90-Day Weight Loss Challenge

If you read my last post, you saw that according to the fancy-schmancy equipment at Lifetime, my real age is actually 39. That, plus the 90-day weight loss challenge I'm in the midst of, are inspiring me to get off my duff and go the gym, either before school, or even after a long day at school.

Probably the biggest change the Challenge has inspired is that I'm not eating ALL of the sweets and junk food that is constantly at school. I weighed in for the challenge on Monday, Aug. 9, starting at 154 pounds.

I weighed yesterday, and I'm down to 150. Not a ton, obviously, but it's a start. The person who loses the largest percentage of weight wins $250 Lifetime dollars, which can be used for lots of things at the club (like personal trainer appointments and stuff like that). Not too shabby.

I missed the kickoff party because I had something else I had to do that day, so I have no idea who else or how many other people are even in the club contest. I guess I'll just have to toil in solitude, competing against myself instead of trying to measure up to other people in the challenge.

I've been doing some weights workouts that I've not done before. Meeting with the trainer really helped with that kind of stuff. I'm also swimming and doing some workouts besides just running. It's a little tough to fit it in, because we are planning to run the KC Half Marathon in the fall, so I have to keep my running miles up, but try other exercises at the same time.

We'll see how it goes. I'll try to keep you posted. The gal at the gym did shoot a before photo of me, but I don't have it to share...

Monday morning caption madness 2

And the winners are...

Even though they technically missed the Wednesday deadline, the winners in the caption contest are Aunt Janet and Kollen! (Thunderous applause)

Best Pop Culture Reference Caption goes to Kollen for:
I gave you my heart, and you give me a crayon?

Best Reading of Body Language Caption to Aunt Janet for:
"Do these polka dots make my butt look big?"

"No, I think its the diaper."

Most young women can relate to that second one, I think!

Thanks to those who played, and look for a more grown-up version of caption madness this week.

Monday morning caption madness

Maybe it's just me, but I think this photo is really funny - their body language interests me. If it strike you funny, too, tell me what you think.

Caption this photo in the comments box below, and I'll pick a winner on Wednesday. That gives you two days to get the creative juices flowing.

Will this sweater win me $1,000?

I don't know, but I'm going to find out. (I hope.)

I bought some yarn the day after Christmas for $1.99 a skein. It just so happens it is Vanna's Choice yarn. Yep, you heard that right - the queen of spokesmodels (or letter turners) has her own line of Lion Brand yarn.

Lion and Michael's are co-sponsoring a contest for anything knit with Vanna's Choice yarn. The deadline is Feb. 1, so I better get knitting. I was going to knit the sweater for Adam anyway, so this just gives me a deadline date to shoot for.

In that photo, you're looking at the back. The front has a single cable that runs vertically from the bottom ribbing up to the crewneck. It's not the most exciting pattern, but I had chosen it and begun to work it up, when Mitzi sent me a link about the contest. I figured that you probably had to have your own original pattern, but the rules state that you can submit something from a pattern book, which is what I'm doing. Entries will be judged on creativity and workmanship, and there are 32 prizes.

We'll see what happens.

Here's a photo of my finished duct tape bag from the other night. It makes a great tote for lots of things. I used it to take my knitting project to Betsy's yesterday. The only change I'd make is to use stronger staples next time. I'll have to put them on the shopping list.

Knitted Christmas

So far, the handknit/handmade Christmas extravaganza is going quite well. I've finished five gifts, and I'm working on my two Secret Snowflake gifts for the publications gift exchanges at school. I'm not going the handknit route for Adam. He spends so much time shopping online for electronics and random junk that we don't need, that I'm pretty sure he'd divorce me if I said "Merry Christmas, baby. Have these handknit socks."

Actually, he'd probably like them, but I'm sure he'll like other things better!

And no, I will not be posting photos of the five finished gifts. Their prospective owners are readers of the blog. No Christmas spoilers here.

Two days left this week, then two days next week before finals. Fall semester is winding down.

Thanks to Betsy, Rachel, Dave, Andrea, Mike and Aunt Janet for donating to DreamsWork. I'll be doing the drawing this weekend. Betsy has graciously removed her name from the running since she won the charity drawing last year. So, the rest of you have a damn good chance of winning!

Eyes are dry, and I'm a little sleepy, so that's it for tonight's update. I have some photos I need to post, but I can't find the stupid card reader. I'll work on that this weekend.

Help a sister out.

That's my sister, Jayne, at Dreams Work. She goes there each day during the week so that she can get out of the house and experience enrichment activities.

Dreams Work offers day services for severely disabled adults who have graduated from local schools at the age of 21. When Jayne was preparing to graduate, my mom knew that she would need services, so that she would continue to learn and grow like she did in school. As my mom usually does, she spearheaded the effort to start Dreams Work, so that Jayne and others like her would have a place to go each day. It was quite the effort - fundraising, grant writing, looking for a building that could be the facility, more fundraising, searching for activities for the clients to participate in each day.

