Goodbye Old Habits

This post is for me, to remind me to keep up with the good work, and to show me just how far we've come in only three weeks. If you will go back to my April 24th post, you will see what evils were lurking in my pantry at the time. The photos below are of the current state of our kitchen. We are learning to change everything about the way we eat and the way we view food. In the past, even though I was counting points with Weight Watchers and watching my calorie/fat intake, I relied on staples like low-fat ice cream bars, single bag servings of microwave popcorn, Snackwell cookies, or crackers. Sure, I was following the program and not going over my points, but what kind of crap was that to put into my body? And I also had to remind myself, the junk food I brought into the house was what my husband was eating too. The first change we made was to start grocery shopping together, and discussing what alternatives we could choose and what meals we would make during the week. We shop every Sunday afternoon, instead of the way I used to shop- rush in on a weekday and load up the cart to last for 2-3 weeks so I wouldn't have to come back again for awhile.

Now my favorite snack is fat free yogurt mixed with pineapple and high fiber cereal. My new favorite go-to lunch is a cucumber and tomato salad with vinaigrette and a few crumbles of feta. Tonight for dinner we are having the marinated roasted veggies (in bag in first photo) and quinoa again- no, I'm leaving out the tofu this time. Yesterday I made myself get on the treadmill, although I didn't go as long as I wanted to. Yes it was painful for me, but being fat and tired and unhappy is also a painful way to live. At least the treadmill only lasts an hour. I know as the days grow warmer and the evenings hold onto the sunlight longer, we will start grilling out again. James loves it, he's a grill master, and I love the help with making dinner. I think a meal should be something more than whatever I can throw together on a plate. My sister-in-law Stephanie, who is a vegetarian, once told me that everyone should give thought and have appreciation for where food comes from. I also want to add that everyone should think about what food does for your body, your mind, your mood. Remember that old saying, garbage in garbage out? My new translation: if you eat crap, you will feel like crap!!

(scenes from the fridge)

The Weekday Blahs

Mood #1- Saturday night with my husband, away for the weekend, enjoying time with family and winding down after a big party for my mother-in-law and my granny-in-law. Looking forward to the next morning's Sunday brunch with James' family.





Mood #2- Today, two loads of laundry, a load of dishes, just cleaned two cat litter boxes (background). Looking forward to cleaning the other two litter boxes, vacuuming the house, and washing up lettuce and veggies for dinner tonight.

All Paws on Deck

Well the cats' outdoor privileges have been suspended indefinitely, thanks to our big male Romeo. Everything has been going nicely with allowing the kitties to hang out on the back deck, get a little sunshine, fresh air, chase the bugs around. Mostly they just slept out there with the warmth of the Springtime breezes. Until yesterday. I always check on them periodically, like every fifteen minutes. Yesterday as I walked over to the window I was just in time to watch Romeo leap onto the railing and go sailing off the deck, 15 feet down, and take off chasing a squirrel into the woods behind the house at 100 miles per hour. Of course I absolutely freaked out. I was barefoot and ran out the front door, down the hill on the side of the house, across the back yard and into the woods. I called and called for Romeo, not realizing he was right in front of me. I couldn't see him through the bushes, but he was sitting calmly on a large boulder at the base of the tree where the squirrel had gone up. And he wouldn't come over to me, no matter how much I pleaded and baby-talked to him. The farther I went into the woods, the more he moved away from me to explore. I finally snatched him up, all 18 pounds of him, and he fought me the whole time I carried him back up to the house.

After examining him and watching him walk around the house for awhile, the only injury I could find was where one toenail had been ripped off down to the quick. Other than that, he seems fine. Me, I have a bruised foot from stepping on rocks, a twisted ankle from running down the hill, and a sore back from traipsing through the woods. So from now on, no kitties will be going out on the deck until I get over this trauma! One part of me is glad Romeo is okay, the other part of me wishes I could spank him and put him in time out!!


