Baby Steps to a Slimmer Me

I was recently told, "make little changes a couple at a time and your won't notice you are dieting." Sounds like good enough advice. I have tried the whole "jump into a diet" thing, and well, that doesn't work for me. So here is a list of the little changes I am going to make. One at a time:

• Slim milk in my coffee, instead of half and half
  
• Skip the rice/potato/pasta at dinner
• Have a salad for lunch at least twice a week
• Walk up the steps instead of the escalator in the morning
• Eliminate the "sweet snack" after lunch
• Eliminate any after dinner desserts during the week
• Egg whites, instead of eggs
• Cut my dinner portions in half
• Walk to 6th Ave for the train
• Skip the bun
• Skip the chips
  

Not a bad start. At least this way I won't get any fatter. I might even lose a few pounds.

Politics, not usually for me....

I usually reserve blogsphere for ranting about food, commuting, motherhood, and television. But recent events have sent me over the edge and on search for a soap box. Apparently soap boxes are a thing of the past, so thankfully we have blogs.

The Nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court
Rant start: Yes it is wonderful that she is a Hispanic female that is self made. But it is also wonderful that she has more experience than anyone else on the Supreme Court today. Republicans are trying to poke holes into her story, trying to kill her chance, taking things out of content and focusing on sound bytes that meet their own agendas. Republicans need to do this because their position on most things are based on the following: greed, religion, and racism. Three things that shouldn't be a part of our government. Sotomayor is a strong candidate for the Supreme Court, maybe the strongest in recent history. It would be a shame if she was blocked.

Republicans: Greed, Religion, and Racism
After I wrote the above I figure it was worth a bit more explanation. Rant start: Everything that frustrates me about the Republican party and the people that consider themselves a part of it stems from greed, religion, and racism.

Greed is based in their position on "small government" and "less" taxes. I am not a communist, but I support my government taxing me to fund programs that support the country. Support can be defined as protection, education, healthcare, economy, even things like giving people home and food. I believe in welfare support. I believe that a society should be based on the lesser of its members. Yes, people abuse welfare. But I would rather 100 people abuse welfare than a child be homeless and hungry. You can't take your cash with you, might as well elevate all citizens than sit on a pile of cash.

Religion is always behind the excuse for denying someone of their rights to be free. I don't hate religion, but I hate that it used to deny gays the right to marry and women the right to choose. Your religion is not my religion, and don't tread on me. Unfortunately our government is influenced by Christian morals. Not that all Christian morals are wrong, I believe is most myself. What is wrong is the arrogant belief that Christianity will always be in power here. We can easily live in a society governed by another set of beliefs, and would you want to be forced to live by their creed. Probably not. Some republicans wear their religion on their sleeve. They should keep their religion at home, where it belongs.

Racism is our dirty little secret. Just because we have a black president, doesn't mean we have risen above as a society. There are some republicans that are republicans because it is the white man's party. Granted it works both ways, but there are a lot of people that function and make decisions based on superficial beliefs, like race. I believe that these people tend to be on the right, rather than the left, therefore are republicans. But they would never say it out loud... at least not to people who they are not related to.

The Murder of Dr. Tiller
Rant start: 4 doctors murdered by Pro-Life radicals. 0 Pro-Life radicals murdered by Pro-Choice movement. Who is really pro-life? The pro-life movement has officially come out as against this crime. They say they support non-violent protests only. But have you ever seen a pro-life rally or protest. Screaming at people entering clinics, threatening staff, displaying gross and in-accurant images of fetuses. Related to my above rant about religion and its use to deny women the right to choose what should happen to their own bodies, it is a shame that someone can be murdered in cold blood and people dismiss the act because their belief that "he had blood on his hands." Shameful. No one is pro-abortion. Women who have to make a decision about abortion, especially late-term abortion, are not making their decision lightly. Dr. Tiller supported women who were faced with a decision no one should be faced with. Their lives or the life of their unborn child. Until someone walks in their shoes how dare they judge her or the doctor they use.

Gay Marriage: Stupid California
Rant start: Recently social media and media has been buzzing about the Supreme Court in CA uploading the Proposition 8 decision. Well duh. The citizens should be able to vote and make changes to the constitution. The unfortunate part is that CA citizens voted YES to Prop 8 to begin with. Again religion getting in the way of basic human rights. But shame on CA with their divorce rate for straight marriages being the highest in the country talking about "family values" and the importance of keeping marriage as it traditionally should be. Marriage in terms of government and law is nothing more than a civil contract between two people. You shouldn't be denied the right to go into a contract with another human being based on race, religion, gender, social status, nationally, etc. Gay marriage is not a gay issue, it is a human rights issues. Get with the program California and the rest of the country.

Rant end.

Another Summer Begins In the Twilight Zone

Growing up in Queens New York, I considered myself pretty familiar with most neighborhoods in Queens. Not that I did much exploring, but I had the lay of the land figured out pretty well. We spent the summers between the Long Island Beaches, like Jones Beach and the Queens Beaches like Rockaway. I went to Rockaway with my friends and went to Jones Beach with my family. Things pretty much continued this way until the summer of 1996.

I met Derek in the Spring of 1996. A week before the senior prom that I never to went to, a month before my high school graduation. In June Derek invited me to his parent's summer house in Breezy Point. I didn't know where or what Breezy Point was. I don't think I asked too many questions. I just knew that I was going to a beach house someplace in Queens. I didn't realize that I was about to get my introduction to one of New York City's best kept "secrets."

Derek and I took the bus to Flatbush Avenue from his house in Brooklyn. (The house that we currently own, weird.) And Derek's Dad picked us up in front of the liquor store across from Kings Plaza. He drove an older Cadillac, which I learned once belonged to Derek's maternal Grandfather. We went over a bridge, down a long road, into a private community. You need a card to open gates into parking lots, and the houses seemed to be laid out in no particular order and right on top of each other. Derek's sister Deirdre was playing basketball with a bunch a kids at the playground in front of a place called "The Dug Out." Derek asked, "I wonder if she is winning." Derek's Dad said, "She better be." (Funny how I remember the smallest details sometimes.)

We got out of the car and there I was. This small beach community filled with Irish-Americans, and some Italian-Americans called Breezy Point. The houses were right on top of one another. It was just strange from the start. People don't lock their doors, or even have keys to their own homes. Kids run around free. We met up with Derek's friends, spent half of the time figuring out how to get beer, 1/4 of the time getting beer, and 1/4 of the time drinking the beer. (Such is the life of an underage drinker.) Went to the beach, and did it all again the next night. And the next visit. And the next visit after that. Pretty much went that way for the next couple of years. Getting beer got easier once we turned 21, so there was more time for drinking. But that was pretty much it. Beer and beach. Beach and beer.

Breezy is awesome for many reasons. The beach is not nearly as crowded as the other city beaches. It less than 30 minutes from our house in Brooklyn. There are playground and lots of kids for Ruby to hang out with. We have 3 Ruby Aunts around and 1 little Ruby cousin to hang out with. The stores make kick ass beach sandwiches and have the best chip and beer selection ever. Ruby's Great Grandma and Derek's cousins are always around. It is a close community where everyone is pretty friendly. Plus everyone is having a good time... I think it is the Breezy/beach/beer thing. I am truly lucky to have access to this oasis that is a 30 minute away.

This summer is going to prove to be an awesome one. Ruby is beach lover, and she even made her Mom one too. So get ready to load up the car with beach chairs, towels, sunblock, and snacks, cause Breezy Point here we come.