With everything, you need to read the fine print, any footnotes, etc. You can't just "believe" everything that is said. So when I recently picked up something to read about the product which was herbal phentermine, I asked myself two things...one, what the heck was it? Secondly, why is it not FDA approved?
My first reaction...I'm sure they are telling me that it will help me lose weight. But I'm not sure what the science is behind this. And is a pill really going to help? Isn't it as simple as less calories in and more calories out? My second reaction was that I a bit scared because it said it was not FDA approved.
So I just put it down and went along my merry way....
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Oprah Show - The Second Time Around
I decided that I would do an Oprah entry separate from the Chicago one. I did so much and there is so much to say!
So before I mention how awesome the Oprah show was, let me preface this entry with some information. My original show was slotted for Friday, October 15th in the morning. A couple of days after receiving the news that I had reservations, I received an e-mail from the Oprah show saying that the show I was signed up for is moving moved. I had the option to stay with the same show, but I would not know who the guest was. Or I could move to the 13th show in the afternoon and be guaranteed that I would be seeing Portia de Generes, formerly known as Portia de Rossi.
I opted for the 13th show for a number of reasons. I knew who the guest was. Nobody how "sad" her show may be, it still would be bearable. I didn't want a weeping show or one where I walked away all upset because of the topic. Secondly, by leaving on the Friday, I saved myself a couple of hundred bucks. Chicago is a very pricey place on Fridays. And by coming home Friday night, I would be home on Saturday bright and early to take the girls to their lessons.
On the 13th, my girlfriend and I were very excited! We ate breakfast but our minds were on Oprah. We went back to the hotel room to get changed. Then we heard some really loud bangs. Holy smokes. Thunder, lightening, wind and a whole bunch of rain. It was a really nasty storm. But we were prepared...we had our umbrellas.
We took a taxi to the studio an hour earlier than we needed to because we decided that we would do all our shopping at the Oprah store before the show. That way we could beat the line up and rush between shows. And we could leave all our stuff there at the store until after our show and not have to deal with the crowds.
I had done a lot of research on the Oprah site before I went to the store. I had my lists and I was ready to go. But the online store only shows 80% of what is in the store. And I got to hang out at the Oprah closet. In the store, there is a large armoire. Inside is clothing that Oprah has worn on the show and that you could get for cheap. I so wanted to get the A line grey skirt by Valentino. But $200 was still a little pricey for me. But how fun to see some amazing dresses, and other outfits I recognized!
After too much spending at the Oprah store, it was off to the studio that is across the street. We got in with no problems. I was prepared for the next couple of bits as it was the same process as the last time. Coat check, security check, signing forms and waiting in the upstairs room before people are called down to the studio. In the upstairs room, there are extremely large photos of Oprah and special guests. And every person in that room remembered those episodes and we all talked about it.
Then came the time to go down to the studio. You either get called down by name because they want you in a certain area. Or they go by number based on your form number. Out of the 317 people that day, I had number 233 or something ridiculous like that.
So imagine my suprise when I get called by name to go to the studio. Then imagine my suprise when I go into the studio and they sit me and my friend in the reserved section. Yeah. RESERVED section of the studio audience. My friend and I were FREAKING out. This was so wild.
And we sat next to this couple. The husband had really wanted to get tickets for his wife. So we shared stories of how we got tickets. We used the exact same methods and we were just killing ourselves laughing. His wife and my friend had no idea why this was funny but we understood the work needed to get these tickets. LOL!
We also shared our essays that we had to write for this particular show. And I told him that this was by far the weakest submission I had put in. I wasn't even going to write into the show to go see Portia. I really debated whether or not I was going to even do the work. Then I thought, why not? I have nothing to lose and it obviously paid off.
Before the start of the actual interview, Oprah has a staff member come out. I got Beth last time I was there and she was just as awesome this time around. However, she really amped up the energy there. She started to say some fun things and talked about the amazing 25 years of Oprah, and next thing you know, awesome music started up, the tv monitors showed amazing clips that everyone knew, next thing you know we're all doing the flash mob dance from a couple of seasons ago, we're all jumping, dancing and screaming! Oprah hadn't even shown up yet! But it put us all into such an amazing mood!
