So I wrote a blog several moments ago titled “Cryptic.” It had several paragraphs that were full of nothing but sadness and despair…or at least a lot of nasty venting. The computer promptly dumped that blog and made me try another (apparently upbeat one). So here goes…

My kharma in this life is instant. Some people do or say or think bad things and never really know when they are being bitten back for those deeds. I nearly ALWAYS know when I’ve done wrong by the universe. A blog will get dumped, a toe stubbed, an elbow cracked against the side of a doorframe…an elaborate stumble in front of people (or not), a contact lens popping out or being lost…all of these acts generally happen right before, during or directly after a nasty thought, word or deed. Thankfully, I don’t run around with too much nastiness in my life, so the universe is typically giving gifts and love rather than punishments.

I think that this instant kharma that I’ve forever experienced is one of the reasons why the BTD fits so well into my life. There are instant repercussions for eating avoids and bennies. Different avoids cause different reactions to varying degrees of severity…just as some bennies are more bennie than others. For example, chicken and corn are two that throw my body into a mess. Chicken makes my joints ache and my boobs hurt (think PMS girls). Corn bloats my entire body and makes me feel sluggish and headachy. Bennies like cherries, blueberries, parsley, garlic, greens, sweet potatoes and tuna make my blood sing. There is a virtual symphony of amazing things that happen in my body after consuming these particular bennies (not all together of course!). I feel instantly brighter (smart and light!), happier, stronger, younger and more playful. I call them (esp. tuna steaks) my superfoods because if I’m dragging, a small portion of these will provide the best pick-me-up known to humanity.

I’ve got to cut this blog off abruptly here my dear BTD fellows. That last bad blog stole time from this one that I cannot spare (boo…). I have gotten your communications and LOVE THEM!! I will be responding this week (still trying to straighten out the schedule) to all of you either here in these pages or via personal e-mail. In the meantime, have a fantastic week, find your superfoods and enjoy! May YOUR blood sing too!

Until next time…be well…

Hey y’all…it’s been a spot of time since I’ve last written and things haven’t been any less hectic. I’m still okay (read: oh-kay-ay-why)…but certainly have been better. I really must stick to the BTD (have been highly compliant for the most part) to maintain mental clarity and physical wellness. I truly am looking to find a simplicity for my life. I understand that this is the goal for many of us…and I wouldn’t mind making it happen for me. Unfortunately, as those of you wiser than myself know…life has a sneaky way of mucking that up for us and throwing obstacles in front of every path…just to make the journey more tricky.

Bitter, party of one…right here! Geez…if I could be any more cryptic, I just might send you (or myself!) screaming from the computer screen!!

Okay, on less sadly reflective notes…parsley soup rules! Sleeping in one’s own bed with the featherbed fluffed rocks! Waking up and talking face to face with one’s bestest friend in the whole world for a couple of hours is beyond compare! Swimming in the liquid at one’s “home-base” pool soothes the soul! Talking on the cell phone whilst driving on the freeway b/c it’s legal kicks butt! Cranking the Blues real loud and forgetting one’s worries for a few songs is better than a shot of whiskey! And of course…remembering what is REAL and IMPORTANT and SANE in the world keeps one centered.

Cheers to Southern California. Cheers to the Northeast. Cheers to finding "home" wherever I wander across this planet. And of course, cheers to you, dear BTD dieters and friends. Thank goodness for you allowing me to bare only the parts of my soul that I wish to bare in this private, public place!

Be well and smile…

Hey y'all...how's it shakin'? Things here are pretty good, I'm blogging from the home of my cousin in New Hampshire and we are having a fine time (he and his wife have twin girls...2 years old...so much fun and energy, it's great!). I know that shellfish generally aren't bennies for us AB's...but I had lobster for the first time last night and it was so yummy! My 'cuz showed me how to steam it (hard thing for an ex-veggie to watch), crack it and eat it! BTW--I had monkfish (AB bennie) for the first time last week at Mom's House and it was yummy...I'm told that monkfish is "poor man's lobster," so that'll be a more staple item (for the purse and body!). Being back on the East Coast is so satisfying, I can't yet articulate it properly, but it's one of those things that the soul just knows is "right."