Oh PS- James laughed his head off that night when I told him the story, he said he was sorry he didn't get to see it and told me "You have all the fun"- yeah, right!!

(my handsome Romeo on the deck, behaving)





Hi- I am updating this with a photo of our back deck, for my friends who have not visited our house yet. You can see how high up he was (on top of the railing) when he jumped. Stupid, crazy cat!!

More Color From the Garden

Here are a few more photos of the flower bed in the front yard, just to share with everyone! Still waiting on a blanket of color to fill the whole bed. Also, I used these photos to try out the super close-up button on my camera!

Michele

This is my good friend Michele, another one of my girls I had to leave behind in South Carolina. She and I also worked together, for almost eight years. For many of those years, our cubicles were within shouting distance, and shout we did. Michele was the friend I could cut up with the most, be raunchy with, say all the good cuss words to, and Michele is the one who always had the best gossip and kept me in the loop. Nothing was off limits in our conversations, and she was the friend I knew I couldn't offend no matter how gross or disgusting I was, or angry or upset I was with the world. She is a wonderful wife and mother, one who is fiercely in love with her husband and just as passionate about her two sons. She was a fantastic listener, and even if I was ranting on and on and on, she never interrupted and took in every single word, always giving great advice when I was done, and always calming me down when I would get my blood boiling. I would like to think I did the same for her. She is all about home, family, friendship. We talked about fashion, hairstyles, weight loss, money, sex, how much we hated a certain creepy pervert in our office. Michele was a few years younger than me, but in certain ways a whole lot wiser. She and her husband had married as teens, she was mother to a teen and a soon-to-be one, and she'd worked there at the company for years before I came so she knew the low-down on everything and everyone. The one word I can use to describe Michele is FUN, and if I came to work in a bad mood or feeling discouraged, she was the one to put the smile back on my face.

I miss Michele, although we email and talk on the phone, but it's not the same as running to her desk and crouching down for her to whisper to me the latest dish about someone in the office. (photos of Michele and her husband Cecil, and Michele and her/my old boss Tammy)

Wholesome Living

Well here we are into three weeks of eating whole, unprocessed foods, still hanging in there. It is a way of changing my mental relationship with food that I am going to have to deal with day after day, meal after meal. I admit that even after a couple of weeks without my precious 100-calorie snack packs, I do not crave them anymore. I haven't even given them another thought. And now that I am eating real, whole foods I find that I am hungry a lot less often. I used to think about grabbing a snack almost every hour, and I would watch the clock to see when it was time for lunch, time for dinner. Not anymore. This weekend we stopped at a farm stand and bought four quarts of strawberries. Last week it was an eight pound bag of oranges. We have fresh vegetables for dinner every single night. I have a big cup of ice water at my side no matter what I'm doing. I had a great weigh in at Weight Watchers last week, losing one and a half pounds. And after spending the weekend away from home, I weighed this morning to find another pound gone. Never have I gone away for the weekend and lost weight!! It was hard, especially the Sunday morning breakfast at Cracker Barrel. While I ignored the aromas of biscuits and country fried steak and hash brown casserole, I was happy with my small order of grits and toast. Normally I would leave Cracker Barrel so full I could barely breathe! I know we've got a long way to go, like incorporating more exercise into our lives, but we are working on it every day. We see the improvements already with just the small change of removing the fat free cookies and baked chips from our pantry. And for me, that is a huge step and breaking lifetime habits- and addictions in some instances! Tonight it's grilled fish soft tacos loaded up with fresh veggies. I can't wait to see how they turn out!



(back from the grocery store today- they gave me the two plants for free!)

Another Nice Weekend

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. We spent ours on the road. Saturday morning we were at the old house in South Carolina, meeting up with our new realtor Wendy. She has a lot of spunk and fire in her, and I think she will bring us great luck with selling the house. Plus, she lives one block away from the house in the same neighborhood, so we know we will have a pair of eyes watching over the old homestead for us. After all the paperwork was signed, we headed for Knoxville, Tennessee to see James' entire family. Saturday night saw four generations under one roof, celebrating the holiday with happy kids, mothers, grandmother, and great-grandmother. His sisters Cindy and Stephanie did a fantastic job of planning everything and making the evening full of fun and love.