Time for the show to start now. Oprah walked out and we screamed big time! Oprah did her amazing intro. And the next thing I knew, Portia was walking onto the stage and she was literally 5 feet away from me. Awesome. The actual interview went by so quickly even though this whole process took me about 4 hours to complete. I had the perfect view of Oprah and hung on to every word. She really is amazing at what she does. Though the Portia interview wasn't that "happy and fluffy," it was still a great show to watch. She talked about her anorexia which I had no clue she had. And it was very informative and showed how resilient she really is.
At the end of the show, Portia left the building and Oprah just sat to talk to the audience for a couple of minutes. I'm sure she says this almost every show...especially since it's her last season. But she thanked the audience for the 25 years, how it's because of people like us that kept her on for that length of time. She thanked people for taking the time and effort to see her and that she is humbled by it, etc., etc. I don't care how many times she has said it in the past, but it really felt heart felt. If she was acting, I believe it all, and it's ok. I'll buy into it.
And before you know it, we were all being escorted out of the building. We ended up getting a copy of Portia's book. No big give away. But that's ok. It is a great reminder of the show itself and a great reminder of an amazing experience and day.
As awesome as her show was that day, my girlfriend and I opted to wake up early and try to attend the 15th show in the morning as standby folks. And if you can believe it, we got there only for staff to tell us that it was cancelled. If I had kept to the show on the 15th, I would have been SOL...having gone there for no reason. Sometimes, things are just meant to be.
Oprah you will be missed! But I am so happy to have shaken Oprah's hand, to have sat in on 3 of her shows as part of her live audience and able to see her during her last season. Memories, memories.....
So before I mention how awesome the Oprah show was, let me preface this entry with some information. My original show was slotted for Friday, October 15th in the morning. A couple of days after receiving the news that I had reservations, I received an e-mail from the Oprah show saying that the show I was signed up for is moving moved. I had the option to stay with the same show, but I would not know who the guest was. Or I could move to the 13th show in the afternoon and be guaranteed that I would be seeing Portia de Generes, formerly known as Portia de Rossi.
I opted for the 13th show for a number of reasons. I knew who the guest was. Nobody how "sad" her show may be, it still would be bearable. I didn't want a weeping show or one where I walked away all upset because of the topic. Secondly, by leaving on the Friday, I saved myself a couple of hundred bucks. Chicago is a very pricey place on Fridays. And by coming home Friday night, I would be home on Saturday bright and early to take the girls to their lessons.
On the 13th, my girlfriend and I were very excited! We ate breakfast but our minds were on Oprah. We went back to the hotel room to get changed. Then we heard some really loud bangs. Holy smokes. Thunder, lightening, wind and a whole bunch of rain. It was a really nasty storm. But we were prepared...we had our umbrellas.
We took a taxi to the studio an hour earlier than we needed to because we decided that we would do all our shopping at the Oprah store before the show. That way we could beat the line up and rush between shows. And we could leave all our stuff there at the store until after our show and not have to deal with the crowds.
I had done a lot of research on the Oprah site before I went to the store. I had my lists and I was ready to go. But the online store only shows 80% of what is in the store. And I got to hang out at the Oprah closet. In the store, there is a large armoire. Inside is clothing that Oprah has worn on the show and that you could get for cheap. I so wanted to get the A line grey skirt by Valentino. But $200 was still a little pricey for me. But how fun to see some amazing dresses, and other outfits I recognized!
After too much spending at the Oprah store, it was off to the studio that is across the street. We got in with no problems. I was prepared for the next couple of bits as it was the same process as the last time. Coat check, security check, signing forms and waiting in the upstairs room before people are called down to the studio. In the upstairs room, there are extremely large photos of Oprah and special guests. And every person in that room remembered those episodes and we all talked about it.
Then came the time to go down to the studio. You either get called down by name because they want you in a certain area. Or they go by number based on your form number. Out of the 317 people that day, I had number 233 or something ridiculous like that.
So imagine my suprise when I get called by name to go to the studio. Then imagine my suprise when I go into the studio and they sit me and my friend in the reserved section. Yeah. RESERVED section of the studio audience. My friend and I were FREAKING out. This was so wild.
And we sat next to this couple. The husband had really wanted to get tickets for his wife. So we shared stories of how we got tickets. We used the exact same methods and we were just killing ourselves laughing. His wife and my friend had no idea why this was funny but we understood the work needed to get these tickets. LOL!
We also shared our essays that we had to write for this particular show. And I told him that this was by far the weakest submission I had put in. I wasn't even going to write into the show to go see Portia. I really debated whether or not I was going to even do the work. Then I thought, why not? I have nothing to lose and it obviously paid off.
