Quick bits

Suh-weet!
Last weekend I took the boys to the Martinsville Candy Kitchen to watch them make candy canes -- by hand! I'd taken Annie's Girl Scout troop there a few years ago. We had a great time and will definitely go back next year. To read more about our visit, check out The Indiana Insider blog.

Free tastes
Michelle at Bargains Rock! is hosting her first giveaway -- a prize pack of Tastefully Simple items. Entry deadline is 11pm CST on December 15, so get over there and enter today!

Thumbs up
We celebrated Christmas with my in-laws this weekend. The kids each got a game that has already brought us loads of fun. If you're still in need of ideas, you should check out these:

Castle Logix - No batteries required. Configure the wooden blocks and rods to build a castle that matches the one in the picture. 48 puzzle challenges which get progressively harder. Though it was a gift for Robbie, Annie and I have had fun with this one too.

Say What - Made by the same people who make the 20Q (another favorite of ours), the point of this game is to unscramble pop culture phrases. Great for working on listening skills and for plenty of laughs.

Bop It! - Another one that requires good listening skills (do you detect a theme here?), you have to respond quickly to the game's commands or you're out!

Double the angst

It's really hard to watch your child hurting -- physically or emotionally. It's doubly hard to watch it and know that you caused it.

Last year, Annie played on a club volleyball team. She had a good time and made some friends from other schools that she still keeps up with today. She was looking forward to playing on the team again this year. It's not an inexpensive venture, but this is one sport she really likes, so we've agreed to it.

In my head, the registration deadline was December 10. So last week, on December 8, I pulled out the registration materials, ready to complete them, write the check and drop everything off. My stomach sank when I looked at the materials again and read, "Registration deadline December 3." It sank even further when I saw, "Registration deadline is firm. If registrations come in after the deadline, they will be placed on a waiting list."

So I typed up a letter, explaining my error, hoping it would be enough to make a different and hoping that maybe the teams wouldn't be full. If my stomach sank when I read the deadline, it crashed to my feet and oozed out my toes last night when I got a voice mail from the coach saying that she was sorry but the teams are indeed full.

She'll hold on to my check for a few days in case someone decides not to participate. It's probably wrong of me to pray that if some 7th grade girl is destined to break her arm in the next day or two, it's one of the girls signed up for that club team, isn't it?

I was just sick when I went to bed, anticipating having to tell Annie the news. I waited for the right moment (is there ever a right moment for bad news?), which happened to be after we returned from my in-laws house. She was rightfully upset. There were tears. There were shouts. There were declarations of just quitting volleyball all together then. And there was me feeling like a total heel for being the cause of all of this.

I know that my calendar error did not ruin her life (even though it might feel like that to her now). But I do feel bad. Mike is going to go to the parents meeting tonight anyway to talk to the coach and see if there isn't any way they can make room for one more player. And we're looking into the possibility of another club team.

But it might take some time before both Annie and I can get over the fact that, in this instance, I let her down.

Decent proposal

Tonight we went through one of those drive-thru Christmas light displays. As we pulled past a large lighted castle, we saw a man down on one knee in front of a woman, holding her hand and a small box. He was her prince, asking her to marry him in front of a castle. How romantic is that?! We invaded their privacy by staring at them long enough to see that she did accept.

That sparked the conversation about how Mike & I got engaged. Annie wanted to know all about it.

It was October 31, 1992. We were going to Mike's fraternity dance (yes, we were YOUNG, though I had graduated from college the previous spring) on the north side of Indianapolis. However, he insisted that we go to dinner downtown - not remotely near where the dance was being held.

So I had a sense that this might be THE night because Monument Circle in Indianapolis is our spot -- it's where we had our make-up kiss when we got back together after having been broken up for bit the first year we dated. It's where he gave me his fraternity lavaliere. And sure enough, it's where he asked me to marry him.

I don't remember exactly what he said. But I, obviously, said yes. Then we went to the dance and I told a friend of mine that we'd gotten engaged and she made an announcement to the whole dance. Mike and I were circled by the fraternity guys who serenaded us with "The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi."

I wish I could dig up a picture from that -- I was wearing a matronly floral dress with a lace, pilgrimish collar. Mike was sporting a scruffy beard that refused to come in fully. But we were happy.

We called my parents to tell them the news -- Mike hadn't asked my dad's permission because I had told him previously it wasn't necessary. He (Mike) is still mad at me for that suggestion to this day! And just in case Annie's future husband is reading this -- you better ask her dad or he will be very upset!

Your turn: leave a comment and tell us about how you got engaged -- or how you would like to be asked if it hasn't happened for you yet.

Denzel

Denzel is tall and dark.

Denzel is the strong and mostly silent type.

Denzel gets me all hot and bothered.

Meet Denzel:

It's unofficial

Today was my appointment with the cardiologist for the Better U challenge. Though the 12 weeks of the challenge doesn't officially start until January 1, 2010, as far as Dr. Branyas is concerned it's all systems go from here on out.

All in all, the appointment went well. Dr. Branyas spent a lot of time with me, going over my blood work and discussing my lifestyle habits that need a little, shall we say, tweaking (ok, overhauling).

The good news:

1. My EKG was normal.
2. My blood pressure was only mildly high.

The bad news:

1. My good cholesterol is low.
2. My bad cholesterol is high.
3. My C-reactive protein, which is associated with inflammation that can lead to clogging of the arteries, is almost 3 times what it should be. Dr. Branyas said that 60% of their open heart patients have high bad cholesterol and high CRP.

The hard to swallow news:

1. I need to lose 47 pounds just to be considered "overweight" and not the other "o" word.

Wow. That one was like a punch in the oversized gut. Trust me, I'm well aware of my size and my weight. But looking at it in that way was really a wake up call.

