Happy Fall, ya'll!

Let me say this: I LOVE FALL! It is, to coin a phrase, my signature season. The crisp snap of fresh picked apples, the crunch of leaves under the heel of my boots, snuggling under a thick quilt, big piles of pumpkins and gourds...I love it all.

This weekend was the epitome of autumnal glory. I started Saturday off with a trip to the gym where I not only walked my usual mile before doing the weight circuit, but I RAN half of it! Now, that might not sound like a big deal; after all, it was just a half mile. But for me, it was a really big deal. Not only did I run, but I ran out in public. With other people watching and everything. And guess what? No one stared or laughed or pointed. Truth be told, no one probably would have done any of those things 65 pounds ago, but in my head, I just felt too ridiculous running then.

After the gym, I headed down to the City market. This is the first week I've not gotten a CSA delivery so I needed to pick up a couple of veggies. I also wanted to try my hand at making my own hummus and there's a great Middle Eastern grocery in the market. I've been eating a lot of hummus post op; it's a great low-fat alternative to mayo and from what I've read, really easy and cheap to make. So, I picked up some chickpeas, tahini (ground sesame paste), and some roasted soy nuts to snack on. I also got some green and red bell peppers, a cucumber, squash and mushrooms. Instead of serving the hummus with dense pita bread, I've been eating it with raw veggies.

While at the market, I had some lunch at the same Middle Eastern market; they have a small deli attached to the store. I had the 'guts' of a chicken gyro and a little bit of hummus; it was delicously curried and spiced. And, just the right amount of food.

After the market, I headed home and did one of my favorite fall activities; a cat nap in my comfy chair with my comfy cat. After that, I whipped up my first batch of homemade hummus and it was delicious!!! And super cheap! For the same price as a container of store-bought hummus, I can make three to four batches of home-made. I took it to a friend's for brunch this morning, and everyone really liked it.

Then, I joined some friends for another favorite fall pastime; a yard party with yummy wine and lotsa laughs. I wore my new, NEW Old Navy jeans; I've gone down another size and they are the smallest size jeans I've worn since freaking high school!!!! It was so crazy walking into the house to catcalls from my friends...

Today, church with pals, followed by brunch (small piece of quiche, some yummy hummus) and then a Chiefs party with some other friends (half a chicken breast and four fritos). Leftover chili for dinner, followed by another favorite pasttime: crafts!

So, all in all, a lovely, delightful fall weekend. Life is good, my friends, life is good.

Three Month Progress Photos

First of all, I can't believe how quickly three months has flown by! It feels like just yesterday I was starting this blog, and now here I am, three months out. Crazy.

Here are the three month progress pics. First one is the day I started liquids, then a month apart thereafter.

In other, non-scale related victories, I flew this weekend for the first time since surgery and it was quite pleasant. Lots of room on the old seatbelt, comfortably fit in the seat, could put the traytable down and cross my legs.

Also, I spent my first weekend in St. Louis post-surgery. It was a very short visit; got in Saturday afternoon and left very early Sunday morning. Usually, going "home" meant sliders from White Castle, pasta from the Hill, eggs Benedict at the Coffee Garden by my parents' house. This time, my visit home was about visiting home; I went to my nephew's first swim meet, did some shopping (of course), and I even managed to squeeze in some exercise. All in all, a lovely 36 hours in the Lou.

One note on the shopping; for the very first time in a very long time, I had a great time shopping! I needed to get a dress for a couple of events I have coming up; a wedding and a work event. I've always dreaded shopping for a specific occasion; I know what I want but rarely am I able to find it. This time, I found exactly what I wanted within five minutes of walking into the store. It fit, it's adorable and I love it. I'll make sure to post some pictures after the wedding this weekend. I also managed to find a couple of other things that will be great "transitional" pieces; sweaters, leggings, and some blouses. Oh, and an awesome pair of shoes... :)