Before the start of the actual interview, Oprah has a staff member come out. I got Beth last time I was there and she was just as awesome this time around. However, she really amped up the energy there. She started to say some fun things and talked about the amazing 25 years of Oprah, and next thing you know, awesome music started up, the tv monitors showed amazing clips that everyone knew, next thing you know we're all doing the flash mob dance from a couple of seasons ago, we're all jumping, dancing and screaming! Oprah hadn't even shown up yet! But it put us all into such an amazing mood!
Time for the show to start now. Oprah walked out and we screamed big time! Oprah did her amazing intro. And the next thing I knew, Portia was walking onto the stage and she was literally 5 feet away from me. Awesome. The actual interview went by so quickly even though this whole process took me about 4 hours to complete. I had the perfect view of Oprah and hung on to every word. She really is amazing at what she does. Though the Portia interview wasn't that "happy and fluffy," it was still a great show to watch. She talked about her anorexia which I had no clue she had. And it was very informative and showed how resilient she really is.
At the end of the show, Portia left the building and Oprah just sat to talk to the audience for a couple of minutes. I'm sure she says this almost every show...especially since it's her last season. But she thanked the audience for the 25 years, how it's because of people like us that kept her on for that length of time. She thanked people for taking the time and effort to see her and that she is humbled by it, etc., etc. I don't care how many times she has said it in the past, but it really felt heart felt. If she was acting, I believe it all, and it's ok. I'll buy into it.
And before you know it, we were all being escorted out of the building. We ended up getting a copy of Portia's book. No big give away. But that's ok. It is a great reminder of the show itself and a great reminder of an amazing experience and day.
As awesome as her show was that day, my girlfriend and I opted to wake up early and try to attend the 15th show in the morning as standby folks. And if you can believe it, we got there only for staff to tell us that it was cancelled. If I had kept to the show on the 15th, I would have been SOL...having gone there for no reason. Sometimes, things are just meant to be.
Oprah you will be missed! But I am so happy to have shaken Oprah's hand, to have sat in on 3 of her shows as part of her live audience and able to see her during her last season. Memories, memories.....
Thursday, October 7, 2010
"O" in the Windy City
Well, enough "deep thought" entries. Those happen from time to time because that's just life.
But I'm going to talk about a happy moment and happy moments in the next week to come. First of all, it's Thanksgiving weekend. Yep. Turkey and stuffing. My in-laws are hosting and all I have to bring is my family, a fruit tray that I'm buying (forget cutting up all that!) and brussel sprouts that I have to wash. Yep. I can handle it. Can't wait for the turkey coma!!!
Secondly, on Thanksgiving Monday while I'm still nursing the turkey coma, I'm heading out of town to the "Windy City". I never thought I'd be heading to Chicago twice in my little lifetime, but it just so happens that I will be going again. And the main reason why I'm heading to Chicago is of course to see Oprah!
I was extremely fortunate to get tickets once in my lifetime. But to get them a second time, I can't waste this opportunity, especially since it's her last season! I already know who the guest is this time which is rare. So don't go on thinking I may get a giveaway show. But it will be Portia De Rossi (Ellen Degeneres' wife). I'm thankful that it's not some show about murder, third world countries and those folks that have been captured, etc. I just want something light and fluffy.
And life is quite funny sometimes. Life just knows when you need a break and this break couldn't have come at a better time for many reasons. The best part is I get to go with a great bud. She's fun to travel with and extremely easy to travel with. She gets that parenthood along with working and what I'm going through can be difficult. There's no judgement. Best of all, she's one of the neatest and most amazing people I know. And it just so happens that life recognizes that she needs a small break too. So we two gals are just exhilarated at this opportunity to go together so that we can support each other and just enjoy all the wonderfulness of Oprah and Chicago. Don't forget, the last time I went, it was -40 degrees Celsius. Ummm...a little cold to be doing some outdoor sightseeting. This time, totally different...I'm going out to explore the city big time!!
I've got a segway tour booked (can't wait to try one of those things). Zoom, zoom! I'm hoping to hit Chinatown to see how good Chicago chinese food is. There's also shopping on the Magnificent mile, check out some museums, trying out their deep dish pizza and enjoying Chicago dogs once again. Just a small list of things I want to do when I'm there. Of course, I'm hitting up the Oprah store too! I've been checking things online and making my lists!!! It's going to cost me.