My super husband James and my sweet kitties showed their appreciation by giving me a new digital camera for the occasion. James also surprised me with an antique music stand found in the attic of his great-grandmother's home, and it is beautiful. I love my husband, he is so tuned in to what's good for my heart and soul, he is my treasure. I am still working out the bugs and learning all the buttons on my camera, so my focus was not great with the following photos. But here are a few from this weekend of James with his mom and granny.

I hope everyone else had as fantastic of a weekend as we did!

(photos of James and family shopping at Cracker Barrel, then saying goodbye at his granny's house)

Love Strong

Does anyone else wear one of those rubber wristbands supporting their favorite charity, or offering up some other type of personal inspiration? I'm not sure what their origin is, I remember the first one I ever saw was the Lance Armstrong "Live Strong" yellow wristband. But now I see them everywhere, in every color, for every reason. I used to think they were sort of silly, and besides, they always clash with whatever you are wearing. I turned my nose up at them. That is, until I started wearing one. When James accepted the position here in Georgia, he had to start almost immediately. I stayed behind to finish packing, putting the house on the market, and to continue working. We had intentions of me staying behind until the house sold, but that didn't work out for us. We knew it would be difficult to be separated, not just at home, but remember we worked together, I was used to seeing him during my workday as well.

James moved over to Georgia, taking three of the cats with him, leaving me behind in our old home with the other two kitties. A week after his departure, my parents came up to the North Carolina mountains to rent a cabin and relax. I took a few days off work to spend there with them, and James was able to drive over from Georgia for a few days as well. While shopping in Dillsboro (one of my favorite towns up there), I found one of those wristbands, with my husband's name on it. Alongside his name were inspirational phrases such as "believe", "trust", "courage", "hope", "dream"- you get the idea. I bought it, vowing to wear it at all times until we were living together once more. We ended up being apart for almost three months, although he came home when he could, for just a day here and there.

Our house hasn't sold, but we hated living without each other, and on December 31st (my birthday), we were reunited here in Georgia and moved into our new home on the 1st of this year. Still, I wear the wristband, and I don't take it off at all. I did not consciously decide to keep wearing it, I just decided NOT to take it off. It has served as a type of anchor for me, for my awareness about the decisions I make daily, reminding me that there are two of us. Whatever I do or don't do, this wristband reminds me that what goes on in my life also goes on in my husband's life. Sometimes it's a good reminder when I'm out shopping that my dear husband is at work, busting his butt for our income, while I'm out playing, and I look at the wristband and think gosh I really don't need those new pair of sandals after all. When I'm at the grocery store eyeballing the frozen pizza or ice cream, I see the wristband and think, how would my husband feel if I gained another 5, 10, 15 pounds- then I reach for the fresh squash or peaches instead.

It sounds sort of corny and trivial, but for me this wristband has really helped me on my way to making healthier choices in my life, whether it's for my diet or exercise or saving money or cleaning the house, or whatever. I always ask myself, what would James want me to do and what is best for our "family"? It is just the two of us, but we ARE a family.

(my tribute to my husband)

Weekly Weight Debate

Tomorrow is my weekly weigh in at Weight Watchers, and for a change I expect to have a good day at the scale. James and I are on week two of eating whole foods and learning to live without processed snacks and frozen dinners in the house. Okay, I know eating out on the weekends sort of blows that commitment out of the water. But not having Skinny Cows or Easy Mac & Cheese easily accessible at home is a great start for us. Instead of grabbing a 100-calorie pack of cookies, I am learning to instead grab a yogurt or an orange. Last night's dinner was roasted vegetables, tofu, and quinoa. Okay, I probably won't do the tofu again, but the veggies and grains were great. We are trying to have meatless dinners as often as possible, and I am trying to learn to plan a meal around something besides a piece of chicken or a burger. While I am trying to watch my fat intake, I also have to count carbs for James' high blood sugar.

