Versatile Blogger Award

On the night that I am finally confirmed on Networked Blogs as the author of my very own blog, I received an unrelated Facebook message from my friend, Lisa. She bestowed upon me the "Versatile Blogger Award" as part of a blogasphere tradition.

Very cool.

The award comes with the following requirements:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award
2. Share seven (7) things about yourself
3. Pass the award on to other versatile bloggers (limit ten)
4. Let those bloggers know that you gave them the award
5. List those blogs in your blog

Sounds simple enough.

The Thank You Speech

Thank you! Oh, thank you! I can hardly believe this! There are so many people to thank, but I have to mention the ONE person, who made this all possible...Lisa Ramsey. What can you say about her except that she is just Lisa(www.itsjustlisa.com). She has been running alongside me on this weight loss journey. Well, I'm really walking, but this girl can RUN! She sits to my right eating a dry English muffin with jelly and drinking her coffee from McDonald's every Saturday morning at our WW meeting. She challenges me to reach my goals and she holds me accountable. She encouraged me to blog. Thanks, Lisa!

Seven Things About Me

1. I love the show, Who Do You Think You Are? I am fascinated with my ancestry and would love to follow my mother's lineage back to England (the Hollingsworth name) or my father's side of the family back to Scotland (the Glennys). Or to find out what really happened to my dad's father, who was injured in the war and received a Purple Heart.

2. I love the beach. Putting my toes in the sand and sitting by the ocean all day long.

3. Fresh, baked cookies are my downfall. I still remember these frozen mini chocolate chip cookies that my mom used to bake for us after school. They had the best flavor and I've never been able to find them since. I wish that I could remember the brand name.

4. I cry at Folger's commercials.

5. I am going to be the Wedding Coordinator for our church. I love the movie, The Wedding Planner with Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey. I also scheduled April 29th as a vacation day so that I can watch Prince William and Kate Middleton get married. I remember in 1981 gathering around the big console television set with my mom and sisters with our sleeping bags and pillows watching Lady Di walk down the aisle. I am looking forward to watching another royal wedding. But will I wear a big hat? Maybe.

6. I like to play Bunco and eat fondue with friends.

7. Until last year, I never knew another Shannon. Now I am happily surrounded by them.

And the award goes to...

These are the three blogs besides Lisa's that I read on a daily basis. These bloggers make me think, laugh, cry and reflect. I would like to pass the Versatile Blogger Award to the following recipients:

In A Mirror Dimly - http://inamirrordimly.net

Juggling Buckets - http://jugglingbuckets.wordpress.com

Everyday People - http://sbrownehr.com

The Scrapbookers, Produce Man and Avocados

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

Today, at the grocery store, I walked up to the produce man at Giant Eagle and said, "I just want you to know that you picked out two of the best avocados for me last Saturday. Thank you so much!" A surprised smile appeared on his face and he responded, "Just doing my job, ma'am. You just let me know if you ever need my help again." Sometimes, you just need to take a moment and thank those who put that extra special touch on things.

I always try to take time to recognize people when they least expect to be recognized and yet, I am always surprised when someone does the same for me.

So, I just have to share that I had a really great day today because of how two scrapbookers made me feel. It started a few weeks ago, when my friend was scrapbooking. She had met two ladies that attend the WW meetings at Chapel Hill...just like me. She said that she asked them if they knew me and they didn't, but she showed them my picture on FaceBook.

Well, today they came up to me after the meeting. The one lady said, "We don't usually come to this meeting, but we came here to meet you." For just a moment, I felt like a celebrity. It was a pretty nice feeling. They don't know how they made me feel, but I will never forget it. And no, I didn't give them my autograph...they didn't ask!

All kidding aside, I look forward to talking with them more. Actually, the scrapbooker ladies gave me the shot of motivation that I needed to get back on track. I've been "talking" about it for weeks, but I took out a brand new journal and started tracking my food intake again. I turned to the On Demand Exercise channel and I did a 30 minute Fatburn Cardio Workout and even broke a sweat! So, thank you ladies for making me feel special for that moment because it was exactly what I needed!

