HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!

Today is another fun Trivia Tuesday and Halloween !! So I thought it would be extra fun to have Halloween Trivia!! I will post the answers in the comment box and maybe while you are checking your answers you could also leave a comment!? he he *hint hint - nudge nudge *



Halloween History & Trivia Quiz

1. Most experts believe the _________ were the first to observe Halloween on October 31st.

a.Druids
b.Celtics
c.Irish
d.Mexico



2. The biggest pumpkin in the world tipped the scales at:

a.590 pounds
b.683 pounds
c.998 pounds
d.1,385 pounds


3. The sweetest day of the year is:

a.Christmas
b.Halloween
c.Easter
d.Valentine's Day


4. In the British Isles, jack o'lanterns are carved from large:

a.Pumpkins
b.Heads of Cabbage
c.Turnips
d.Oversized Lemons


5. Pope Boniface designated November 1st as which religious holiday:

a.All Souls Day
b.Arbor Day
c.All Hallow's Day
d.All Saint's Day


6. A male witch is commonly known as a:

a.Witchman
b.Warlock
c.Halloweenie
d.There's no such thing


7. Which country celebrates "The Days of the Dead" instead of Halloween?

a.Cuba
b.Mexico
c.Scotland
d.Ireland


8. The first Halloween greetings card was made in:

a.700 B.C.
b.1492.
c.During the Revolutionary War (1770's).
d.Early 1900's


9. According to The Phobia List, which phobia is the fear of Halloween:

a.Hallowphobia
b.Triskaphoibia
c.Samhainophobia
d.Eat-to-much-candy phobia


10. The concept of crazy people passing out poisonous candy probably dates back to:

a.700.B.C.
b.1800's
c.1932
d.1964

Fully rested! :)

There was some good and some bad for this past weekend, as for feeling well rested - yup I sure do! Thanks to the day light savings hour change! As for the NS diet - not 100%. :( The meals went ok but as for exercise and water intake I didn't do so well! We finished our haunted garage Friday and had it set up for a trial on Sat. It also started snowing Sat and didn't stop till Sun afternoon! There is lots of snow now and its freezing out there! The only people we had show up to view the haunted garage were family and friends and one of our neighbors came to check it out. Which was ok cause now we know that we need to change a few things to make it really super for Tuesday! I bought a costume for me and we bought one for the dog, he he !! I'm a skeleton this year (a chubby skeleton-LOL) and the dog is a sheriff, very cute!

As for my Halloween challenge I think I should have tried for 5lbs instead of 10!! I find that most of my challenges so far have been really hard to get. Maybe a part of me likes to think that I am still able to loose 3lbs a week. When realistically I should be happy with a pound or two at the most! I don't think I will have a very spectacular weigh in on Wednesday, which is ok. I'll be lucky to have 5lbs lost on my Halloween ticker but that's fine cause I'll just have to kick it up a notch for the following week. I would really like to be as close to 199 by Christmas. I went shopping for a toque on the weekend and didn't realize how hard it would be to find a simple black toque with no writing on it, I had to go into the mens department!! All the girl/ lady ones were all frilly and fuzzy and I'm not really that type of gal! I'm pretty simple! LOL

As for the day light savings hour ..... i think this country is all backwards! I wish it was spring back, fall ahead! I would way rather have more daylight at night then in the morning. So on the weekend instead of it getting dark at 6:30pm now it is dark at 5:30pm!! Which I think is way too early for the sun to go down! I don't know why we can't be like Saskatchewan and not even bother with it!? Although I do enjoy getting that extra hour of sleep in the fall it really sucks to loose an hour in the spring!? I suppose its just another way for the government to mess you up?! he he

Friday Fun Facts! :)

...Fun Apple Facts...

* APPLES ARE A MEMBER OF THE ROSE FAMILY



* APPLES ARE FAT, SODIUM & CHOLESTEROL FREE

* A MEDIUM SIZED APPLE IS ABOUT 80 CALORIES

* APPLES GIVE OFF GASSES THAT WILL SPEED UP
THE RIPENING OF PEACHES, PLUMS, BANANAS &
KIWIS

* THE ONLY APPLE NATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA IS
THE CRAB-APPLE

* 25% OF AN APPLE'S VOLUME IS AIR--THIS IS WHY
APPLES FLOAT!


More Apple Facts

*2500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States.
*7500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world.
*In 2002 United States consumers ate an average of 42.2 pounds of fresh apples and processed apple products. That's a lot of applesauce!
*The top apple producing states are Washington, New York, Michigan, California, Pennsylvania and Virginia, which produced over 83 percent of the Nations 2001-crop apple supply.
*The largest apple picked weighed three pounds.


