New Cell Number

Hi guys! I changed my phone number today. If you're a friend and want the new info, email me and I'll get that new number to you.

Love, Mer xx

Day 9, Master Cleanse

Well, it's Day 9 of my master cleanse. I don't know if it's because I have spent the last 48 hours getting berated by the wicked witch of the Middle East, or what, but I simply haven't been hungry! I have had to force myself even to consume the lemonade (which Lauren calls Beyonce Lemonade, since Beyonce recently made this fast more mainstream...)! I'm getting excited about the prospect of eating again, but have no intentions of breaking the fast early. I'm in this to the end! :)

So far, I've lost about 11 pounds and 7 inches between my bust, waist, and hips. Most of my clothes aren't fitting, so I'm going to either have to buy a bunch of stuff, or do some serious alterations! This weekend, the POS is gathering to celebrate Kerry's conclusion of student teaching - we're all super proud of her! And that night will be the first day of being able to imbibe and eat, so I'm pretty jazzed. I think I should treat myself to a new dress!

Check out today's horoscope:

Instead of focusing so much on what would make you happier, spend some time thinking about what makes you unhappy -- whether it's the way a certain person treats you, your love handles or those dishes in the sink. Once you identify those targets, you can fix them -- and make yourself happier! So talk to that person, beef up your exercise routine and start cleaning up. Your happiness is in your hands.

That's great advice. I have communicated my thoughts and the unabashed truth to a certain someone that makes me unhappy, and hopefully that part of my life is put to rest now. I really, really hope so!

Hope everyone's doing well. Love, Mer

My Favorite Artist - Frida Kahlo

Ever since I was a kid, and wrote a report on Frida Kahlo, I've been fascinated with her work. She's definitely my favorite artist of all time, and I even dressed up as her for Halloween one year (which was pretty funny, because she's known for her unibrow, which I drew in)!

Looks like her work is going to be at the Museum of Fine Arts Palace for several months in Mexico City this summer, as it would have been Frida's 100th birthday this year. I wish I could go SO BADLY - it would be amazing to see over 350 of her original paintings in person...

But meanwhile, here are a few samples of her most famous paintings. Obviously, most of her works were self portraits - she was in a very serious accident which left her badly injured, and went through a great deal of trauma in her life. This was the way that she healed her heart - painting.

I hope you enjoy these pictures. Love, Mer

Weekend Update

Made it to Day SEVEN, people!

Wow, what a journey it’s been to get through this master cleanse. I can’t believe I’m on Day Seven of the process… Some days have been better than others, I have to admit. And I also have to admit that I cheated just a little, bitty bit. Saturday I had a glass of wine with Suzie, who was in town for a wedding – we had a great glass of wine on the patio of Tower 23, overlooking the ocean and watching the beachgoers walking by. It was the best glass of wine EVER, but I paid the price with a pretty bad headache… And Sunday I had two beers at Prasad’s BARBECUE (read: torture party) to distract myself from the grilled cheeseburgers, homemade hummus and tabouleh, brownies, cookies… ok, I have to stop talking about that now.

In addition to seeing Suzie and attending Prasad’s BBQ, I took Baci went to Dog Beach and the dog park for the first time – he was so totally adorable. He’s so white and furry and left both places totally coated in mud/ dirt. He has no idea that he’s a foofoo designer dog… which is kind of cute.

Right now I’m having some herbal decaf passion tea; the diet says we can have herbal decaf mint tea, so I might be cheating a little bit, but I think I’m probably ok… It’s SO GOOD, though! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Everything smells so good right now, I can only imagine that when I’m able to indulge again, food is going to taste unbelievably good.

On a hideously low note, my divorce finances have finally completely screwed me. I have gotten sued and my wages are being garnished for every penny of discretionary income I have. And this is just for ONE loan! Pretty soon you’re going to find me living in a cardboard box at the corner of Loser Street and Crap Avenue. Thanks Jason. You rock!

