The Ramblings of a Mental Meanderthal

A friend at SparkPeople blogged about visualization. She laughed at that because she's always been fat, and she can't imagine what she'd look like if she was more slender. I haven't been thin since I was eleven, so I have no idea what I'd look like. I have dreams of coming out of this having a body like Joan Blondell's or Betty Grable's (though to be realistic, she's a little petite). Curvy, a little plump, and hourglass-ish. I love vintage clothing -- styles from the 1910s, 1940s, and 1950s especially -- and I want to make some of those outfits for myself. Dad's family genes make me worry (we're narrow of shoulder and heavy in the bum and hips), but I'm hoping Mom's genes are strong enough that I still have a rack two or three years from now. One good thing is that I do have legs. Big, but curvy. If all else fails, I will still have my legs to fall back on. Compliments about my looks (as a whole or anything specific) over the la

I'm used to being alone. I've always liked it, even when I was a baby. I am a social animal like everyone else, but efforts to be social has usually led to me being by myself again (either excluded or overwhelmed). I've spent the last decade sitting in front of the computer, writing stories and blogging and socializing via the Internet. Not the best way to conduct my life. Then came Max, lots of dates, and having conversations with someone without our computers connecting us. It's been scary and delightful, and I've never been happier, even though I am the personification of insecurity. But I'm a little less insecure after a year of this, and acceptance from one source has given me the courage to think that maybe I don't have to be a cringing mess for the rest of my life. Not that everything's perfect. After several months of having more of a life than just LiveJournal, the solitary beast within has thrown back its head and howled, I can haz alone

My nieces (Boo's 13 and Squirt is 6) and I made these yummy gems last night. The recipe is another of Bakerella's creations, and the recipe is here: http://www.bakerella.com/upcake-decorating-101/ It doesn't matter what kind of cupcake you start with. I had a white cake mix, and we added blue food coloring to the batter to make it a nice sky blue. We omitted the white sanding sugar, though. And as you can see, I didn't find the confetti that the recipe's creators used. Mine are more like mini jawbreakers or rainbow-colored ball bearings. Boo and I did the bulk of the work -- she'd never separated an egg before, so that was a chance to show her something new -- but we included Squirt whenever we could. VERDICT: Very good, indeed! It was worth all the effort (and all the cleanup) to see the look on Boo's face when she understood where it got its name: UP cake. She chortled for at least five minutes. I must be more circumspect about what foods I bring i