Jordanna (memoirs of a fat kid) and I started our Christmas challenge today so I weighed in again this morning. My starting weight for this challenge is 222.0lbs! I will make a new ticker after my Halloween challenge is over.

Yesterday I thought I posted a pretty touchy subject and I was kinda hoping to get a little more reaction from it but today I see that there are no comments :( I really enjoy seeing comments, good or bad, it gives me a feeling that people are actually reading this. I think next Thursday thoughts I will post an even more sensitive subject in the hopes that I can get a few comments!? lol

Bowling last night was fun, there are alot of interesting people that make the evening very entertaining! We finished our first quarter in 4th place, not bad for a team that isn't too serious about the sport. Our team is also second place for "team high score" right now (1200) which could easily change by the end of the year.

Thursday Thoughts.....

All week I was thinking about what I wanted my thoughts to be for today and I thought I had it all figured out until I had a phone call last night from this survey company that asked me "Do you believe it is ok for gays to marry?" and then this morning when I was viewing my daily blogs Lynn had a posting that also questioned the "marriage definition" for her state.

So I figure a good topic for this Thursday's Thoughts would be on gay marriage.

Now I must admit that I lived a fairly simple life and I have not had much experience with this lifestyle. Maybe experience isn't really the right word ..... I know three gay people in my life and I have only ever met four (two couples) and that is in 29yrs. My personal opinion with this subject is pretty much the same POV I would say for any subject and that is, if you are not harming anyone or anything by your actions then It's ok with me! I think there are far worse things out there then two people that love each other getting married! If they want to live that lifestyle then why not? Now I don't believe that they should be showing public affection but then I don't think that anyone (gay or straight) should "make out" in public, somethings are better behind closed doors. I have never been hurt (mentally or physically) by anyone who is openly gay and the few people that I have met and know are gay, are really nice people! So my thoughts on gay marriage is that I hope it becomes legal in all States and Countries, I don't think that it is fair to make individuals hide their love for each other or be ashamed of it!

Wednesday Weigh-in!

Another Wednesday and I even remembered to do my weigh-in!! Well the scale went down but not by much ...... -0.6lbs. Which I'm ok with cause I like to look at the big picture. In 9 weeks I have lost a total of -29lbs !! Which averages out to 3.2lbs per week! I thought for sure I had the blue 30lb bear in the bag! Next week I guess now! Some NSV (Non-scale victories) that I have noticed lately.....

-I'm up another notch on my belt - the tail of the belt is so long that I have to tuck it into the belt loop!!

-I tried on a size 16 pant (regular not plus) and they almost fit!? he he I figure I'm probably a 18 regular now.

-I walk the same distance every night (5km) but every night I am able to do it in less time! I think I am walking quicker!

-Lots of people have commented on how good my dog looks! Which I think is a indirect complement to me as well! I was always told that if your animal is over weight chances are you are too! So if people think she looks good then I must look better too!?

-When I "suck it in" you can actually see that I "sucked it in"!

A mini-challenge begins!!

Another challenge between NS member Jordanna (Memoirs of a fat kid) and I has begun!! Bang the gong it's on!!! She has kinda fell off the wagon lately and I'm hoping this challenge will bring her back! We have decided to see who could come the closest to loosing 18lbs by Christmas, starting this Friday! I figure it should be fairly easy to kick her butt and I think I should be able to average out 2lbs per week. The best thing I have going for me is my dog, she is my motivator and gets me off the couch even when it the last thing on my mind! So by walking her every night I think I have this challenge in the bag! he he

Speaking of walking the dog...... last night I decided I would give this jogging thing a try and see just how hard it is! What the hell was I thinking!?!?!? I ended up jogging about ....... a minute, three lamp poles and fortunately for me the dog decided to stop for a pee, so I stopped too and could barely breathe! Holy crap that hurt! My lungs were all tight and my throat was killing me- from one minute !?!? Now I think to myself why on earth would anyone want to do something like this to themselves!? I know I've said in the past that as soon as I hit 199lbs I will start jogging but now I'm thinking I had a "male moment" and just wasn't thinking! LOL I don't want to hate taking the dog out so for now and for a while I think walking is just fine by me!

I had so much fun with the Friday Fun Facts that I thought Tuesday Trivia would also be a nice way to break up the week. (and I'd like to thank Jordanna for the idea!) he he So for the first Tuesday Trivia:

Milk

The Average American Drinks 25 gallons of milk per year.

Did you know that about 88% of all milk is water and only about 12% is solidsubstance that has food value?

