Just Pissed Off

I've got some good things going on in my life right now, but that still doesn't stop me from, in general, just being pissed off.

I officially began Nutrisystems on September 2nd, but it took me two days to quit snacking on what was in my kitchen, so I really began it on September 4th. On September 11, I weighed and had lost 8 pounds in 11 days, so it appears to be working fabulously so far. The food, with the exception of Turkey Tetrazinni which totally sucks (I spit it out right off and fed it to Reggie, who would eagerly eat rotting crap), is amazingly tasty even with the total absence of any fat. My order arrived in perfect condition, on time, and with no mistakes. I received my re-order notice today and it gives me plenty of time to amend my standing menu selections before shipping out on September 23. Yes, I will be deleting Turkey Tetrazinni and making other changes, like bulking up on some of my faves.

Oh, and the best part was that I received almost $50 off my first month and was almost shocked to see that I get that discount every month! So, a month of food is $259 instead of the $300+ that it usually sells for.

For me, the Nutrisystems approach works well. It's calorie-based, but only in part. The other thrust is on portion control. The food is low-carb, low-fat and high-fiber. My biggest fear was that the food would be awful, but I can tell you it is incredibly tasty. Plus, it is easy to prepare. Most entrees are either microwaveable or oven-heatable. The entrees that resemble TV dinners are ones that I heat in the microwave and they take about 1.5 minutes. I usually heat the pizzas in our handy dandy toaster oven because they just taste better heated that way, and that takes all of 5 minutes once the oven heats up.

The deserts are delish, and the chocolate-y ones taste almost like I am cheating. There is a large assortment of breakfast foods, even without selecting any cereals (which is almost a third of the selections). I'm lactose-intolerant, so I avoided ordering the cereals, but I did end up using a little milk to prepare the pancakes and they were quite tasty. Don't know yet if I will continue getting the pancakes because we don't always keep milk in the house, but right now my breakfast fave is the apple streudel pastry, so I'd be happy eating that every day.

I do wish they'd include more snack foods. For me that's the hard thing, when I'm just hungry and need a little something. Right now, since I'm so overweight, I can easily add 500-1000 calories a day to the Nutrisystem foods and still lose. This is what I was doing to lose the 8 pounds in 10 days with 2 days of outright cheating with fast food. I plan to go to the grocery store shortly and buy some Lean Cuisines to supplement my daily menu. I also plan to buy some low-calorie or low-fat or reduced-calorie ice cream sandwiches, whatever they have. I've been dreaming of ice cream sandwiches. I guess cuz it is summer and hot. And it's chocolate-y. I've put off going til now because I have been doing research online about which grocery store foods are best for me to buy, and that has been taking a while.

So, lots to be happy about in that dept, but it still sorta pisses me off to have to do so much work. And in my online crafts world, I've been pissed off lately at how it seems that everywhere I turn I am bombarded with people selling stuff. Workshops and online tutorials and etsy out my ass. If most of these folks were awesomely talented, that would be one thing. But, seriously, I am not lying, it looks like most of the new ones I've seen recently aren't even as talented as I am!

The Urban Dictioary defines the word shister as "One who speaks bullshit fluently in order to fool people out of money or other possesions". I think that applies to the people I'm talking about.

I kid you not, I'm a member of an art journaling ning group, and one of the leaders over there had listed a link to her blog in a post, so I go over there to check it out and she's got a page spread from her journal that a five year old could have done a better job on. She took a few pastel crayons and drew stacked horizontal lines on the lefthand side. Without glasses on, I would have thought they were children's picture books stacked up, okay? Then, on the righthand side of the spread, she has an arrow pointing to the lines and she has scrawled a sentence about it.

I almost posted a nasty comment to her right then, but I controlled myself somehow. I mean, come on. Then, I look in her sidebar, and she actually collects money teaching you to make those kind of pages in an online workshop! I became very obsessed for a while wishing I knew how many idiots signed up for that. Then I decided that it would really be much better if I didn't know that. I do think it's fair to say I'll probably be leaving that ning very soon. I can't hang with people I've zero respect for, especially while others are fawning all over them. Yuck.

Stuff like this just increases my core belief that commercial art corrupts. Michael de Meng had a great post a few months back about how the real artist needs to give back far more than he/she appears to be getting. To actually work towards that end. That maybe it would make commerical art less corruptible if everyone did that. And the some who do that are true gems. It's the shisters who think they can just walz in, start up a ning or workshop, and then pronounce themselves artist and make it come true. They just piss me off.

de Meng didn't mean for artists to count the hours running a website or blogging or returning email as giving back. Oh no. He meant actually GIVING people artistic gifts. Like freebies. To quit metering out what you give and just give it! Quit trying to grab the nickel. Quit looking at EVERYTHING you do as a money-making opportunity, because you are an artist and that's what separates you from a businessman who sells art.

Finally, I'm pissed off at Democrats and Republicans both, as usual. The Dems, more so, as usual. I've taken lately to calling our House Speaker Nazi Pelosi. I think it has a nice ring to it. She makes me want to vomit every time I have to pay attention to her. She also makes me very ashamed as a woman.

Of course, Mr. Obama continues to disappoint, and that disappointment is now being compounded by how he thinks he can just suddenly say a few nice words about Dubya after years of horrid insults. By how stupid he think s we all are, that we'd believe he's actually sincere? That he can instruct his little dog Biden to do it, too, and it's supposed to be sincere? Obama continues to amaze me by his immature and childish hudspuh. I am no fan of any Bush, but Obama's incessant and unceasing blaming of Dubya for everything wrong would stop any mature and reasonable individual from then brazenly spouting false complement in a few 9/11 speeches to audiences filled with Dubya fans. OMGosh, can we say transparently hipocritical, too? But, you know, that's Mr. Obama. He and his are in their own little world, lavishly detailed by fairyland babble, and that must be the way he likes it. My stupid father, ever the loyal yell-dog idiot Democrat, frets that he must have bad advisors. Every time I hear that, I bust out laughing, like yeah, that explains it. I think, you wish. What I actually reply is, yes I agree, he does have bad advisor and he chose them and he knows it because he agrees with them. So, who's responsible, Dad? Seeing the light of day is so hard for some people.

I was irritated by Michelle Obama's Let Them Eat Cake Spain tour, irritated by Arizona being sued instead of being helped, irritated by the piss-poor handling of the Gulf oil spill, and this week I've been irritated by Obama's attack on John Boehner. Personally, I don't think Boehner made any mistake by noting that he wouldn't vote against a tax cut for middle Americans. He compromised. That's what it is called and that is what we need right now. And this is why I'm pissed off at the GOP because the smart thing to have done would have been not to disassemble into catfighting among yourselves when one member of the group says something you do not particularly like. No, you maintain group unity at all costs. So, when the Wall Street Journal wonders if John Boehner is ready for prime time, I'm wondering if the GOP is instead. 

Not that the GOP's stupidity really makes any difference. This is small potatoes compared to the fecal mess that "Nazi" , Obama and their cohorts have created. The GOP is the only option right now for November, and that is coming from an independent moderate. The Democrats must be voted out of their misery as soon as possible. We have a two-party system and sometimes both of the parties are crap. There is no room for idealism in reality. Voting for the lesser evil is the reality here, especially since so many of you la-la land idiot toadies voted for Obama and put us in this place. Remember that as you are paying your increased medical premiums and/or still hoping to be covered by any insurance that you thought you'd have by now expecially since we are all paying more. K?

And yes, might as well piss you off, too. Misery loves company. ;-)))