Christmas is over.. now for my favourite time of year...

2007 is winding up, Christmas is over for this year and the New Year is about to begin.

This is my all time favourite time of year. Christmas is over, so the pressures of the season have subsided, but the new year hasn't yet begun so my new goals or "resolutions" haven't been put in place yet. I guess you can say it is the time of year when I feel like I am free of holiday obligation... that is until Dec 31st. I don't generally believe in New Years Resolutions.. I think they set a person up for failure because they are usually really big goals in an unreasonable time frame or multiple goals that individually could be achievable but together seem impossible. They also almost always involve some form of weight loss plan which really should be a lifetime plan and not just a yearly thing... anyway...

Christmas this year brought me a gift that I was definitely not expecting. This gift actually made me nervous for a split second when I opened it. Thats probably why I love it so much. Finally, someone took my own words, believed my conviction and set in motion the actual reality of them. I received a gift certificate to get my first Tattoo! I say first because apparently tattoos are addictive.

I already know what I want for my first tattoo. The Aquarius symbol. I chose it because I am an Aquarius and that is one thing about me that will never change. I love my astrological symbol and it will always remind me of who I am deep down, where I came from and to always stay true to my core beliefs and values. My original plan for a tattoo was for a butterfly to symbolize my transformation with the weight loss but that will have to come after plastic surgery when everything is all trim and tight.

So anyway, 2008 should be a really exciting year for me. I have gone down 3 clothing sizes in the past 6 months, I am down 107 lbs right now and I begin some new and exciting activities in the new year. Acting and singing! I am also embarking on a new project for work which is a little bit intimidating because I am not completely sure what that will hold for me. I am also not sure it will benefit me careerwise.

2008 is also the year for me to get out there and date and meet someone special. That will definitely be a tough one for me. I am not good at the dating game so I need to hone some skills fast. I am hoping that making a goal to meet someone this coming year isn't too intimidating or a goal that is unattainable. I don't plan on going hunting, or settling for someone I wouldn't normally choose just to meet my goal, but I am a romantic deep down and hey, I think it's finally my turn! That sounds so dorky but what can I say? I'll keep my eyes and mind open for this one.. and I will take help anywhere I can get it.

Maybe this year will just be a "social year" for me. I'll aim to make new friends and see what happens..

-104, party life and Bluetooth?

Well, for starters I am now down 104 lbs.. continually getting smaller. It hit me last night.. I will NEVER be this big again. I will never gain this weight back. I will get to a normal size and stay there within 10 or so lbs forever... naturally it won't be a picnic the whole time.. I will have struggles and I will have challenges but I never have to worry about ballooning up to this size again! You have no idea how relieving that is...

We had our Jul party and introduced some friends to Danish traditions. It was a lot of fun and as usual we had good company. Our parties are developing a good reputation which makes us feel good. Of course it helps that we have great friends too!

Bluetooth... oh boy..

At the party I was showing people some of my cool ring tones that I got in Brazil. A couple of the guys wanted the ring tones so we decided to sync up through bluetooth.. I had no idea a cell phone connection could resemble dating so much.. too funny!

It was amusing because we tried so hard to sync up but had issues and weren't able... there were all sorts of innocent comments flying around that seemed so ironic to me.. "hmm are you sure you are sending out a signal?" "You need to allow me to connect to your device" "Can you see me on your list of possible connections? Did you search for me? I made myself available!" "Hmm, maybe our devices just aren't compatible"

We had a good laugh. The innuendo was amusing even though not intentional. Sadly, it seemed all too familiar... You find someone you want to make a connection with and either they are unable to connect for whatever reason, or they are incompatible...

I was talking to another single friend tonight about single life. Its weird talking about all this again. Going from being all independant not needing anyone to suddenly craving that connection. It was comforting talking to her about stuff but still like the blind leading the blind.

I need a few good ideas where I can meet these eligible guys.. no bars of course.. but where aside from speed dating do I meet a single 30 something guy? (This is where someone jumps in and offers me all sorts of ideas ;) Hint Hint...)

I am looking forward to January.. choir, acting class and my new project at work... I am just looking forward to 2008... to living my life finally, for once..

Danish is as Danish does

I felt compelled to write a quick blog today in the midst of a flurry of seasonal activities. Lauren and I are throwing a small dinner party today. We are having a Danish celebration with traditional Danish fare, history and a little peek into how we Danes celebrate Christmas.

I am so incredibly excited about this today.. I look forward to doing this again one day. Now that my mom has moved away, we have put a lot of our Danish traditions aside as they really do require people to share them with. But now that we do get to share, I am so excited.

But I have to say that today, I feel more Danish than I have ever felt before. I can't exactly put into words how it feels, but I can explain why I feel this way...

Today I went to the Danish Deli to buy the things we needed for dinner. And for the first time, I was without my Danish speaking mom. I ordered all the things I needed, in Danish. I ordered them all with their proper Danish names all pronounced properly.

I was also so excited that I remembered my favourite danish dessert Kransekage which is an almond paste cookie similar to Marzipan but lighter and less sweet. Danes make wedding cakes out of these cookes when they are baked into rings and stacked like an inverted cone or pine tree shape.

I bought some Danish flag decorations and lots of Danish goodies. I spent an hour weaving some traditional Danish hearts for my dinner guests and bought more paper today so that I can make more still.

Anyway, I wanted to share my joy with you. I feel like today, I have become one with my Danish heritage.

:) God Jul everyone!

100 and then some...

So I finally did it, and only a week longer than my original goal.. I am down more than 100 lbs! Today's official weigh-in was -102 (364lbs) but that part doesn't matter... I am down over 100 and I feel great!