FINALLY !!! :)

It's about time! Today I recieved my first comment!!! Yippee !! A lady at work asked me how much weight I had lost ? and told me that she noticed a couple days ago and that I should "keep up the good work"!!! I never thought I would get such a thrill from hearing it from other people, Im just exstatic about her noticing my hard work! *sigh* :) I realized today that I am also 1/3 of my way to goal which is also pretty exciting! It wasn't hard at all to get this far and I'm certain that the next 1/3 will be just as easy if not easier!

Today is going to be a great day! My first compliment, I'm 1/3 of my way to goal, I get to go shopping and buy clothes that fit and it's my mom's birthday!! Happy Birthday MOM ! :)

I took the dog for a super long walk yesterday and feel great about it today! I took her to Petcetera which is on 32ave and we live on 12ave, the walk itself was only 20min to get there but I had to show her around the store which took like 20min! hehe She picked out a bone to chew on later and I picked up some cat food that was on sale. I think she thought she was in heaven! LOL I would say the entire walk took just over an hour, not bad. I really need a pedometer and they are so cheap that I should really just suck it up and buy one! I would really like to know how many steps I walk?

Friday Fun Facts!

Another new idea for my post! I thought it would be fun to post a different fun fact on Fridays so here is your first fun fact! he he

...Serious Soy Stuff...

Soy is the only vegetable containing all (8) essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.

Soy is a great source of omega-3's, the 'healthy fats', that are associated with health benefits including reducing the risk of heart attack and helping to prevent cancer.

Published studies indicate that plant estrogens in soy help reduce the symptoms of menopause.

Soy is a good source of fiber and regular amounts can help boost bone density. Fiber in soy can help lower blood cholesterol and slow the absorption of sugars. Soy may help reduce the risk of diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic.

On the NS diet there are lots of meals that contain soy and I really wasn't too sure on how much more beneficial it was until I read this article! Now we know! And I must say that I actually enjoy soy and for the most part I can't even tell if it's in a meal?! When I compare rice cakes to my NS soy chips I can't tell the difference they both kinda taste the same?

Went bowling last night and didn't do very well.... oh well?! he he It's just for fun! It was the last week of the first quarter and our team finished 4th! Not bad for only having half the team there half the time! Two of our teammates are always missing so if they don't pre-bowl we only get 90% of their average - which is sometimes better then if they would have bowled! lol The quarters don't really mean too much though, it's the finals that you really want to win cause then you get first pick of the prizes!

The weather is still yucky here, kinda snowy rain - sleet I suppose you call it! Anyway it's just enough to make sure you get wet when you walk outside and cold enough that you can see it coming. I can't wait to get better winter clothes and footwear! Saturday is shopping day, I might even try on some new pants - just to see what size I can squeeze into! he he

Thursday thoughts ......

I thought I would try something new for Thursdays and have random thoughts for Thursdays! Now before I start I would just like to make it clear that:

No I am NOT a scientist or teacher or have any other type of degree that makes me a professional on any of these subjects! These are just simple thoughts by a simple person with a simple mind! I do not mean to offend anyone and I'm sorry if I do but if you agree or disagree with anything that I am about to post I would be happy to hear your comments! So here it goes .......

My thoughts on genetics: I often wonder if my kids will have to struggle with being over weight or have a hard time maintaining a healthy weight just because I have had to deal with my weight for most of my life? I do place some blame on my parents for my weight issues but not because I think it's in my genes to be fat but because of the way I was brought up. I don't think my parents pushed me enough to be active and part of sports groups. I think it all started when we had pizza movie night on Fridays which eventually led to having take out more then once a week and soon we were eating out way more then at home. I rairly remember having "healthy" meals at home. Now some people would probably argue that if your parents are over weight then more then likely there children will be too but is that because of genetics or because of the eating habits the parents have? Just like I believe that if your parents are alcoholics does not mean that you are destined to be one as well. Everyone makes choices in life but as a child they are unable to make certain choices on their own. I do take full responsibility for being over weight as an adult and can't blame anyone but myself for that but I would like to think that my kids will not be destined to be fat as long as I can instill unto them a healthy lifestyle throughout their life. So I'm sorry if I offended anyone - especially my mom with what I have posted I do not mean to blame her for my weight issues now but I can't help but wonder if they had encouraged me to be more active as a child and had taught me "healthy" eating when I was younger would I be where I am today?

Now on a less serious note ..... I did receive my shipment of food yesterday and yes my 20lb bear was in the box!! Yippee !! I was so happy to see him! They also shipped me another 10lb bear ?? So I gave that one to my dog because she has also lost 10lbs being my walking partner!! So you could say that Nutrisystem has also helped her to loose weight as well! She loves her bear and carries it all over the house it's super cute and I must learn how to use our scanner so I can post pics! LOL I only have

10 - Pound (Female) Pound says congratulations on your initial weight loss.She's here to keep you motivated as you continue toward your goal weight

20 - Commitment Losing 20 lbs. proves you have the commitment you need to succeed, but a little inspiration from Commitment couldn't hurt

Wednesday Weigh in!