Oh, it doesn't matter what I do because this trip will be an adventure with a great friend. It will be a life away from my regular life. It will be the energy boost that I need to take me through the next little while. It's an opportunity to acknowledge that life is short and you just have to enjoy what you can when you can because you never know what life has in store for you.
Let the adventure begin!
But I'm going to talk about a happy moment and happy moments in the next week to come. First of all, it's Thanksgiving weekend. Yep. Turkey and stuffing. My in-laws are hosting and all I have to bring is my family, a fruit tray that I'm buying (forget cutting up all that!) and brussel sprouts that I have to wash. Yep. I can handle it. Can't wait for the turkey coma!!!
Secondly, on Thanksgiving Monday while I'm still nursing the turkey coma, I'm heading out of town to the "Windy City". I never thought I'd be heading to Chicago twice in my little lifetime, but it just so happens that I will be going again. And the main reason why I'm heading to Chicago is of course to see Oprah!
I was extremely fortunate to get tickets once in my lifetime. But to get them a second time, I can't waste this opportunity, especially since it's her last season! I already know who the guest is this time which is rare. So don't go on thinking I may get a giveaway show. But it will be Portia De Rossi (Ellen Degeneres' wife). I'm thankful that it's not some show about murder, third world countries and those folks that have been captured, etc. I just want something light and fluffy.
And life is quite funny sometimes. Life just knows when you need a break and this break couldn't have come at a better time for many reasons. The best part is I get to go with a great bud. She's fun to travel with and extremely easy to travel with. She gets that parenthood along with working and what I'm going through can be difficult. There's no judgement. Best of all, she's one of the neatest and most amazing people I know. And it just so happens that life recognizes that she needs a small break too. So we two gals are just exhilarated at this opportunity to go together so that we can support each other and just enjoy all the wonderfulness of Oprah and Chicago. Don't forget, the last time I went, it was -40 degrees Celsius. Ummm...a little cold to be doing some outdoor sightseeting. This time, totally different...I'm going out to explore the city big time!!
I've got a segway tour booked (can't wait to try one of those things). Zoom, zoom! I'm hoping to hit Chinatown to see how good Chicago chinese food is. There's also shopping on the Magnificent mile, check out some museums, trying out their deep dish pizza and enjoying Chicago dogs once again. Just a small list of things I want to do when I'm there. Of course, I'm hitting up the Oprah store too! I've been checking things online and making my lists!!! It's going to cost me.
Oh, it doesn't matter what I do because this trip will be an adventure with a great friend. It will be a life away from my regular life. It will be the energy boost that I need to take me through the next little while. It's an opportunity to acknowledge that life is short and you just have to enjoy what you can when you can because you never know what life has in store for you.
Let the adventure begin!
Tears
Tears. I hate seeing them on other people's faces. And it's not that I can't deal with the fact that they're crying, is that 95% of the time, it's because they are in pain of some sort, and I feel terrible for them. Five percent of the time, there are tears of joy...but hey, let's be honest, these are rare and hard to come by.
So after a day of my other 2 girlfriends dealing with deaths in this family, I wasn't expecting much today in terms of stories or hurt. But obviously I was wrong. I bumped into a friend and she's been having a tough time with life in general. And they are all legitimate reasons. So today, all I asked was "how are you?" And the tears started to come...and they kept coming. It was one of those "I'm trying to stop but the faucet has been opened and now I can't stop" type of cries.
Well, I was suprised to say the least. But I took her someplace quiet and private where we could chat and she could just cry. And though it was hard to watch her go through this, it was so important that she did. And I just let her do it, listened, and when she asked for advice, I didn't even bother to sugarcoat.
I let her cry because I know that she could then acknowledge the problem and just be "there" with it. But I can see that even with that big cry, she's already started to work her way out of that dark hole that I spoke about in my last entry. I'm not saying that I was the reason she's crawling out of that hole. It really was those tears that she cried that is helping her heal, and letting her eyes see clearly the pathway out.
So after a day of my other 2 girlfriends dealing with deaths in this family, I wasn't expecting much today in terms of stories or hurt. But obviously I was wrong. I bumped into a friend and she's been having a tough time with life in general. And they are all legitimate reasons. So today, all I asked was "how are you?" And the tears started to come...and they kept coming. It was one of those "I'm trying to stop but the faucet has been opened and now I can't stop" type of cries.