Sheesh, I may need to stay on this fast long term so I can afford to eat!!! Ai yi yi... Mer

Master Cleanse, Day THREE!

This blog has really turned more into a diary than an interesting collection of postings, so for that, I apologize. But it’s cathartic for me, so thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts.

Hey, check out my horoscope today. Isn’t it promising? I hope it’s true!

You are definitely due for some major changes in your life soon, so you should start doing some preparation! Clear up some time in your schedule to accommodate unexpected plans, and make sure your passport is valid -- just in case. A recent kink in travel plans may take a while to clear up, and things might not work out exactly as you'd planned -- but the important thing is that you're still going to be able to go where you want to go, and you will go there in high style.

Anyway, regarding my cleanse, yesterday I was craving specific foods (I’m not going to mention, for fear of reigniting the flame!), but today I’m not really craving anything specific. I was feeling pretty queasy and light-headed this morning, and my salt flush took forever to work, so I’m thinking that perhaps some of the salt soaked into my system… I felt really crappy getting to work, and very achy and depressed. But now, a few hours later, I’m feeling much better – probably after having had some lemonade and tea.

After reading more about what happens to food while digesting it, I’m certainly starting to look more into Vegan, Vegetarian, and Raw Foods diets. Now, for those of you that know me – I’m from Texas, and grew up eating grilled meats, and I LOVE MEAT! But seriously, as of now, I have no desire to put my body through what happens when you digest it. So I think I’m going to start, at least, reducing the amount of meat I eat and figure out how to replace that protein with vegetarian alternatives as much as possible. Don’t get me wrong – I’ll still want to chomp down a steak here and there, but I’m going to start approaching my health differently.

So it’s a three day weekend, and one known for great barbecues, parties, and having a good time. Is it possible to have a good time without food and drinks? I guess I’m about to find out! I’m planning to keep myself HIGHLY occupied this weekend – Shayne and I are having a Grey’s Anatomy marathon tonight and probably Sunday night, tomorrow I’m planning to see Suzie (Baci’s godmother), who’s in town for a wedding, and we’re getting a cheapo pedicures. Saturday afternoon is Dog Beach with Baci ball; probably a movie that night (I’m dying to see Shrek 3). And Sunday is a barbecue with my roommate and his friends – I’ll just pack tons of my lemonade. They say by day 4, it’s not that hard to resist food, so I will find out if that’s true on Sunday! Monday, I have absolutely no plans. If it’s nice, I’ll hit the pool with my cleanse buddy, Shayne! By the time I get back to work on Tuesday (and probably the next time I post), it'll be day SEVEN - woo hooo!

But I hope all of you have a lovely holiday weekend. Thanks for all your support and encouragement as I go through this crazy, but completely empowering cleansing process – it’s really been helpful!

Love, Mer

Northern California

My roommate, Prasad, went up to Northern California this past week to see his sister, who was in San Francisco, and do some camping in Yosemite. Coming back home, he drove the beautiful PCH - Pacific Coast Highway. The pictures he sent out of his journey, I think, reveal a very different California than the 'fun in the sun' version that Hollywood portrays, but one that is just as rich in culture and beautiful! I hope you enjoy a few of his shots. Love, Mer

Master Cleanse, Day Two

So on day two, I woke up after a good night’s sleep feeling great. No headache, backache, hangover :), or desire to eat. I downed that horrible salt flush (I only drink half the solution, because otherwise, I’d throw it up; I need to work up to drinking the whole thing, though) and got things "moving" for the day. I had some yummy organic herbal peppermint tea for breakfast, and it was really yummy! As soon as I got in the car, I started drinking the lemonade, and haven’t really stopped. I think that one day, I might either try fresh limes to shake things up, or maybe put a serving or two in the freezer to make a little slushy – that should be nice to have some TEXTURE in my mouth! But otherwise, I feel very good – more energetic than yesterday and not hungry.

