly had to wait at all and while I waited I was offered a cup of coffee and a bonbon. I accepted the coffee, but laughingly declined the bonbon. I thought there was some irony in that. The lady at the counter very carefully checked my passport picture, but luckily it was alright. Also luckily, all my information was in the system already too, so that made the whole process go even more quickly. The only thing we changed was my height. They had me down at a 170 cm and I am 171 cm. That one centimeter makes a difference when you are on the short side like me. The whole process is so efficiently done! I pick up my new passport next week, so that will be another nice trip into town which I don’t mind at all. The passports are made fraud proof, so it takes a bit to get them done.
After that, I walked to Eduard’s work and had coffee with him. I met his new office manager for the first time and, because I hear enough stories about her, I put on a big smile and was my most agreeable self. Eduard and I sat in the café part by ourselves and had coffee and watched the little children of the daycare center next door who were outside playing. We picked out a little girl we (I) would have liked to have had ourselves. She must have been about three years old and she was really cute, although Eduard claims that he is glad that I spared him having any children at all. Except for the ones I already had of course. We could have had a 13 year old by now and Eduard shakes in horror when he thinks about it. Eduard comes from a large family and never wanted any children himself and he thinks my daughter is just about the right age. He likes being a stepfather to a grown up. He is very fond of Nicole and just thinks the world of her.
After I left Eduard I went to Douglass where you can buy really good make up and perfumes. With the help of a lady there, I picked out a really good lipstick in the right color. I like that the sales personnel is so well informed and can really help you. We picked out a lipstick from L’Oreal called Kissproof in a nice shade and it was more expensive than my haircut, but I am worth it! I tried it right away when I got home and it really does stay on very well.
Then I window shopped and went into one store that I knew carried larger sizes. Of course, they had their summer collection on the racks and I saw at least five things that I would have wanted to buy, but never mind. I’ve bought enough for now. I am just clothes crazy! I also looked at their belts and necklaces, but luckily there was nothing there that I couldn’t live without, so that was a real relief. There was one belt that was nice, but I couldn’t figure out how to buckle it until I got home and then I dawned on me, so maybe it will still be there next week.
Then I took the bus home again, and when I got there, Jesker was very happy to see me, so I had a cup of coffee and spent 20 minutes petting him, which made him very happy and secure after being alone all morning. I still had to clean up the apartment, but first I took Jesker to the field and we hung out there for a while, sitting in the sun, meeting other dogs. There was a fox terrier that we had never seen before and he was very friendly and wanted to make friends with Jesker. Jesker was definitely interested, until the fox terrier started to tear around the field and Jesker thought: Yeah, whatever! It was nice sitting in the sun and Jesker laid down beside me and we enjoyed ourselves for a while like that until it was time to go home and drag out the vacuum cleaner.
Eduard got home at 2:30 pm and, as always, was full of stories about his work and I was full of stories about my morning, so we told each other everything taking turns talking back and forth. That’s what we always do, but we really listen! I am always glad when Eduard gets home, but I am also always okay when he leaves again, because I also like to be alone for a bit with my own thoughts and I know it is the same for Eduard. He does well on his own and amuses himself quite well when I am not around, as I sometimes am when I am gone to the States. That is a little extreme of course, because then I am really gone and all we can do is call each other and email. Eduard and I had a very passionate letter exchange before we were married and we saved all the letters, so one day we can read those
again. Anyway…we like to talk and we do and tell each other everything about what happens to us during the day. Eduard definitely needs to unload after work and needs a listening ear. I have a good listening ear, I think. So does Eduard. I let him know when it is really serious and he really needs to pay attention. Besides, not many men talk about what happens to them during the day. At least, that is my experience, so I think that is a good thing.
So, last night Eduard had to work and he didn’t get home until after twelve and I was sound asleep by that time. I didn’t want to go to bed, but once I made myself, I was asleep quickly. I woke up with the birds in the morning, but I like being up early and having all that time to myself before Eduard and the critters are up.
It looks like the street is going to be torn up for awhile. A truck hauled all the stones away and I guess we will be getting all new ones. I hope they will put in some speed bumps, because there are people who use this street as a short cut. Maybe that will end when the other street is opened up again. One thing we are hoping for is lots of parking spaces, as there is a shortage of them right now. At this moment our street is a giant sandbox. The neighborhood dogs want to pee on the little heaps of sand, so that isn’t very hygienic. I am sure that my cats are contributing something too, although they aren’t in the front of the building that often. The old couple next door is always complaining about whatever goes on in the street. Now they don’t like the new houses that have been built, and they are so nice. And they don’t like the street all broken up. Well, none of us do, but we get a nice new street in return. And it has certainly stopped the traffic! Old people! Grr…I never want to become one. They call the Moroccan couple upstairs, those dark ones. Last year, the Moroccan couple upstairs gave everybody in the building a bottle of wine for the holidays!
