Thirteen Things Thursday

1.  A brief rant here:  What in the hell makes men think they can treat women like that?  Kidnap your own personal sex slave?  It's beyond wrong, it should be inconceivable -- but apparently not.  And shit like elected officials talking about "legitimate" rape and thinking they have the right to legislate what we do with our own bodies that forms the foundation for evil men like Ariel Castro.  There is a story going on right now in this area about comments a Willamette University frat posted in a  Facebook group.  Other college campuses where reports of rape and sexual assault are deliberately suppressed.  The military.  Stand up for your rights, ladies.  We cannot allow ourselves to be treated like second class citizens -- or worse. 

2.  Girl kitty discovered last night the joy of licking the spout on the Keurig coffee maker.  She is obsessed with this Cafe Caramel coffee I have.  She stole a full K-cup and did her best to eat it.  She will stick her head into my mug if I'm not watching for her.  Now she can get it straight from the source.  Note to self:  Clean coffee maker!

3.  In my Monday post describing my snot situation, I forgot the most important news:  I started a Biggest Loser challenge at the office.  I read about how one blogger's office was doing it and thought it sounded like great motivation -- because it involves money.  How we are doing it is every one participating puts in $20.  We weigh in weekly for ten weeks.  If you gain weight in a week, you put another $1 in the pot.  If you lose weight, nothing.  Person with the greatest percentage of weight loss at the end wins the pot.  And probably buys everybody donuts. 

4.  Slightly bummed (but not surprised) by my starting weight, and then yesterday my clothes were just so snug.  I was grumpy.  Today I realized that Aunt Flo comes to town soon.  So now not so grumpy.  And eating a big cinnamon roll.  Somehow those two things are related, I swear.

5.  Started and finished the new Sookie Stackhouse book last night, which is the final book in the series.  I've read that a lot of people are unhappy with the ending -- won't spoil it for you -- but I think it's the only way it could have ended.  At least an ending that made Sookie happy.  There is another book coming out this fall that is supposed to tell what happened to every one (still living and/or not undead) in the Sookieverse.  I'm looking forward to that. 

6.  My all-time favorite series is Donna Andrews' Meg Langslow series.  I have to admit that if Ms. Andrews ever decides to bring Meg's story to a close we may be looking at Misery - The Sequel.  Seriously though, if you want a well-written, well-plotted mystery, go read her Murder With Peacocks.

7.  On my bucket list is to take a cruise, although I keep reading things that make me think maybe it's not such a good idea.  I am bolstered though by the fact that all of these cruise-ship incidents seem to take place over there  ----> and not in say the cruises to Alaska. 

8.  Did I mention earlier that I made clam chowder last weekend?  It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, and it turned out great.  Not low-cal by any means, but great.  Really good with cheesy garlic toast too.  Which I shouldn't be having.

9.  Sharks.  shudder

10.  Anyone have any good weight loss blogs they want to give a shout out to?  I culled out my reader list the other day, taking out people who haven't updated in months, and now I'm short on motivational stories.  I don't like the overly commercial ones, I prefer peeps like me who are currently overweight but unlike me are actually losing and running and stuff.  Leave me your faves in the comments.

11.  By the way, I didn't eat all of that cinnamon roll.  It was huge and extremely sweet.  I may have the rest tomorrow, else into the trash it goes. 

12.  Allie Brosh is back!  If you've never read her blog, Hyperbole and a Half, it is fabulous.  Go read it now.  Really.  I'll wait.  Are you back?  Isn't it fabulous?  Her post on depression -- I lived that.  For years.  Had a whole year of feeling nothing followed by several years of hating everything interspersed with the desire to do nothing because what is the point?  I'm living with the latter to a lesser degree right now.  It started just before Vegas and is still in full swing.  I would say I hate depression but it seems like too much effort.  I'm spending some time with good friends this weekend and I hope that tips me back the other way, into the land of normal people.

13.  A new tequila bar just opened up at the Portland Airport.  They say it is the largest tequila bar in any U.S. airport.  I'm feeling the need to take a trip...

Cheers,
the CilleyGirl