I guess the part that’s surprised me the most with this program is that the hardest part is the change in routine, not the physical effects of the diet. What I mean is that it’s weird not getting my day started with a coffee and banana nut bread slice from Starbucks; leaving my office for a bit to relax in the food court during lunch; or having a glass of wine when I get home from work! The amount of time and effort I dedicate to eating and drinking is really frightening, and I found that out very, very quickly.

Last night I was at Trader Joe’s (to buy maple syrup) and wanted to treat myself – my first reaction was to buy myself a snack or a good bottle of wine… and it dawned on me that there are other ways to treat myself! I can treat myself with fresh flowers, some new hand lotion, a good book, or all kinds of things! I guess it’s just my natural inclination to treat myself with food… So I guess this whole process will change my relationship with food, at least for a while… I’m pretty jazzed about that!

Alright. Signing out for the day. Oh quick anecdote...

This morning I was watching the Today Show getting dressed. Bushy was speaking from the rose garden in regard to the poor U.S. soldier fished out of the Tigris River this morning after being ambushed and dumped there. He was talking about a new direction and gameplan he has in mind, and was asked by the press corps if it was his "Plan B", and he noted that since he's acting on guidance from James Baker and Lee Hamilton (an Iraq study group), it should be called "Plan BH"... Are you kidding me? He's making jokes about this messy, divisive war on national television at the breakfast hour? Ay yi yi... Is it 2008 yet??!!

Anyway, have a great day! Love, Mer

Master Cleanse, Day One

Don't worry - I won't post every day's progress. And I promise not to tell you the nasty specifics of what's happening with my body. That would just be torture...

Anyway, it's 3:00 on day one and I've made it through missing breakfast and lunch so far. Ordinarily, I'd be freaking out, but for some reason, I seem to be doing okay. Yes, I'm hungry, but it's nothing terrribly drastic! No crazy cravings yet... I'm really sleepy, though - probably from not fueling my body like usual. Can't wait to go home and take a nap...

This morning, I did do the salt water flush, which was interesting. Supposedly, the gravity of the salt water combination is the same as blood, so instead of soaking into the system, it just flushes right through. Weird to consider, but I definitely felt it working its way through my belly this morning... I read that some people flush things that they swallowed from childhood, like pennies and jewelry and such. I hope I find something cool! :) Otherwise, drinking this lemonade is okay today, but I can tell it's gonna get olllllllld...

I took my measurements this morning, which are highly confidential, but I do promise to get back to you guys in ten days and let you know how much girth I've lost in my bust, waist, and hips. I didn't weigh myself...

It's interesting - I have been planning to use the time I usually eat and drink to do something productive, like read, spend time on the phone with I miss, and reflect on my life and plans. That actually parallels what's going on in my body - the energy that's usually used to break down and digest food is being used to cleanse, purify, and heal my body. How cool is that?!

So my friend Shayne is doing this with me, which totally rocks! We're able to cheer each other past the cravings, hunger pangs, and probably... future desires to quit this process. I feel like I'm responsible for actually following through with this thing, since she's there to hold me accountable. So thanks, Shayne, for being my cleansing buddy! This should be a great experience for us - clean heads, clean bodies, clean hearts!

Wish us luck, everyone! Love, Mer

Thoughts on Reality TV

So last night I watched the finale of The Bachelor, the final performances of Dancing With the Stars, and I guess tomorrow night is the finale of American Idol.

First of all, I don't watch American Idol for the most part, but I did watch one night where the kid, Blake, who's duking it out for the title with Jordin, sang Imagine, by John Lennon, and it sounded like a high school talent show. Who's been voting for that guy? And apparently his real schtick is beatboxing? That may be cool for one song, but for an entire career? And I guess the Melinda girl was a really good singer, too, but she got voted off early... America is a strange place, no?