Cardio Fat Blast

I heard about this channel that has exercise ON DEMAND. Who demands exercise? Certainly not me.

I was scrolling through the 10 minute workout options and came across Cardio Fat Blast. The description for the workout is as follows: "Need to lose those stubborn pounds, but just don't have the time?" Yes, yes that is me! "Denise Austin shares the perfect health and fitness plan for anyone who wants to live better and lose weight without spending hours in the gym."

This was the one. I hit select and off we went. I heard terms like "plyometrics" and "burpees." It was a pretty intense 10 minutes and certainly got my heart rate up.

It is a fun little channel if you get a chance check it out. Now, I wonder what this Zumba Calypso is all about?

A Flat Tire

I have a flat tire.

A flat tire is a deflated pneumatic tire. This may cause the rim of the wheel to ride on the tire tread or the ground, and may result in loss of control of the vehicle or irreparable damage to the tire and wheel.

The most common cause is puncturing of the tire by a sharp object thereby letting air out. Depending on the size of the hole, the tire may deflate slowly or rapidly. While some flattened tires, particularly those caused by a slow leak, can be repaired and re-inflated with air, others, especially those from worn tread, must be completely replaced.

My tire was rolling along fine until last November when Weight Watchers changed their plan. Slowly, but surely the air in my tire started to leak. I’ve been riding on this deflating tire for a couple months now and starting to lose control of my vehicle, also known as my body. The weight is slowly coming back on.

How can I continue to drive along on this weight loss journey with a flat tire?

When a flat tire occurs, drivers are advised to slow down gradually and pull off the road in a safe place as soon as possible. Continuing to drive after a tire becomes flat may be extremely hazardous. If there is any chance of patching a leak and restoring a tire, it will be diminished if the car continues to be driven. Continuing to drive may also cause damage to the wheel, the hub assembly, or other parts of the vehicle since they can come into contact with the road surface.

Driving with a flat tire, especially at higher speeds, is dangerous. Since controlling the vehicle becomes more difficult, this may result in a serious accident.

So what do I do to repair this flat without doing harm to all that I have accomplished?

Motor vehicles are normally equipped with a kit necessary for changing a flat tire. These include a jack, a tire iron and a spare tire. The most common way to repair a flat tire at the side of the road is to use a canned tire inflator, also known as "fix-a-flat". This is a can filled with a liquid that is propelled using compressed air inside the can into the tire via a flexible tube attached to the valve stem. Once inside the tire, the liquid is forced towards the puncture and will block the hole created by the puncture.

What is in my Weight Watcher’s kit that will help me fix this flat tire of mine? This basic kit includes the following: willpower, portion control, strong support system, a pencil, my food journal, making better food choices, accountability on the scale, daily activity and attending the meetings.

One disadvantage of patching a tire is that due to the process requiring one to remove the tire from the wheel, the tire must be balanced again when it is put back on the wheel. Tires can leak air due to a variety of reasons. Also worth mentioning is the fact that tires simply lose air over time. Even a brand new tire, properly inflated, will lose air even with no punctures present.

The best way to avoid a flat tire is to avoid situations favorable to tire punctures. If you happen to be stuck with a flat tire and are unable to change the spare tire yourself, or encounter other problems with your vehicle that leave you stuck at the side of the road, it's always a good idea to have a membership to, and carry a card for an auto club, or a roadside assistance agency. In this case…Weight Watchers.

Most drivers face a flat at least a few times in their lives. Although it can be daunting the first time you attempt it, changing a flat tire is not difficult. Almost anyone can do it in less than 15 minutes – less time than it usually takes for a tow truck to arrive. Let’s hope that I can repair my tire because if you get a flat tire, it doesn’t mean that you slash the other three tires on the car. You fix it and drive on ahead.