I talked with the good doctor about my food vices -- sugar and fried foods. She said she's never, NEVER, eaten at McDonald's and that once she went into one to use the bathroom and she was sickened by the smell of the oil in the air.

Are you kidding me? That's one of the best parts of McDonald's -- the smell of french fries getting all crispy, soaking up all that offensive oil. But Dr. Branyas assured me that soon I'll find it just as wretched as she does.

When she asked me what I usually order -- a #3 with a Diet Coke, I proudly told her that I always ask for them to only put 1 slice of cheese on my quarter pounder instead of two. Amazingly, Dr. Branyas was underwhelmed by this information.

Then she asked about my exercise routine. I knew it would come to this.

"Oh, I walk about 6 times a day -- from my office to the printer about 100 feet down the hall."

I admitted that I own an elliptical machine and it's located just 24 short stairs from my bedroom. That's when Dr. Branyas laid down the new law. Exercise. Every day. In the morning. Before the shower.

"Tell yourself that you cannot get in the shower until you've exercised," she advised.

Little did she know that not showering might not be such a big threat. I was sitting in her office, after all, unshowered. What can I say? I was running a little behind schedule this morning.

But I agreed. Elliptical before shower. Daily. 10 minutes a day to start is all she asked. That can't be too difficult, right?

So I've decided that since I'm going to be spending so much time with this contraption, the elliptical should have a name. My first thought was Jillian.

I posed the question on Facebook and got Attila and Torture. A few other people took the tack of naming it something more appealing, like Patrick Dempsey, George Clooney and McSteamy. Not a bad idea - spending time with a Hollywood hottie every morning doesn't sound so awful.

But I still haven't settled on anything. Maybe I'll give it a spin tomorrow and see if a name comes to me. And I'm open to your suggestions, so please, lay 'em on me.

The rest of the appointment went well. Dr. Branyas said she expects that by the Go Red for Women luncheon on February 26, I will have lost 20 pounds. (Really?!) I left the office armed with lots to read, a new cookbook and a fast food guide, feeling hopeful, slightly overwhelmed and inexplicably craving McDonald's.

Wordless Wednesday: Happy, holly, hoppy feet

For more Wordless Wednesday, click here.

Biggest Loser: Hang in with me HOWIE - The finals edition

Top 15 Moments of the Biggest Loser Finale

1. Danny won the Biggest Loser! He started on the ranch weighing 430 and lost 239 pounds for a total percentage of weight loss of 55.58%!
   
   **** The rest of these occurred chronologically from the beginning of the show to the end.****
   
   
2. The side-by-side walking of the then and now. Pretty cool effect.
   
3. Liz looked great - healthy and happy (but, see #2 in the worst list below)
4. Julio -- now he's one HOT tamale!
   
5. Jillian looking Fergie-licious (ok, that one was contributed by my husband)
6. Replays of Jillian's "encouragement" of Julio at the ranch: "There's no crying with tractor tires...Every time you lay down, I'm going to think "dead father."
7. Abby. "There is always hope." 'Nuf said.
   
8. Dina - My biggest obstacle to conquering that box was fear. Boy, can I relate.
   
9. Shay looks beautiful. She certainly has more work to do, but she is striking. And statistically speaking, she's added 13 years to her life!
   
10. Rebecca and Tracey both looking amazingly toned and fit.
11. Shay invited back Season 9's finale - for every pound she loses, Subway will pay her $1,ooo! She could earn $100,000!
    
12. Antoine proposing to Alexandra. Predictable, but sweet nonetheless. "I've accomplished the impossible in my life because I had you by my side."
13. Rudy BROUGHT it!
    
14. Danny's ear-to-ear, brilliant smile - he looks fabulously amazing!
15. Danny talking about what an inspiration Rudy was to him. I could see the mutual admiration.
    

Worst Moments of the Biggest Loser Finale

1. Amanda getting picked. It's ageism, I tell you. Or stupid men mesmerized by long, blonde hair and boobs.
2. Liz may have done a great job at weight loss, but she needs a better bra!
   
3. That purple monstrosity of a dress that Tracey was wearing.
4. Rebecca lost a ton of weight -- and her common sense. Where are your pants and what's up with that hair, girl?
   
5. Dr. H's hair. Can you say mullet-ish? Nothing new, but next season maybe they should include him in the makeover episode.
6. "America chose me." Everytime I heard that tonight, it was like fingernails on a chalk board."
7. Nine at-home players had higher percentages of weight loss than Amanda, who was in the finals.
   
8. Only the Biggest Loser gets a cash prize. I think the top 1 and 2 from the ranch and the top 1 and 2 at home should get some green.
   

The Stats
Alexandra - 309 to 218 (-91, 29.45%)
Antoine - 367 to 215 (-152, 41.42%)
Sean - 444 to 289 (-155, 34.91%)
Julio - 407 to 227 (-180, 44.23%)
Coach Mo - 355 to 263 (-92, 25.92%)
Dina - 253 to 174 (-79, 31.23%)
Abby - 247 to 147 (-100, 40.49%)
Tracey - 250 to 132 (-118, 47.20%)
Shay - 476 to 304 (-176, 36.13%)
Daniel - 312 to 201 (-111, 35. 58%) (from his highest of 454!)
Rebecca - 279 to 140 (-139, 49.82%)
Allen - 325 to 209 (-116, 35.69%)
Liz - 267 to 176 (-91, 34.08%)

The BIGGEST Loser Finalists:

Rudy - 442 to 208 (-234, 52.94%)
Danny - 430 to 191 (-239, 55.58%)
Amanda - 250 to 163 (-87, 34.80%)

Thanks for joining me for The Biggest Loser this season!