And let's discuss The Bachelor. Recently the casting people from ABC came to SD for a casting call, and I thought about attending the tryouts for about 5 seconds. And then I thought about it... what if the guy I'm seeing is dating other people right in front me? I wouldn't do well with that... ANYWAY, I was totally expecting Andy to pick Bevin - they seemed so in love, so natural together, and their energy was just electric!!! I was shocked when he chose Tessa... And when I think about it, I've been shocked every single time the Bachelor has chosen a fiancee. Does that mean I just think differently about relationships than everyone else on the planet? Is that why I'm divorced and unhappily single (but working on the happy part of singlehood...)? But then again, NONE of the Bachelors have worked out with their intended... so maybe I AM right! Either way, there's probably no correlation! :)

And lastly - my favorite, Dancing With the Stars. You might remember that my vote, pre-season, was for Joey Fatone, former N'SYNC star, and it still is! Their Last Dance, disco-themed number last night was TO DIE FOR. I was literally dancing in the living room along with Joey and Kym, with Jasmine and Baci circling me, wiggling, and barking. They loved it too!!! But anyway, I can't wait to watch the finals tonight while preparing my lemonade elixir that will be my meals for the next 10 days!

Well friends, have a great night! I'm off to the dentist... No whammies!

Love, Mer

A New Mer!

On the way in to work today, I was thinking about my life, my health, habits, and thinking of ways to start fresh, get healthy mentally and physically, and feel great again. Lately, I've been so sluggish, irritable, unmotivated to work out, and feeling just altogether toxic. I've been attributing it to the breakup, which has taken SO MUCH out of me over the last 5 months, but I'm realizing that perhaps it's my health! I try to eat healthy and work out as much as I can, but I do drink too much coffee, Diet Cokes, and wine, and when I'm in a hurry, or don't have a lot of money, I eat processed and/ or fast foods, and I think it's really weighing me down. I've even noticed that my sense of smell has been decreasing, which is odd, don't you think?

So it's time for something drastic, people. I've been researching body cleansing techniques, and I think I found one. It's called The Master Cleanse, or the lemonade diet. I found all the information I need on this website: http://www.lifetrainingonline.com/blog/lemonade-diet-recipe.htm The guy that writes Life Training Online experimented with the diet and found that he felt more energetic, an increased desire to eat healthy foods, clarity of thought, improved reflexes, a "lightness" of body and mind, and the return of the general excitement for life. WOW - I want those things too!! Oh yes, and he lost 8 pounds. Actually, it turns out that this is the program that Beyonce used to lose pounds for Dreamgirls - she lost 23 pounds in 10 days.

I'm going to try it - not for the purpose of losing weight, but to cleanse my body and get back on the right track. If I lose weight, then it'll be a bonus! I think I'm going to start Wednesday. Does anyone want to do it with me? If so, email me and we'll do it together.

Here's the basic premise of the diet:

For at least 10 days, drink around 10 servings/day of the following:

• 2 Tablespoons (1 fluid ounce) fresh-squeezed lemon or lime juice NOT BOTTLED JUICE!! (approx. ½ lemon),
• 2 Tablespoons (1 fluid ounce) organic Grade B maple syrup,
• 1/10 Teaspoon or more cayenne pepper (hot red pepper), and
• 1 Cup (8 fluid ounces) purified or spring water, NOT fluoridated water.

OR Take an empty gallon water jug and fill it with:

• 60 ounces of filtered water
• 12 Tablespoons of organic grade B maple syrup
• 12 Tablespoons of organic lemon juice
• 1/2 Teaspoon cayenne pepper powder

Shake it all up and you got your days’ serving!

Salt-Water Flush Recipe

Upon rising drink a mixture of:

• 2 level teaspoons of uniodized sea salt to a…
• quart of lukewarm water

Herbal Laxative Tea (You can find this at most grocery stores)

Each evening drink an herbal laxative tea to help with elimination - preferably right before bed.

That’s it! Do that for at least ten days for a complete intestinal cleanse. Apparently your tongue turns white as a result of the toxins being flushed from your body, and when your tongue gets pink and you're no longer passing solid stuff... you're clean!

Anyway, I've never done anything like this, and am challenging myself to do it. I tried fasting for Ramadan with KT once and lasted until lunch... so I HAVE to be dedicated and disciplined this time. WISH ME LUCK! And again, if anyone wants to do this with me, let me know! I'm starting Wednesday morning and ending the next Friday, June 1st.