As most of you already know today is Weigh in Wednesday!! And I can actually post it on Wednesday! After getting half dressed this morning I remembered that I forgot to weigh in so off with the clothes so I could jump on the scale! hehe You know every ounce counts!? I weighed in at 223.4lbs!! Thats down another -2lbs for a total of -28.4lbs ! Its really unbelievable! I sometimes feel like I'm not giving this "diet" 100% and I think that is only because it is such an easy plan to follow and doesn't even feel like I am on a diet?! I am expecting my 3rd shipment of food today and I'm soooo hoping that my 20lb bear is in there! Such a silly little reward but I want it so bad! Still no comments on the weight loss or on how I look?? Just the hubby seems to be in my cheering section! I guess maybe if I bought some clothes that fit properly then people might be able to notice more but I'm much to cheap for that! I hate how society makes it so easy and cheap to gain weight but it seems like I need to get a second morgage just to be able to loose and maintain my weight?! I think right now we are probably spending close to $600 a month on food! I think it is insain and I'm hoping that I won't have to buy NS for much longer, maybe 2 more months?! They say that most people are on NS exclusively for 4 months on average and then slowly mix their own food into the diet. Although I really like most breakfasts and lunches I think I might forever buy these products and just have dinner with the hubby. We don't eat the same things for breakfast and lunch anyway.

I took the dog for another walk last night while the hubby worked on building his haunted house! It is coming together good and I'm excited to see how it looks when it's done! I still need to paint some head stones and signs for him, maybe tonight? I've decided that when I'm under 200lbs I think I am going to take up jogging?! I don't think I will be able to keep loosing weight by only walking. I keep having to push myself a little more each week in order to keep loosing weight, right now I'm up to about 5km every night and it usually takes an hour! I think if I can get the same work out in 30min as I do in an hour it seems like a beter plan?!

Sweet tooth

There are only two times out of the year that I absolutely LOVE candy and can't seem to get enough of it. That would be Halloween and Easter! I'm not sure why but during these two holidays it's like the chocolate is calling out my name! Those little bite size mini chocolate bars and bunny's .... hm mm! Unfortunately in our house we have to celebrate both holidays and not just a little celebration but my hubby goes all out - especially for Halloween! He must have the biggest sweet tooth out there! So I fill the cupboards with all the goodies and try and stay away from them, which is usually an easy task except for at Halloween cause you have to put the candies in a bowl for everyone to help themselves! They are so close to my reach all I have to do is extend my arm.... but I must resist the temptation and ignore the desire to "just have one"! So far so good but every night it's like I can hear them calling my name ! I can't wait for Halloween to get here so I can give the candy away and put the rest away - out of reach!

It is so cold here and winter has barely even started yet! I hate the cold! Last night I took the dog for a walk in the blowing sleet! It sucked !! We were both soaking wet when we got home, not very good for my cold that I'm trying to get over. I wish I had lots of money cause I would open an indoor "pet center" where people could go walk there pets indoors where it is nice and dry!! I was dreaming about it on my walk last night, it would have a little water station for all the dogs to drink out of and a snack bar for handlers and their animals. You could have a designated "off leash" area and also a track for people that want to walk laps. I thought it was a marvelous idea and I'm sure someone out there will make millions off my idea. Too bad I don't have the funds to start a business?! I guess for now I will have to just go buy a toque, long johns and new boots!!

gonna blog here now!

So as you have probably noticed iblogs is driving me nutz! lol Everytime I want to blog I can't get on the website? Maybe it's just me but I don't like it! So I decided I will start using this blog instead and hopefully there isn't as many glitches! This blog site seems to have a few more options anyway so how knows maybe I'll even like it more?

So the weekend went fairly well, we finished all our out door projects just in time! Woke up this morning to snow on the ground!! It is still snowing now but thankfully the ground is still warm and it is just melting away! I can honestly say that I don't really like winter, its always so dry your skin gets itchy. You have to bundle up before going anywhere and definately warm up the vehicle! The roads are horrible to drive on and other drivers make it worse. I can only think of two things I like about winter ...... NO bugs !! and Christmas! I couldn't imagine not having a white Christmas?

I think I am going to see what else this blog site has to offer so you might have to bear with me for a while? hehe

new blog

I had to make this blog so I could respond to other blogs? I already have a blog that is sometimes hard to post on regularly! LOL Please view my blog at http://annieann77.iblogs.com/