The only downfall for me has been the lack of exercise for the last two weeks. My back problems have kept me from getting on the treadmill lately, and you will see my ticker hasn't moved in quite awhile. I am not sure now if I can reach my goal of 900 miles by the end of the year, but I am still striving for it. The doctor at the new pain clinic has upped my medication and started me on a second one, so we will see how it goes. So far so good. I have another MRI scheduled tomorrow afternoon so he can see exactly where the damage is to the disks, and recommend treatment for it. I am hoping to get back on the treadmill sometime next week. I know in the long run it can only help with my back pain. (photo of my walking shoes, who miss me)

Hairy

This is Hairy, she's our oldest cat. We think she's around 16 or 17, James got her when she was already an adult cat and he's had her for about 15-16 years. Before I met James and Hairy, I was a dog person. Never even gave a thought to having a cat. When I started dating James, and would go to his house for the weekend, it took Hairy a little while to warm up to me. She would usually go run and hide downstairs. After a few visits she decided I was okay, and would cuddle up in my lap or sleep on my back at night. I'd never been around cats before, and Hairy changed my attitude towards them. I thought of cats as snobby little standoffish critters, not all sloppy, warm, and lovable like a big Lab, which is what I was used to. When I would go visit friends who had cats, all I would ever see was a furry streak running by as they went to hide. But of course, after having a houseful of my own now, I know that's normal behavior when there is a knock at the door. Hairy was so sweet and charming and friendly, I decided that cats weren't so bad after all. Then I adopted Spider as a stray kitten the following year. If not for Hairy, I'm not sure I would have taken Spider in.

Despite her age, Hairy is in perfect health and is very active. She has a little bit of arthritis, and you can hear her coming because her joints pop as she walks. But she still runs around, jumps up on furniture, and plays and chases her tail just like the youngsters. If one of the younger cats messes with her and she's not in the mood, she will smack them and give them a good what-for. We used to have her shaved down twice a year, because her coat is so long (hence her name), and not only was she getting hairballs but she would leave clumps of hair everywhere. Her coat is still growing back from the last shave, and I've decided not to get it done again. I will just be more vigorous with brushing her, and more diligent about vacuuming the house. She's lost maybe 1-2 pounds over the last few years, I'm sure due to her age, and I don't want her to be cold. She shivers even in the summer when the AC is on, she has such little fat on her body (wish I could say the same, I sweat even with the AC on!!!), so I am going to let her keep her hairiness from now on. (photo taken yesterday on the back deck)

Green Fields

Well, Greenfield Way is the street we live on, and it's just as pretty as the name implies. I've talked a lot about our new house, but I've never really shared why we bought it. First of all, it was a great deal, the builder only had a couple of houses left unsold in the neighborhood and he wanted to get rid of them and move on. We got this house for an absolute steal- to be honest, in the housing market of two years ago, we could not have afforded this house at the original asking price. The main reason we bought this particular house is because it was brand new, and it has a full basement. Mind you, it's 100% unfinished, but my husband and I both have always wanted a basement home.





James has dreamed of having a rec room with a pool table, where he can display all his football and NASCAR memorabilia. We hope to start on finishing it sometime next year, maybe late summer or in the fall. Almost every day I am down there either looking for something or digging through boxes, but mostly right now it's a giant playroom for the cats. James and I have grand visions for the finished product, but budget will dictate how much of our "dream design" ends up in the final plan. We realize it won't be cheap, but we also know that it is an investment and will only add value to the house- one day when the market has picked up. When we finish, we plan to add two bedrooms, a bathroom, small kitchen, a pantry, wine cellar, James' rec room, and probably a small library/craft area for me.