I hope everyone has a great week! Love, Mer xx

First Haircut

My Baci ball got his first haircut today! The groomer said he peed, pooped, bit, growled, and basically misbehaved in every way possible. No surprise there! She gave us training exercises to practice with a brush and his front feet so that he's not such a naughty boy next time... Hahaha!

You might be sick of seeing my puppy, but I'm not yet! I promise he won't be so novel in the near future... but indulge me for now?

Love, Mer

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

John Mayer's new CD, Continuum, is amazing - I absolutely recommend it if you like bluesy rock with thoughtful lyrics. Mayer's songs are intelligently written, with lyrics that inspire introspection about life, love, death, political inaction, and more. I like music that makes my heart feel something intense, with lyrics that make me think - this album achieves that with flying colors.

This song, Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, has been going through my head all day. It deals with the difficulties of getting out of a relationship which you know is doomed - it's over, but you miss your friend, lover, and life together, and un-entwining your lives just totally sucks... Anyway, it's an amazingly beautiful, soulful breakup song. Click below to hear the song:

Slow Dancing In A Burning Room - John Mayer

I hope you enjoy it. Love, Mer

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Finley at 14 Months

Seriously, this kid gets cuter and cuter as he matures. He's turning into a little boy!!! And apparently, starting to take after his Uncle Jason... see finger in nose... and nudist tendencies...

Enjoy! Love, Mer

Happy birthday, Baci!

It's his 3 month birthday, today! He's already at 8 pounds, so he's gonna be a much bigger Maltipoo than expected, y'all... I'm thinking closer to about 20 pounds, versus 10. That's ok with me... there's just more to love - just like his mama!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BACI BALL!

Love, Mommy

*****************************************

The Divorce Debacle

Everyone on the planet knows I'm divorced and that the institution of marriage, the dissolution thereof, trends, and analysis of relationships is something that have always fascinated me. I attended grad school for a brief time to study clinical psychology and work toward my MFT (Marriage and Family Therapist) licensure, because the opportunity to help others using my knowledge and experiences interests me very much. However, I decided to continue helping people through my current field - employment recruiting.

Anyway, I came across an interesting article today about the latest divorce trends. The divorce rate is the lowest that it's been since 1981 and experts are currently trying to determine the reasons. Divorces are particularly decreasing among couples who are highly educated - two incomes creates a more comfortable way of life, and therefore fewer stresses. It's interesting to consider that perhaps the old-school model of the stay-at-home mother and housewife perhaps put more stress on a family financially, and therefore more stress on a marriage. Who would have thought that working mothers could actually make for a healthier family? Pretty intriguing to consider...

Another trend which would be decreasing the divorce rate, according to this article, is that more and more couples are choosing to cohabitate without marrying - many times, even after having children. Obviously it's great that the divorce rate is dropping, but it's sad to think that perhaps our generation of adults could be jaded from watching our parents' marriages (not mine, actually - they've been married 38 years, but they do hate each other) and subsequently, families, fall apart? Could our generation be choosing to cohabitate out of fear? That's not good.

Anyway, if you're interested in hearing more, check out the article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18600304/

As for me? I still believe in love, marriage, and baby carriage. The eternal optimist in me won't let me believe otherwise... Now whether or not it happens for me is another story, but either way - I plan to live life to the fullest, expect and give the best, and enjoy the journey! And with that, I'm off to a wedding this weekend. :)

See ya Monday! Love, Mer

I Heart Al Green

His music just makes me smile!! I thought I'd share a couple of vintage clips of his performances from YouTube. These are two of my fave Al Green songs:

Let's Stay Together
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7U_OC5QmKo


Tired Of Being Alone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-Jcq8HOrU8

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did today! I'm heading up Orange County for a weekend of wedding festivities, so have a great weekend, everyone!