The goal of Dreams Work is to improve the quality of life for adults with special needs, assist caregivers with the challenges of providing care for disabled adults, and to provide hope for people with disabilities. As you can see by the photo of Jayne, she really enjoys her time spent there each day, and getting to see her friends every day.

This Wednesday, Dreams Work, Inc., will celebrate its seventh anniversary. Kansas Medicaid provides monies for clients to attend Dreams Work, but that money barely covers the cost of staffing Dreams Work. In order to continue to provide enrichment, private donations are becoming even more important.

Would you help me honor my sister and my mom by celebrating Dreams Work's seventh birthday by donating? It's easy to do - just go to the Dreams Work website. On the top right, there is a donate link. All you have to do is click there and enter your information. The donation is tax-deductible, and everyone who donates after reading this post will be entered into a drawing for a handknit scarf and hat - perfect for this time of year. (I will custom-make the set for you - in your chosen colors, and it can be made for a man or woman.)

The Chittum Files averages about 40 readers each day, so if each reader donates just $7 (for the seventh anniversary), that's $280.

If everyone donates $17, that's $680.

If everyone donates $27, that's $1,080!

If I could talk you into $70, that would be $2,800!

I know that it's tough this time of year, and especially in this economy, to find the extra money to donate, but if you could you would really be making a difference in the lives of people like my sister, and you just might help make it possible for Dreams Work to stay open for another seven years.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. It really means a lot to my family and I. Please consider adding Dreams Work to your list of charitable donations each year. We're small, so we don't have the marketing machine (or money!) that most of your well-known charities have, so it's all a grass-roots effort. Every little bit helps.

On this Independence Day, I DEMAND A RECOUNT!

Go see this slideshow to see the entries in the Dress A Dog contest. We didn't even get Honorable Mention!

I'll say it before you can - yes, I am a sore loser!

Some of them are pretty cute.

Think about these little darlings as you're chowing down later this afternoon.



Carmen says: Happy 4th!

VH1derful...and other random musings

Last night, before we went out to celebrate Sage's 24th birthday, we got sucked in to "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s" on VH1. I swear, it's lucky for me that VH1 broadcasts crap like "Rock of Love with Bret Michaels" and "Scott Baio is 46 and Pregnant" because that's about the only time I actually turn off that channel. That schlock allows me to get up and actually get some constructive things done during the day.

We recorded the Top 10 songs last night because we had to go. Adam and I discussed what we thought would be number one. My choice for what "they" would say the top song is was "Smells Like Teen Spirit." My PERSONAL choice for top song of the 90s is "Alive" by Pearl Jam. Pearl Jam was in the Top 10, but it was "Jeremy." A great song, but just doesn't spark the same feeling as "Alive."

How good am I? "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was, in fact, the number one song. The other great thing about watching those countdown shows is that they help shore up my knowledge base for Extreme Team Trivia. (So, we'll call it RESEARCH.)

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Here's the progress on the Relay For Life prize scarf. It's knit in a "faggoting pattern." I don't make up the names, I just knit the stitches. Mitzi is working on a scarf in the same pattern, with different yarn, so that's why I decided to try this pattern, too.

It's lacy, so even though it's knit from wool, it won't be superheated around your neck. Thanks to those of you who have entered the contest so far. To see what the contest is about, and enter, click here.


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I'm headed over to Mom's today so she can help me sew a few new sweater bags. We found some great wool at the Salvation Army last week, and I'm excited to see how they turn out. I made a new red tech cozy out of one of the sweaters last night. It's posted to Etsy.

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And last but not least, a snippet from last night's festivities. Maybe instead of football and basketball coaching, these guys ought to be cheer coaches?

The first annual ChittumFiles Contest for a Good Cause - Entry Deadline Feb. 10

See this pretty yarn? It could be yours - in scarf form, in just a few short weeks...


I am participating on a faculty team for BVHS's Relay For Life on Feb. 22 and 23. Some of you may be familiar with Relay for Life. It's a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Relay is the signature nationwide activity of ACS. Throughout the night, my teammates and I will walk the track. Cancer never sleeps, and neither will we.

Cancer has touched so many people in our lives: family members, friends, co-workers. Adam and I will be participating in honor of his mom, Vicki, who has so courageously fought through breast cancer this year. Research funded by the ACS has helped make great strides in the treatment of this disease.

Here's where the contest comes in: Each blog commenter who pledges to donate at least $10 to the cause will be eligible to win a drawing for a handknit scarf made of this Paton's Soy with Stripes yarn. Post a comment, let me know you're up for it (you don't need to mention your amount on the comment), and I'll e-mail you with information on how to donate. I would like to have all checks collected by Feb. 10, so that I can turn them in to my team captain, Manal. Our team goal is for each person to raise $100, but I know the readers of the ChittumFiles can do better than that.

Thanks in advance for your support. Your donation is tax deductible, and you will receive documentation from the ACS to acknowledge the donation.

If you have any questions, e-mail me at thechittumfiles at gmail dot com (type it in with no spaces between the username words).

The winner of the contest will be announced on Feb. 22 (the date of Relay) and your scarf will be mailed the Monday following the event.