The basement is almost 2500 square feet, the same size and layout as the first floor of the house, so we have plenty of room to work with. Most people will be wondering what in the hell two people need so much square footage for. Truth be told, James and I have a lot of junk. When we started dating, both of us owned our own homes, fully furnished. When we got married, we crammed it all together. And we are both packrats. We do donate many times a year to Goodwill, and that will never change, but we still have managed to accumulate a lot of crap over the years.

Anyhow, these are photos of the basement as it appears for the moment, maybe by the time we start work on it, I will still have a blog to post updated photos on. Now, if only we can swing the loan for it!!

Gray Again

Another gloomy day in Georgia, I can only watch the clouds from the office window, and the kitties can only sit and stare at the growing bad weather. I do not complain about rain, ever, because Georgia and the whole South is still trying to recover from drought. There is something mesmerizing about the swirling dark skies and the trees swaying with the wind. Call me crazy for romanticizing a common storm! (photos from around our house today)

Finally!

Well I have waited long enough, and now I finally have flowers blooming in my garden!! It seems like it took forever, and I've been enviously looking at all the yards in the neighborhood thinking, "Where are my flowers!" When we moved into this house, there was very little in the way of landscaping, since it was new construction. The builders put in a few small shrubs along the sidewalk and front of the house. That was pretty much it. So in March I planted about 300 bulbs- gladiolas, lilies, dahlias, canna, calla, etc. The greenery on all of the bulbs have been up for awhile now, but no blooms. This week the first of the flowers appeared, and I was over the moon! I had to take a few photos to share with family, so decided to post them here as well. I've enjoyed looking at all the flowers on other blogs, so I'm glad I finally have some to show off on mine! Now that it's warmed up, I'll be planting a few perennials in the front garden, annuals in the planters on the front porch, and veggies like tomatoes and peppers in the backyard. I do NOT have a green thumb whatsoever, but I enjoy the outcome of all the work involved. (photos of my lilies)

Backwards

I did not post my weigh in from my last Weight Watchers meeting because I had a gain of a pound. I expected it, because I knew I hadn't taken off the Vegas vacation weight yet. But that is no excuse. My weight loss efforts slide backwards every single weekend when we go out to eat, as it did yet again this last weekend. We spent both Saturday and Sunday in nearby Douglasville, shopping for Mother's Day gifts and miscellaneous other errands. Saturday was dinner out, and Sunday was lunch out. I did not make wise choices at either meal, and to boot, my mood was so low both days that I ordered Coke, something I try to avoid at all costs because that is one of my major downfalls and addictions. My back pain has been unusually high the last few days, and I am a typical woman that when I feel bad, I eat all the wrong things for comfort. Hence the Coke and the Mexican food, and then the southern diner this weekend. I can eat all the yogurt and fiber cereal and salads I want all week long, but come the weekend, just one or two meals can undo everything I've accomplished throughout the week. At least my weigh ins are on Friday, if that gives me any consolation at all. This seems like a sorry Monday for whiny posts, and maybe it is just the gloom and rain of the last four days getting to me. So the photo I am using for this post is inspiration for me, it's of Cape Hatteras on our first visit there in 2005. This would be before I hurt my back, and before the weight gain got out of hand. Yes it was challenging for the old thighs, but James and I climbed to the top. No way I could do that today, but it is something I will be able to do again one day. I am not going to post again today, because I am too busy having yet another pity party for myself.