I've been pretty compliant with yummy blueberries, lots of parsley soup, seafood, spinach, collard greens and rice. We grilled turkey a few days ago and it was simply divine! I still haven't gotten to a pool as often as I'd like, but the family time is good too. I'll shoot for a nice long walk later (perhaps pushing a stroller for extra resistance!!). We are planning on going to the coast tomorrow (raining today), and my body is longing for that tangy Atlantic sea air...sigh...

Until next time...take care of you and be well dear BTD'ers

Yes, folks, it’s true…t-mobile saves the day!! The new (super-speedy-ultra-cool-very-snazzy) laptop is now fully functional and ON-LINE!! All I have to do is sneak away from the family responsibilities and get to a “hot spot.” Yahoo…so…once again, I promise to you more frequent blog entries…for whatever my flimsy promises are worth!!

Okay, on the BTD front. Life is compliant and happy…yippee…that grocery shopping earlier in the week has paid off as I’ve been the primary “cook” at the ole’ homestead. No one is the wiser if I prepare AB compliant foods, and as I’ve had no complaints thus far, the compliance will continue. (I do have to confess however, all this “hotspotting” at Border’s led to the consumption of a lemon bar yesterday and a chocolate chip cookie today. And, if I’m baring my soul here…I made popcorn last night and ate the WHOLE BOWL!!) Back to the happy compliance notes, I also got into the pool today at SUNY Albany and it felt GOOD with capital gee double-oh dees!

I’m off road tripping this weekend down to Scranton, PA for an early afternoon wedding (Saturday) and on to Baltimore, MD for an evening wedding (also Saturday). I’m going to fill a cooler with water, compliant fruits and cut up veggies so that my snacking consists of HB and Ns. We AB’s can also enjoy PB & J sandwiches…my favorite road trip food!! So if I don’t get to a hot spot Friday, have a wonderful weekend y’all and look for me on Monday!

Happy eating and be well…

Dear BTD'ers and friends...to describe to you the sheer lunacy of my situation would mean turning the world on it's head, dancing naked by the light of a crescent moon and offering sacrificial mustard greens to the barely benevolent gods of all things that go bump in the night.

Or maybe I'm over-reacting. A lot.

There's a quote in ER4YT describing us AB fiends (yes, fiends...) as having "a spiritual, somewhat flaky nature that embraces all aspects of life without being particularly aware of the consequences" (p. 225). That's real nice...but oh so true, at least for me. Obviously I'm not an irresponsible person; I'm an excellent teacher, a good friend and a loyal companion who'll back you up when other's might leave. However, I am a flake.

Hullo, my name is Amanda, and I am a flake. It has been three weeks since my last meeting...

To me, being a flake is fun b/c I get to try all of the things that capture my interest, and grant myself full permission to leave them behind when I'm diverted to another course, with the caveat that I can returen to them at will. This goes for food, conversation, travel, hobbies--you name it. I used to do it to people, but grew up a bit and became more sensitive to others feelings.

Anyhow, how does this apply to the lunacy mentioned near the top of this blog? Well, I'm "home," meaning Mom's House helping to take care of some pretty bad family health issues. The situation is worse than I expected in some ways, and better in others. My primary concern (after the PRIMARY concern) is to keep me well.

So of course I forgot my BTD stuff in Cali.

My flaky nature does not permit a huge memory capacity for bennies and avoids, so I picked up ER4YT and LR4TY at the library. So, if you read the blog below this one, you know that I had a few avoids last week, but went to the market myself and have bennies stocked for this week. I've turned on some old buddies in the 'hood to ER4TY...so we may have some new converts to the legions soon... Until next time (whenever and wherever that may be!)...be well, stay compliant and smile!

Oh! I forgot, another good quote, this one out of LR4YT: "...add life to our years and years to our life" (p. 326). I hereby announce that I'm stealing this phrase and changing it for you dear readers...

May you all add life to your years and years to your life...