As ecstatic as I was to get my girls high and tight, after three days my back was not quite as into it.  So day three of Adventures in New Undergarments found my back health slowly, yet progressively, deteriorating. By end of business, I was a wreck. I spent the entire weekend rehabbing in old bras and a shelf-bra camisole. It got so bad that I didn’t think I could operate my vehicle safely. (So I didn’t).

Come Monday, the back was feeling better - at least ready to face the day upright at my desk. In a brief Alzheimer’s moment, I put on one of the new bras.  After my 40 minute commute and about an hour into the workday, I wasn’t sure how long I would last.  I promised to stay for a 9 o’clock meeting and see from there.

In a stroke of genius, I remembered my gym bag in the car. Gym Bag = Sports Bra = RELIEF! (and that I made it through the full day at work).

So Sunday was the first chance I’d had to take the offending unmentionables back to their hawkers (Nordstrom). The lovely sales lady who helped me was apologetic and a little perplexed. She tried to figure out who had helped me, so I offered up the name.

“Oh. She’s actually no longer with us.”

Eh? My curiosity was piqued, but I let it go. She brought out a few other models, one of which was so dowdy that it didn’t stand a chance up against the modest v-neck shirt I was sporting. When I explained to the LSL that this was probably one of my more conservatively cut tops, she agreed that this particular model would not do.

The second rig wound up being a nice option, in a Joan Holloway kind of way. Since Fella loves him some Mad Men, albeit for the January Jones portion of the program, I went for it. LSL suggested I wear it home (so I did) and that I take a break the following day (which I also did) and then try it again the day after (lather, rinse, repeat).

Yesterday was the day after and I rocked my Joan Holloway rack all frigging day.  My girls have never seen such heights of perky.And so far, my back has held up.  I'm not sure if I'll try again as soon as tomorrow, but I feel optimistic about this new endeavor.

Except the price on this new setup is on the verge of obscene. So, we'll see.

All not to be confused with a long post.

I went to get properly fitted for a bra tonight. I've always had trouble fitting the Girls. And there's some crazy fact and/or figure floating around about how many women don't wear the right bra size. And mine seemed to be fitting less well, so I caved.

The lingerie department at my local Nordstrom wasn't particularly busy this evening, yet it was surprisingly difficult to get help at first. But once I did, I was surprised by the result of my fitting: theoretically, I was already wearing the right size. Going up a cup size wasn't going to be the solution to a better fitting bra. But going up a size in the band was, by all accounts, a success.

I was worried about sticker shock from the shopping venue. And while the models I purchased were pricier than previous years' models I've been driving, it was not as bad as I was dreading.

So the next time you see us, me and the girls should be riding high and tight.

A lot of things changed for me in 2008. I finally moved out of my parents' house and in with Fella. And this segued immediately into our exchanging of vows.

And I think there's a lot of change brewing for 2009 already.

1. Zesty Gets on The Savings Plan
Zesty has never really been on a budget and certainly hasn't saved money since, at best, her college days. In her first act of saving, she hits the Coach Factory Outlet and buys a smokin' red patent purse. On Fella's dime. So I guess she's still saving her scrill.
 
2. Fella & Zesty Get Organized
The happy couple made a trip to the Container Store before 2008 was out. Zesty made a second trip on NYE to return some of the superfluous items that didn't end up fitting in their bathroom drawers. But she still started the New Year with one of the best organized makeup drawers ever. If only all of her makeup actually fit in this drawer.
 
Fella plans to line a wall in the extra bedroom with shelving. This will help IMMENSELY. Zesty's cookbooks will finally get out of their current cardboard shelter and perhaps she can bring over more!
 
3. Zesty Re-evaluates Her Long- and Short-Term Goals
This will get no further elaboration at this time. Or perhaps ever. What can I say? I'm being a little superstitious. Or paranoid, but I prefer superstitious.
 
4. Zesty Gets & Stays on a Fitness Regimen
Zesty has fallen off the wagon since her appearance in a particular white number in October. Even then, she should have put in a lot more hours at the gym. Her first act of sobering up her routine is to join another gym. She thinks. Maybe. But in no way does it mean going to her current gym, which sucks now because they shut down one of the better locations close to her house. Zesty hopes for a new club with a pool because water fitness intrigues her.
 
5. Zesty Vows to Use Her Slow Cooker. A Lot.
Perhaps not as much as this, but a lot.

I watched a movie this evening the reminded me how much I miss reading. Which is ironic because it's television that keeps me from reading more. Apparently I like watching stories on the t.v. in my living room more than the one in my mind.

Pants: 4 pair--3 slacks, 1 jeans
Skirts: 1
Shirts: 6--1 cami, 3 sweaters, 2 tops

Winter Wardrobe 8, Zesty 0

We were offered an incentive for donating to one of several charities at work. $20 gets you jeans-wearing privileges throught the holiday season (and in one case your donation will; be matched by the company as well). I had been on the fence aboiut participating, that is until my troubles described above. For the second day in a row. (That's right, I had very similar troubles yesterday as well).

Winter Wardrobe 14, Zesty 0

So I politely said: "Eff this!" to my work clothes and happily wrote my check to charity in a cardigan sweater, knit top, and jeans.

Winter Wardrobe 14, Zesty -20.

• No matter how amazing our new memory foam mattress is at facilitating recuperative sleep, it cannot make up for lost hours spent not sleeping. Drat!