No Pain No Gain

No pain for me would be a good thing, so I am keeping my fingers crossed. That is because this morning I am busy filling out ten pages of forms to take to my new pain doctor tomorrow morning for my first appointment. The forms and questions are pretty much identical to the forms I filled out last year for the pain clinic back in SC. I hurt my back three years ago, and have a bulging disk pressing on a nerve which has caused sciatic pain for said three years. I am in pain 24/7, some days it's bearable, other days I can't even function. Every day I still get up, do what I have to do around the house or around town, but feel miserable while I do it. Besides the usual things like Tylenol and Bayer, I take prescription pain medication, a prescription anti-inflammatory, use prescription anti-inflammatory gel, and a prescription pain-killer patch, and I take a sleeping pill every night to help my body relax. All of which offer NO relief. Last fall I had two epidurals with NO relief. I did PT for a short while with NO relief. Nothing nothing nothing. I don't like to whine about my pain, even to my husband (when he asks how I am feeling I always say fine even when I want to scream because I am hurting so much), and I don't like sympathy for it because millions of people around the world have back pain too. I am not special, and I don't want pity or help around the house or anyone feeling sorry for me. I just want an answer and relief. Everyone tells me to go to a chiropractor, but for reasons I don't want to get into here, I just don't want to go to one. James is very supportive of me and whatever I need to do- whether it's him taking time off from work to go to appointments with me or cooking his own dinner on my really bad nights- but I am tired of the day to day pain and the limitations on my life. I'm tired of telling my husband I don't feel like going somewhere with him, I'm tired of losing sleep because I can't get comfortable at bedtime, and I'm tired of popping pills all day long. My new family doctor said losing weight will certainly help, but she said I may want to consider surgery, and these days it's very non-invasive. It's certainly on my mind right now, and it's an option I am willing to consider. I am only 42, and I've had this pain every single day, all day long, for the last three years. I do not see myself living like this for the next 30-40 years. I can't! (photo of what I feel like- only I'm not that skinny!)

Go Hawks!

Okay, so I'm not actually an Atlanta Hawks basketball fan (I was secretly cheering for the Heat) but as my husband said last night, the Hawks going into the next round of games is great for business. Great for his business. And anything great for his business is great for the whole Truan household here. My husband works for the country's second largest food distribution company, and his division is one of the largest in the entire company. He is the director of operations, and he's over a few hundred employees and several departments, which includes all product coming into and out of the warehouse (Shipping, Receiving), and the delivery of products to customers (Transportation). So, the Hawks winning will boost the economy here in Atlanta, and my husband's company services Hartsfield-Jackson (officially the world's busiest airport), many many hotels, and of course lots of restaurants and sports bars. In this economy, any time a company can report an increase in business, that is almost newsworthy these days! James' division also supplies food and equipment to schools, hospitals, and the Department of Defense, so their business does not solely rely on the local sporting events (which is good because the Falcons suck!), but certainly an NBA playoff series in town doesn't hurt.

My husband has been working at his current company for 12 years, and he's risen up from a guy who drove a pallet jack and pulled sacks of flour and rice off the shelf, to a guy who is next in line for a vice president position. James would flip out if I was bragging on him, but I am so proud of him and he is way too humble. He works super hard and is over-the-top dedicated to his job and the company, and he deserves an accolade along the way. Since I worked with him for eight years, I know firsthand how hard he works and how serious his responsibilities are. I love the company too (just wish they had a job opening for me here!!!) and with the economy still seeming to slide a little farther down every day, I am happy my husband works in an industry that so far has managed to stay steady and stable.

Oh yeah- Go Hawks!! (photo of the Hawks from the AJC online)

And They're Off!!!

Today is the first Saturday of May, and that can mean only one thing to me. The Kentucky Derby!!! I've been watching this race ever since I was a little girl, and I haven't missed a year yet. I look forward to this quick two-minutes of history each and every May. I wait with anticipation to hear the call for "Riders Up!!!" the same way my husband wants his "Gentlemen start your engines!" every Sunday afternoon. I am a horse lover from birth, although I've never owned one and have very little actual experience being around them. I remember in elementary school making friends with a girl just because I found out she had horses, and I got to ride with her a few times. The last time I was on a horse, I was probably a teenager. Nonetheless, I am a fan. I've collected model horses (Breyer) since before I can remember. I doubt my future will see me lucky enough to own a horse, or even go to the Derby. But this afternoon, I can tell you my future will find me in front of the TV watching the parade of these beautiful, talented creatures as they head for the starting gate. (photos of previous winners Big Brown and Smarty Jones)