Well, I was suprised to say the least. But I took her someplace quiet and private where we could chat and she could just cry. And though it was hard to watch her go through this, it was so important that she did. And I just let her do it, listened, and when she asked for advice, I didn't even bother to sugarcoat.
I let her cry because I know that she could then acknowledge the problem and just be "there" with it. But I can see that even with that big cry, she's already started to work her way out of that dark hole that I spoke about in my last entry. I'm not saying that I was the reason she's crawling out of that hole. It really was those tears that she cried that is helping her heal, and letting her eyes see clearly the pathway out.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Today
People's lives can be dramatically changed...as they say, at a moment's notice. Today, I had 2 good friends that lost someone close to them. One friend lost a grandmother. What's more tragic is that she is going through so many other things in her life. This death in the family is just one more thing for her to deal with. I'm amazed at how she's still functioning.
Another friend of mine lost her mother today. Her mother had a sudden onset of Alzheimer's at a very young age and her health decreased very quickly over the last couple of years. And even in the last couple of days of her life, she was holding on. I think holding on so she could just spend a little more time with her family. Her body failed her...but I think she really knew that her family was there.
In both cases, I can only imagine what life is like right now for them. The chaos, sadness, grief and so on.
Everybody has had times where they are so down where they think they've hit rock bottom...only to find that there is further to go. But life goes on...and you have no choice but to crawl out of that dark hole, no matter how dark it is. And though that climb may seem incredibly difficult if not impossible, it's one step at a time. By not doing so, you are forever stuck in that terrible place and you just can't move on.
I hope to be one of those friends that will be there to support my friends in their time of need as they've been there for me.
Another friend of mine lost her mother today. Her mother had a sudden onset of Alzheimer's at a very young age and her health decreased very quickly over the last couple of years. And even in the last couple of days of her life, she was holding on. I think holding on so she could just spend a little more time with her family. Her body failed her...but I think she really knew that her family was there.
In both cases, I can only imagine what life is like right now for them. The chaos, sadness, grief and so on.
Everybody has had times where they are so down where they think they've hit rock bottom...only to find that there is further to go. But life goes on...and you have no choice but to crawl out of that dark hole, no matter how dark it is. And though that climb may seem incredibly difficult if not impossible, it's one step at a time. By not doing so, you are forever stuck in that terrible place and you just can't move on.
I hope to be one of those friends that will be there to support my friends in their time of need as they've been there for me.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Mandarin School
I've always wanted my kids to learn a second language. I want them to learn because it really is part of their Asian background and heritage. I also want them to be able to communicate in another language, especially to their grandparents. It's been an interesting transition.
Both girls tried a mandarin school that I originally went to. Though it worked for me, it did not work for the girls. It was evident by not so happy faces when we went to class. So it took a while, but I found a new mandarin school for them. This was the first semester that they would try the class. And if this one didn't work, I was screwed.
Last week was their first class and they had a blast! They learned songs, did arts and crafts, watched videos, played games...in mandarin. They even came home singing songs. And during the week, they talked about how they couldn't wait to go back to mandarin school. Having them like the class is me already winning half the battle.
So, I'm off with happy kids to mandarin school. Joy and bliss.
Both girls tried a mandarin school that I originally went to. Though it worked for me, it did not work for the girls. It was evident by not so happy faces when we went to class. So it took a while, but I found a new mandarin school for them. This was the first semester that they would try the class. And if this one didn't work, I was screwed.
Last week was their first class and they had a blast! They learned songs, did arts and crafts, watched videos, played games...in mandarin. They even came home singing songs. And during the week, they talked about how they couldn't wait to go back to mandarin school. Having them like the class is me already winning half the battle.
So, I'm off with happy kids to mandarin school. Joy and bliss.
Between the Folds
I've always enjoyed origami. But my specialty is modular origami...basically, you fit pieces of paper folded a certain way to get a specific structure such as boxes, cubes, hexagons. Very mathematical, impressive and pretty.
So, I happen to see a movie trailer for a movie that has to do with origami. I was skeptical and not sure how "fun" this movie would be. But if you are into origami and like the math behind it, this movie is for you! I know I definitely want to see it. Here's the trailer for you to enjoy!
So, I happen to see a movie trailer for a movie that has to do with origami. I was skeptical and not sure how "fun" this movie would be. But if you are into origami and like the math behind it, this movie is for you! I know I definitely want to see it. Here's the trailer for you to enjoy!
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