• I will not have a cocktail at the bar this evening for the annual Regulars Appreciation Night ….
  I will not have a cocktail at the bar this evening….
  I will not have a cocktail at the bar….
  I will not have a cocktail….
  I will not….
  I will.
  

• Fella thinks he may be turning into a Cookie Bear. His grandma calls one of his aunts Cream Bear for the copious amounts of butter she uses. Fella has been consuming copious amounts of cookies lately. Thus, Cookie Bear. I must confess to aiding and abetting.
  
  Generally speaking, I hate baking cookies. But last year I got really into it for the holidays. I'm really into it again this year and even attended my first Cookie Swap just last night (how I lost those hours of sleep). I'm definitely building up my Christmas cookie repetoir. Three repeaters from last year and a new one that's a keeper already this year (it's a big hit with my Cookie Bear and I believe with the girls at last night's swap).

• Well, I'm off!

I've been feeling lately that I've forgotten how to write.  And not just here, in this medium.  I've had a few story ideas that I would like to actually develop. But I just plain forget how to do that anymore.

I took a stab at the NaNoWriMo thing a couple of years ago.  Well, I signed up to take a stab at NaNoWriMo.

So I was thinking that if I read more, it may start coming back to me. Except, I have no idea when I'm going to get the chance to do that.

Oh crap, I just sounded like my mother.

After three days of awfulness, I've found a little calm.  SIGH.

This also means that I have nothing new to say right now.

Except that I'm still around.

And less pensive than that insomniac Zesty from the other day.

Hooray.

I've had two consecutive (not counting the weekend, of course) awful days with work. Somehow it crept into my mind as I laid down to sleep close to 90 minutes ago. I gave up on the tossing and turning thing, cracked at Coors Light and here I am: my (not so) triumphant return.

I've often wondered, tonight is no exception, how I ended up here. I know there was a reason I went to law school, I just can't seem to remember what it was. Or what delusion I was under when I told myself: "That's  for you, go for it!" More and more I now think, "This is not for me, I don't want any part of it." And in virtually the same breath, I spoke of my plans to take the bar again next year.

I can't begin to understand myself. The over-achieving-perfectionist-slacker. I think it's the worst combination of traits a personality could have. To put in such effort in the pursuit of perfection, only to neglect a seemingly minor, yet crucial detail that sets the whole plan on a course for destruction.  This is my major malfunction. Work and work and work, only to slack at a pivotal moment. And I just don't get it.

So I can't help but wonder if there isn't something else out there for me? Something that doesn't trigger that slacker inside to rear its ugly head and spoil the party. Something that I can't use as a set-up for self-destruction.

So far that only thing that seems to fit the bill is marriage. But I've only been at that endeavor for a month now.

Wrap Up: Food Delivery Program

Well, I gave the program 5 weeks, as many weeks as they have menus. Overall, the convenience factor was relatively high. The program offers a local "delivery" option in the SF/Bay Area, whereby you choose a delivery site from which you pick up your orders twice weekly.  My first pick up location was in my hometown and became problematic because I could never get the Friday pickup before Monday morning. So I changed to a location that was in between my parents' house and Fella's place (where I would weekend). This increased convenience greatly.  My advice: choose your local pickup spot wisely (or opt for direct delivery altogether).

My take on the food quality was not so high.  As many of you know, I'm a bit of a "foodie," a big reason why I am in need of a food program to begin with.  So my critique may be a little skewed.  However, I would rate the food somewhere slightly better than Lean Cuisine/Healthy Choice/Smart Ones, based solely because it's all fresh.  With that said, the program clearly uses items that are not-so-fresh. 

I'm finishing the asparagus, artichoke, and roast red bell pepper "salad" of my final meal (lunch) as I type. The artichokes and roasted peppers are clearly from a can, which I cannot gripe about--I use both things regularly in my kitchen. But I draw the line there. Food Program, however, takes it one step further and uses canned asparagus, as well. That's not OK seeing as how fresh asparagus is rather abundant in these parts and there are far superior frozen options available when it's not.   Another side salad in their repertoire uses canned mushrooms and that to me is pretty abhorrent.

And their breakfasts were overall mediocre. Their pancakes were great, but there are only three varieties, which means you get them for one morning in three of the five weeks. Similarly, their egg dishes were quite good, too, but again, not prolific enough throughout the weeks. The one morning of French toast: also enjoyable, but I'm sampling the Trader Joe's frozen low fat FT later this week to compare the quality.  

The most common breakfast items are their muffins and "scones."  These are hands down dreadful.  Either sticky to the point where you wonder if they were sufficiently baked, or dry and dense to the point where you wonder who approved the recipe for general consumption.

Other items packaged with breakfasts and lunches: yogurt (the Dannon Danimals strawberry was actually much better than I expected, but I skipped the Yoplait Light peach entirely and opted for the WW flavors of my own choosing, purchased independently of the program). The "fruit" offerings were pretty deplorable.  Mostly canned, the fresh items occasionally offered (apples and oranges) were far under-ripe, rotten, or both!

Did I lose weight? Yes. And no. The first few weeks I was down fractions of a pound each, which of course ultimately add up to whole pounds. But I guess I was left rather dissatisfied with the food towards the end and that lead me to find food satisfaction elsewhere. And there was a spell where I wasn't able to hit the gym regularly.

Would I recommend it to others?  It depends, of course!