Picking Up the Pieces

Well believe it or not, today was the very first time we had to clean up after one of the cats broke something. I know, it's hard to believe that in a house with five cats, nothing has gotten destroyed before today. Mind you, the cats cause all sorts of calamities and mild aggravations almost daily. They run around the house like, well, like animals. This morning at 7am, when I went into the kitchen to get the coffee started (and my husband was still trying to sleep in a few extra minutes), Maarten- my sweetest baby- jumped up onto the breakfast bar, didn't quite make it, his paws sliding on the cold granite, and down he went onto a bar stool then the floor. Unfortunately he took a large glass container filled with potpourri down with him. I only had time to go "AAHHH!" as I saw the whole thing happening, reaching out a hand that was much too slow. And the laws of the universe and gravity took over, and glass quickly met hardwood floors. Needless to say, my husband was up out of bed quickly, and we spent the next half hour cleaning up. I hate breaking glass of that type, the thin stuff that shatters into a zillion trillion pieces and explodes out everywhere. I was finding shards ten feet away in the living room carpet. We felt like we got it all, but moments ago I found blood drops on the wood floors and a few on the dining room rug. I followed the trail, but it faded away. I checked all the kitties' paws, but no one appeared to be bleeding or injured. Maarten seems to be fine after his tumble, at least he didn't have any problems running towards the can opener for a little tuna awhile ago. Still, I will watch everyone to make certain no one is favoring or licking at a paw. I know from personal memories, stepping on glass is not a fun experience.


(Maarten on a more calm day)

Tropical Paradise

James and I have been mulling over the idea of going to Florida to visit my family in June. And while we are trying to make our decision, here are a few photos taken around my hometown. I kindly borrowed them from a website promoting tourism in Bradenton and our beaches. Remember folks, this is where I was lucky enough to grow up. Don't hate me! I know, why did I ever leave, right?? I don't know. But anyhow, please enjoy these photos, I just can't help but to brag on my beautiful hometown.

King of Hearts

As everyone knows who reads my blog, I love my amazing husband to infinity and beyond. Loving your spouse also means loving, or tolerating, their habits and hobbies. Fortunately, I love most of my husband's hobbies- the only thing about him I have to tolerate is country music. One of James' greatest passions is playing poker. And, quite honestly, he's very good at it. He's won a number of tournaments (nice money but nothing you will ever see on ESPN) and more than that, he simply enjoys playing. When we visit my folks in Florida, he and my dad go to a poker room called One-Eyed Jacks (read: every night), and my dad is also very good at cards. I think it's wonderful that they have something to bond over, and something to go off and do together. It makes me feel good about my husband having a true friendship with my father. They both admire and respect each other, and I think sharing that time together strengthens their relationship. Of course in Florida, playing poker means winning cash. And I don't have to even tell you that James played lots of poker in Vegas (read: every night). When we go on our cruises each year, he has the chance to play in cash games as well (read: every night!)

Here in Georgia, that's a no no. But it certainly doesn't stop those who truly love it from playing the game. There is a large poker playing circuit here in this area, and quite a few of the sports bars participate. James plays every Friday night in neighboring Peachtree City, at a place with the quaint name of Y-Knots. There are usually anywhere from 40-60 people there playing, and James' longtime friend David meets him there. They eat, have a beer or two, then play poker for about 2-3 hours. No cash involved with winning, only "points" that accumulate. And a few of the top winners for the night get a gift certificate for a restaurant. Y-Knots also offers players an extra 500 poker chips if they spend $10 on food or drink, so of course James has to get his dinner there before he plays, in order to get those chips. I really don't mind this Friday night ritual for him, and I'm actually glad he found the place and doubly glad that his buddy meets him there. My husband works hard, and long hours, and he deserves to enjoy a little time to himself. Me, I enjoy the time off from making dinner and having the TV blasting! My Friday nights are filled with peace, quiet, and lots of reading! (photo of James sitting in on a hand at a museum in Arizona)