Love, Mer

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Simple Pleasures

For those of you that know me, you're probably well aware that I really love my sleep. Napping, going to bed early, falling asleep during movies, on planes and in cars, and occasionally... during lunch at work! I'm not really that great at sleeping in, which bodes well for my doggie - he's lucky!

But anyway, one of my simplest pleasures is Clean Sheet Night - you know, the day you pull your sheets out of the dryer, smelling yummy like Downy softener, get them on the bed, and jump in to a sweet-smelling bastion of lethargy! LOVE LOVE LOVE CSN! I particularly enjoy watching TV for a while before wafting into a deep slumber on CSN...

Anyway, over the weekend, I bought... NEW SHEETS! They're solid white Egyptian cotton with a damask stripe in the material - very classic and crisp. It's been some time since I bought new ones, because I love my old ones so much, but it's time for those to retire... So this morning, I transfered my new sheets into the dryer after washing them last night, and all morning long I've been fantasizing about trying them out tonight. So not only is tonight Clean Sheet Night, but NEW Clean Sheet Night!!! Oooooooooooooooooohhh, I'm so excited!

Yes, even a high maintenance girl like me can enjoy simple pleasures... :)

Love, Mer

5/10/07: OMG, they're amazing!

Deep Thoughts, By Mer

As most of you know, I spend a lot of my time in life soul-searching, and digging to find the answers to where I should go next, what I've done right and wrong, and what my goals should be, based upon my purpose in life. I haven't really determined the answers to any of the aforementioned yet, but I did find this interesting article today that had some great food for thought! I figured I'd share it for some of my friends who are also looking for answers, too... I hope you find it inspiring! (I really love #5!)

Love, Mer xx

How to Open Yourself to Your Life's Purpose

Are you doing what you love to do? Follow these 10 steps to discover your life's purpose and learn how to turn your passion into action!

The Oprah Winfrey Show: "What Should I Do with My Life?"

The one big question most of us ask ourselves is "What should I do with my life?" For most people, it's very difficult to answer. Use these simple suggestions from people who have successfully answered this question and are now living the life of their dreams. Be inspired to pursue your dreams and discover the impact you are meant to have on the world!

Ten Steps to Discovering Your Passion

1. Listen to your inner voice. It takes practice to hear your true desires. Your passion will often come as a whisper or serendipitous event that reminds you of what's important and what makes you happy.

2. Recognize crisis. Does your job feel like a grind? Are you spending your free time on something you love? Take an opportunity to appraise your happiness. One of the keys to living a purposeful life is seeing that you feel unfulfilled.

3. Dwell in possibilities. Your passions could lead you in a lot of different directions to find fulfillment. Explore your life and unearth all of the things that bring you joy.

4. Tune out the voice of the world. Make the strongest voice in your life your own. Finding your purpose could mean going against the advice of close friends and family. Take a leap of faith and trust in your dreams.

5. Decide what kind of person you want to be. Rather than concentrating on what you want to do, think in terms of what kind of person you want to be. Let that guide your choices.

6. Bring your heart to your work. It takes passion and courage to find a profession that you love. Spending the time to discover that job is time well spent—it could make all the difference in your life!

7. Trust transformation. Hard times are a natural part of life. Don't be afraid to change because of your experiences. Instead, let them shape and steer your course.

8. Have no regrets. According to the experts, it's easy to regret the time you've spent being unhappy or unfulfilled. Realize that during that time, you developed the skills you need to succeed!

9. Take the first step. Destiny can't help you until you are willing to step out of your comfort zone. Get prepared to make changes in your life … and start making them!

10. Be patient. Finding your life purpose won't happen overnight. In every life, there's a fast road and a slow road. Most of us take the slow road! Keep your commitment and take small steps to make it happen.