I am drinking a glass of fruit juice because my stomach was starting to growl. I am also always so thirsty from my medication and I love to drink a cold glass of juice. I totally withstood temptation yesterday and didn’t buy a soft ice cream when I walked by the stand selling them. And then I walked by the french fry place and I thought: That would be nice. A bag of french fries with a dollop of mayonnaise on top! But then I thought: Never again! I will never eat a bag of french fries again in my whole life. It is physically impossible. I am glad that this decision is taken away from me, because it certainly is tempting! But I will never have to decide about those things again, because it just isn’t possible for me to eat those things anymore, not even for my last meal. Of course, I could easily eat an ice cream, but that temptation I can withstand until I have lost the weight and then I will have one.
Yesterday, when I was out with the dog, I met my neighbor from a couple of houses down who also has a gastric band and who has lost 50 kilos. She looks really good, but she complimented me on the way I looked and said she could really see the difference. Especially around my hips and in my face. Yeah! If I ever get stuck or discouraged, I will go to her for support. She knows all about it.
A few days ago, there was an item on the supplementary news program about abdominal wall corrective surgery and about how insurance companies no longer pay for it. It said that the insurance companies will only pay to remove the excessive skin flab if it hangs halfway down your thighs! Can you believe that? Halfway down your thighs! This is so ridiculous it is beyond words to express my dismay. The surgery costs about 3,500 Euros and you can bet that I will get a part time job to pay for it myself if I need to. I will find a way to get the surgery done. Hopefully, somebody in the government will take up this cause and make the insurance companies see the errors of their ways. It makes me so darn mad. Grr…
I don’t want to think about it right now! I just poured myself a cup of coffee to soothe my mind. It is still very quiet here. Jesker came out to drink some water, but he didn’t even greet me and went straight back to the bedroom. I think he wasn’t quite awake yet. Eduard came out to drink a glass of juice, but he is gone again too. He has today off. That’s nice! Gandhi just barfed under the computer table, so let me clean that up…
Well, that was nice, but not really. I am going to read the news now, but I will add more if anything interesting happens. So, ciao for now…
Instead of reading the news, I have been sitting here reading some of my older posts. That’s another good way to pass the early morning. I basically check it to refresh my memory about what kept my interest over the past weeks and I also check the whole story to see how smoothly it has been written. English is my second language, and I have never had any grammar lessons in it or any literature lessons. A lot of things I have to guess at, or I only know because of reading so many books. Some things I can only guess at and I am sure that there are lots of things I get wrong, such as where to place the commas. They are used in English more often than they are used in Dutch and I am very unsure about them. Some rules apply in Dutch the same as they do in English and sometimes I just don’t want to care that much.
Jesker has been out to greet me properly but has gone back to his pillow. Of course he has been out very late last night when Eduard took him, so he probably doesn’t have to go yet. The cats are still asleep, except for Gandhi who has barfed twice now, but that is not unusual for her. She is just a barfer, but very healthy other than that.
I think, looking back, that yesterday was definitely an eight, and I wish there were more excuses to go into town. What a woman really needs is a large wallet with contents and a large closet. And a large bus pass. As I become older, I become more vain. I already noticed this happening to me when I was in my late thirties. I worked part time in a clothing store and boy, did I like that! I especially liked the lingerie section. Now I am slowly moving back to those kind of circumstances again and I am glad. All my bras right now are lacy. I adored buying clothes, the more feminine, the better and that is saying something for someone who used to be a tomboy.
Yesterday, I looked through all of my jewelry and I found a gold ring that used to belong to my mother. It has a red stone, but I don’t know what it is. It is a bit translucent. Anyway, it fits my ring finger, so now I am wearing it. I also found a ring with a diamond that had been cut from my finger when it got to fat to take the ring off. So, I should have that repaired. I forgot that I had all that stuff. There are lots of goodies in the box. Some of them used to belong to my mother. Unluckily for me, she wore a lot of silver jewelry, so I can’t wear that. I have little pillboxes that belonged to her that she kept her silver stud earrings in. I found some gold colored earrings that are larger than the ones I was wearing so I put those in. Slowly but surely I am decorating myself.
Well, I am really going to walk the dog now, so see you later…
Today there are clouds in the sky. What does it mean? Does it mean rain? The grass on the field is turning brown, so we need rain desperately. On the nature reserves extreme fire danger has been announced. There is a fire spotter flying over them regularly. The ground is as hard as a rock, it’s all clay, so no wonder, we are in the rive
r valley. I hope it will rain.
I just figured out something I absolute can’t live without and that is a black pullover with a deep V-neck. Yes, I absolutely have to have something like that. Now, how do I lay my hands on that? Mmmmm, I’ll have to give it some thought. Okay people, while I am thinking, I am going to get some work done around here. I’ll see you all later…
Another Bright Day! 