Weekly Weigh-in and My Water Hose and I are Famous

I had a really good week my first week doing Weight Watchers. I really didn't feel deprived nor hungry, only optimistic and excited. I was proud of myself not only for eating within my points, but also for exercising 4 out of 7 days and for not weighing myself at home.

And it's a good thing.

About three days before my WW weigh-in, I told Matthew that I was going to step on the scale at home and close my eyes. Could he just look at it, just so at least someone would know how I was doing? He said sure, but that he was not telling me anything. Fine, I said, I don't want to know. After I stepped on, he asked me again what my starting weight was and I told him.

The night of the weigh-in (our meeting is at 6 p.m. on Thursday nights), I tried to dress as similarly to last week as I could. Same pants, same type of socks, and this week a short-sleeved t-shirt instead of a long-sleeved t-shirt b/c it was warmer. Right before I left, I slipped off my shoes and stepped on the scale at home (w/my eyes closed) for Matthew to see. I wanted to compare what our home scale said and what the WW scale said, seeing as I was weighing in about 30 minutes later while wearing the same thing. He noted it in his head and I was off.

Mom and I were joking while in the line about what people wear while they weigh. While I can totally understand removing as much as possible (to definitely include shoes, jackets, even belts, wallets for men, heavy watches), some ladies removed wedding rings and light-weight earrings. The scale is down to the tenths' place, so it is a little more understandable. But my 1/2 carat engagement ring is staying on my finger. And I left my socks on. (Although one lady kept on her heavy Crocs! WHA?!!?!??!?!?!) I shook my head at the silliness of it all.

And then I stepped on the scale. I lost 4.8 pounds!!! But wait....if you lose 5 you get a bookmark. Sadly, I think that if I had removed my socks (tall, woolish type), I would have been called to the front to receive my bookmark. Sigh. So much for silliness.

But 4.8 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I immediately called Matthew and asked him what the scale at home had said. He. Was. Worried. See, our scale is a cheap digital scale, and it evidently is a bit higher than the one at WW. (Good to know.) He said that three days earlier, when I stepped on the scale, it was a pound higher than my starting weight! Yikes! He was so nervous and just kept telling himself, "Don't say anything, good or bad...." LOL! Then right before the meeting on Thursday, our scale at home had me only two pounds down from my original weight, and three pounds heavier than at WW. So I figure our scale is about three pounds heavier. But I am still not going to weigh at home.

Speaking of weight, last Wednesday, Benjamin, Andrew, and I braved the 24 degree weather (better than last month's 17) and headed downtown for B's synagis shot. It had been exactly one month since his last one. He gained a pound and a half!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was floored! He went from 14lbs, 12oz on February 4 to 16lbs, 4 oz on March 4. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! I knew he was eating well, not spitting up, and felt a little heavier, but WOW! That is awesome. He's still small for a 10-month old, but he can hold his own.

The three of us had a great time together, as we usually do. I was so mad at myself for forgetting my camera! Benjamin was LOVING the paper on the exam table. He was tearing it UP! Andrew was well-behaved and enjoyed playing with his fire truck in the stroller while making siren noises for all to enjoy in the waiting room.

OH! Speaking of the waiting room, I had my first stranger recognize me from my blog!!!!! WHO KNEW?!?!!? It makes sense, really, that another mom getting her child a synagis shot (common to heart babies) would somehow come across my blog, but it was just amazing to me! She said she thought I looked familiar, and then she saw Benjamin. LOL--I suppose *he's* really the "famous" one, not me. Anyway, her son (one of a set of twin boys) has a heart defect that will require OHS (open-heart surgery) up at Vanderbilt sometime this summer. I told her to email me with any questions, and I meant it!!! (She found me somehow through Facebook, which means somewhere we have (a) friend(s) in common, but there is just no telling who!) If you're out there reading, I really do mean it. Feel free to email me! theamicks77@comcast.net

Okay. The water hose. The most famous of us all.

On Thursday, after lunchtime, I was hanging out in my living room with the boys. Benjamin and I were playing on the floor, and Andrew was running around with Clifford (more on the Big Red Dog later). For those of you who have been to my house, you will know that we have an open floor plan, and our front door has windows on it and next to it. We don't have blinds or curtains up. Why? We just don't. I think they would look stupid, and I don't really mind. It does make it hard to escape a solicitor (i.e., neighbor kid selling cookies or the occasional religious visitor), but it's not that big of a deal. Also, the blinds in my formal living room (i.e., the Christmas tree room in Nov & Dec and the "toy" room all other months) were open, as they are during the day.

I thought I saw movement by the mailbox, and I thought maybe my Netflix was arriving. I stood up to see a News Channel 9 car parked right outside my house. A camera man was filming the front of my house DEAD ON while the reporter sat in the car looking over notes. My first thought was that it was probably about college stuff. (UTC in neighboring TN is now offering some sort of deal to out-of-state (GA & AL) residents, and we're right inside GA.) I thought, "Hmm...I wouldn't mind giving a statement. In fact, I went to UTC while I lived in GA and had to pay outrageous out-of-state tuition because I lived three minutes inside the border." And then it hit me.

I had not showered. I looked horrible.

See, I had had a busy morning and was planning to work out (and consequently shower) while the boys took their afternoon nap. But sadly it was before naptime. I scrambled around the house, trying to come up with a way to salvage my greasy hair and pale face. A hat? No, I have never looked good in hats. Makeup? No, it would only look ridiculous in combination with my nasty hair. So I just hid in the semi-darkness and hoped they wouldn't come to my door.

I noticed that the cameraman also shot some video of our neighbor's house. Then the reporter got out of the car with his notepad and started to put on his suit jacket. Yikes. He's prepping for the camera. Then they walked to the *other* neighbor's house (We are in the middle of three houses in a cul-de-sac.) and starting filming right by their mailbox. (I have a couple of pictures of it, but Blogger is messing up on pictures right now and angering me....) Then they moved down closer to the pond, shot some more and then drove away.

Then I did what any sensible person would do. I put it on my Facebook status and set my DVR to record the 5:00, 5:30, and 6:00 news on that station.

Fast-forward to that evening. I got home and watched the news. Turns out the news story was about the water company, and how they have added a mandatory $9.00 charge onto everyone's monthly bill regardless of how much water they used.

The shot the front of several houses in our neighborhood and a couple of our water hoses. And then the reporting bit was aptly filmed by the pond. I couldn't help but take a picture of my house on the news:

And my water hose:

The funny thing is that later that night, I was watching American Idol (GO ANOOP!!!!!!) on Fox. Evidently our local Fox station gets their news from our local ABC station because the commercial right before the results (that were sadly cut short on my DVR but I saw them later on youtube) was yet another picture of my house. For all the world to see. Good thing they didn't zoom in. A neighbor might complain (again) about my weeds, and we might get a notice from HOA.

Only kidding. The two times we've gotten notices it's been about tall grass, not weeds. That would be silly.