Went to a Christmas party on Saturday... the day I hit -100. It was a lot of fun. Great Big Sea played a 2 hour concert for the party and the cocktail party style buffet dinner was really good. I enjoyed the food, dancing and of course seeing people I haven't seen in a while.

I am also really enjoying Facebook and being able to keep in touch with old friends and to be reminded of some really great memories.

I am almost done my Christmas shopping and the Costco/Ikea trip was a lot quicker and less painful than I anticipated.

Today at lunch I am going to return a book to a store and just hang out with Nancy while she does some shopping. I am so excited that I will one day be able to walk into any number of stores and find clothes that fit but for now, I live vicariously.

I also sent Michelle Schurman from Global TV my weight loss update just to keep her in the loop! I feel like a broken record telling people how much I have lost but then again, I will only experience this once so I might as well enjoy it right?

This week should be interesting. Busy and full of lunches with people I haven't seen in a while. Friday I am working from home or off and in the evening we have the Jul party which will introduce some of our friends to Danish traditions and food :)

Anyway... I will likely post more when something interesting happens this week.. something interesting is bound to happen!

Decisions, Sushi and a Japanese Lucky Cat...

I feel really lucky. I've had a lot of great things happen to me and I have so many wonderful people in my life. I've been lucky to have lunch with or spend time with friends. It is always nice to spend time with great people around the holiday season. It seems like time is so tight that having time with friends is much more special. Next week will be even better because I will get to see some friends I haven't seen in a while. People who haven't seen me since before surgery too!

This week .. well the whole month so far has been chaotic. I can't seem to get things done at work. Too many people busy with too many other things. Its frustrating because I know I am not always at the top of my game, I'm tired more often than I would like to admit and my focus is often scattered. I think I am most frustrated when I feel like I have A.D.D. I feel like everything I have to has to be done all at once and so nothing gets done. I need to relax, to sleep, to centre myself.

I extended my contract at work today. Should be for 6 months. On a new project which is both exciting and daunting. I am excited because it is something different but I am nervous about getting the opportunity to finsh the work I have already. I am working on 3 manuals and the first is taking so long (because of interruptions) that I don't know if they will all get done on time. PLUS now that I have agreed to extend my contract, I have been asked to begin splitting my focus to the new project virtually immediately. With Christmas, business paperwork(taxes), socializing and school work, my brain is numb!

So I don't really have anything to complain about and I am not complaining at all! I work at a company that does have a lot of opportunity even though they can't take me on full time yet. I work with some great people and many of my friends are close enough to where I work that we can meet for lunch or dinner.

Ok back to my day.. I went shopping today. I bought a couple Christmas gifts and 2 pairs of shoes. Nice shoes! Not running shoes! Shoes that require stockings instead of socks! That is exciting for me. I have hated being confined to runners and although the practical and rational part of me has insisted I get orthotics to fit my new stylin shoes, I am proud that I can look like a woman from the knees down too!

So after work, Lauren picked me up, we ran some errands and then went to Kinjo for sushi. Ok I have to emphasize how much I LOVE Kinjo! We sat at the sushi bar because the regular tables were full. I didn't mind because we weren't planning on staying long. We ordered the stuff we couldn't get off the floating boats (sashimi and raw oysters) and picked some items off the boats. Our server (I think the owner's son and oh so handsome...) took care of us... Gave us our free samples and the boxes of pocky that have become routine.

We finished up with what we planned but we've finally learned our lesson that if Peter Kinjo(the owner) is around, we have to leave a little extra room for whatever he gives us for free.. this time it was a tempura basket (2 shrimp and 3 vegetable). After finishing that, we got our bill and headed to the cashier.

While I was paying, Peter showed up and asked me how I was doing. I told him how great I feel and that I've lost 98 lbs. He was so happy for me. He walked over to his cabinet (where he keeps his special pocky treats - chocolate almond flavored etc..) and then stopped, said "hold on I have something special for you" and ran to the back.. When he came back he had a little ceramic kitty figurine. He put it on the counter and told me that when I lose 100lbs, to shake it and wish for whatever my heart desires to come true. He told me about how in Japan, cats in the house are lucky and bring wealth and luck to the home. The figurine is so cute and it really means a lot to me when people share their culture with me like that. I gave Peter 2 hugs and then we headed home.

So my day has been pretty good! Overall good. I need to relax and let my mind sort out what my priorities are but overall good.

On another topic, as I mentioned in my previous post, I am thinking more about dating and putting myself out there into the social scene more. With that said, I have also been seeking the advice from single and married men and women I know. I feel like I have no idea what the hell I am doing when it comes to dating and it seems like since it has been so long, I am putting too much emphasis on particular guys rather than just keeping things open. With that said, I am still not sure where/how I am supposed to meet these potential eligible men and how I am supposed to get them to notice me. Any advice is welcome as usual. I am enjoying being on the receiving end of advice for a change. I almost forgot how much harder it is to receive advice than it is to give.

I am still struggling with my body image. Nancy said it best... "Pia, you're not as big as you think you are". I remember looking at myself in the mirror at work and as if the mirror itself was liquid, my body shrunk right before my eyes. It was as if my own perception caught up with my weight loss finally. It was freaky but a huge blessing at the same time. I was able to finally admit that I really have no concept of my body and unless someone my exact size (height & weight) is in front of me, I may never understand how big I am. But then, does it matter at all??

So for now, I am going to do my best to keep doing my best. I will keep my options open with dating (I refuse to pay $80 for a speed dating session). I will get through Christmas, start acting and choir next year and let 2008 be the year I get out there and start living my life to the fullest. I've developed myself on the inside and now it is time to work on getting out there.. being the active person I have always wanted to be.

I hope you have a fantastic Christmas and New Year. I am not sure what I will be doing for New Years Eve this year but I know it will be something good. Even being at home with the kitties is good. I could use the break.