Vegas Update

Well, it's Monday again and I'm back to the real world. I had a good time with the parental unit - we did a lot of eating, shopping, slot machine playing, and WALKING! My parents are the kinds of people that like to see *everything* when they travel, so there's not a lot of downtime for hanging by the pool, eating leisurely lunches, napping, or sitting down and chatting over cocktails. By the time I got to Vegas (we stayed at Paris), they had seen Celine Dion in concert, gone to the Liberace museum, the classic car museum, gone to Red Rock Canyon, eaten a buffet, and done a LOT. When I got there, we had dinner at Cheesecake Factor in the Forum Shops in Caesar's, saw O at Bellagio, visited the Wynn and Fashion Show Mall, visited the Venetian and the shops there, played the nickel slot machines (freakin' Wheel of Fortune!!!!), ate another buffet, and went to the outlet mall in Henderson. WHEW - it was a whirlwind trip and I was exhausted when I got home!!

Meanwhile, three major things were going on this past weekend in Vegas - the DeLaHoya fight, Cinco de Mayo, and the Kentucky Derby. It was a zoo there this weekend and pretty much everyone I know was there, except Mike and Nat, thank God, because they cared for my pee machine, Baci, while I was gone. GIGANTIC THANKS to them for watching my sweet furball!!! Sorry he ate your chair, Mike... :(

I didn't get my bet placed for the fight or the Derby, but it's a good thing I didn't, because I would have lost. I had my money on the horse Tiago, but he was nowhere near the front. And I would have gone with Oscar, too, so I guess I saved myself $20! In related news, my girlfriend Roni actually attended the Kentucky Derby this year and I promised her last week that I'm going with her next year. I can't wait!

So like I said, it's back to real life now. And back to OPERATION FATASS, everyone! The goal: 7 lb loss by June 1st to achieve my perfect weight. If you spy me eating crap I'm not supposed to, please feel free to snatch it from me and eat it yourself, or dispose of it any way you like! I've got spinning tonight at 6:00, so hopefully getting past that first big hurdle after taking a month or so off, will launch me into the mode. Wish me luck!

OK, have a great week, friends. Love, Mer

Vegas Again, Baby!

Well, peeps, it's off to Vegas again for me. This time, with the parentals! That should be interesting... We're going to do all the geeky stuff that I never do with my friends, like see shows and sightsee. It's going to be a different experience than the last time I went for Bridezilla's bachelorette party, that's for sure...

I'll be back Saturday night! Wish me luck. :) Mer

Today in The News

I'm so disgruntled with today's political news. Congress passed a bill to create a deadline for bringing our troops home from the Baghdad bloodbath, and Bush vetoed it. The House wasn't able to override the veto, so now Congressional leaders are scrambling to create a new bill which will allow the funding to be released so that operations can continue without disruption. Seriously - what is going ON?! Who's on first? Only this picture can truly convey the frustration I feel about our leaders who are leading the efforts in Iraq.


I just hope that now that the deadline is scrapped, that the troops that are serving there are afforded the tools, training, and supplies that they need to get things under control there and get home safely and SWIFTLY. 3,300 American soldiers have already perished in Iraq; I'm praying for a bipartisan solution that will ensure that number doesn't rise much higher.

Mer

New Art for Mer

So when I first moved to California, I drove down to Ensenada, Mexico (it's about an hour and a half into Mexico from San Diego) and found a cute little boutique called Casa Ramirez in the village. SO CUTE! I bought a few pieces of art from this very sweet and heartwarming artist named Vico.

This weekend at Artwalk, I found that the artist actually had a booth, and I was so excited to meet the man whose art I've displayed in my bathroom for several years and stimulated many conversations and compliments. I bought an original acrylic piece for my bedroom and am thrilled! It's my first REAL piece of art, complete with a certificate of authenticity. The picture to the right isn't the actual piece, but it's an example of Vico's work. The same small-headed, large bodied lady is the character in my new piece, but she's not a mermaid in my new piece. She's nude at her dressing table, fixing her hair. It's very sweet.

For more info about my fave local artist, check this out:

http://www.artwalkinfo.com/artists/vico.htm

Anyway, this was an exciting moment for The Mer Show, so I thought I'd share. Original art! :)

Love, Mer