A Pot Pourri of Bloggery...

Ack. I have so much to blog about and apparently no time to do it. So, I figure I do a mish-mash of an entry that gives at least the major updates.

1. Estrogenious 2008 opens tomorrow! "My" week is October 8-11, but the whole festival is awesome. Come check it out!

2. Also check out [title of show]. It's fun, it's clever, it's original, it's on Broadway, AND it had its very first workshop production at Manhattan Theatre Source. So these folks have trod the boards in the very same place the work of yours truly has been staged. Heady stuff. I've seen it twice and thoroughly enjoyed it both times and I just read that it's CLOSING OCTOBER 12TH, so hurry up and see it before it's gone!

3. Since January 2008, I have been a member of Manhattan Theatre Source's Writers' Forum. What started out as a handful of Source "regulars," has grown into a group of 30 writers, ranging from those just starting out as playwrights to award-winning and nominated writers such as Joan Tewkesbury (screenwriter of the Oscar-nominated film Nashville) and Joe Pintauro (Snow Orchid, The Dead Boy).

This past year, we were able to get the Forum on its feet via regularly weekly meetings and to launch our accompanying Saturday Reading Series.

Now we're ready to take things to the next level. The Forum members have chipped in to "buy" a month's production time at the Source to mount several PlayGround Development Series and full Mainstage Productions. What's especially exciting about this is that we've decided to do this as a collective, with the Forum serving not just as the writers, but as the producers, supporting each other as we get our works on their feet.

It's an exciting opportunity. But we need help. Although we raised the $8,000 deposit in under a week (while the economy was crashing, no less--yay us!), we still need to raise the additional rental and production costs. So, if you're feeling philanthropic...ANY amount is appreciated. And don't forget that the Source is a 501(c)3 organization, so your donation will be tax-deductible. You can make your check payable to "Manhattan Theatre Source" and send it to 177 MacDougal Street, NY, NY 10011, Attn: Jim Lawson (just include a note that it's for the January festival). Or, if you prefer, you can donate via credit card at https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/store/931. (If you donate via cc, I'd love it if you could shoot me a note.)

4. Mini Cult Update - Lost 3 lbs this week. LOVING the Core Plan.

Ok, that's all I can think of right now.

Cult Update

Ok, loyal readers, it's been awhile, but I finally have something to report.

I do WW @ Work, which means I pay my membership fee in multi-month chunks. Today, I signed up for my 3rd "session" and have decided it should be my last (or, at least, the last one I pay for).

So, I've set my goal weight! It is 6.6 pounds below where I am today. Once I reach it, my total weight loss in the cult will be 21.8 lbs.

The way the cult works is that, once you reach and maintain your goal weight (within 2lbs) for 6 weeks, you become a lifetime member and can attend meetings/weigh-ins for free.

And for those of you dying for even more details, I've decided to switch from the Flex Plan to the Core Plan. The basic difference is that on the Flex Plan you track everything you eat and try to stay within your daily and weekly points allowance. On the Core Plan, you don't need to track anything that's on the WW "core foods" list, but you use your bonus points for anything that's not. Since my main problem over the past few months has been not tracking, I think this might be the way to get my weight loss rolling again.

And, of course, I've been poring over the Core Foods list and am actually excited by some of the things that are on it. For example, my world-famous pasta fagioli--which I haven't made in awhile because the flex point value is a little high--is comprised entirely of Core Foods. Yay!

I Did It...Again!

Cult update redux.

Cult Update

For the second week straight, I posted a 0.6lb loss, which is kind of remarkable considering all the sparkling wine I had on Saturday (but, hey, that's what bonus points are for, right?).

In Scrabble terms, it's one of these:


Anyway, I am still slightly (very slightly) above my 10% goal, so watch this space for future rejoicing.

Cult Update

I realize I haven't posted one of these in awhile because:
a) I was away last week and the week before and so didn't go to weigh-in.
b) The image that most accurately captures my WWing over the past couple months is this:



As of this week's weigh-in, which was on Tuesday, I'm NOT at my 10% goal, but not far from it.

To be honest, I've been a little relaxed about the whole thing because I look better, I feel better and I'm fitting in smaller clothes. I do want to lose a little more, but I've been sort of "enjoying the moment," so to speak.

Anyway, enough is enough. I've recommitted to taking it more seriously and so hope to be posting lots of Scrabble boards in the coming weeks. With enough point-counting and pilates, I could even make it to goal weight by the end of August.

Chowdah Begone!

Last week in this space, I reported that I had actually gained 3lbs, which I am fully attributing to all the New England Clam Chowder I consumed over Memorial Day weekend while we were up at the Cape.

I am happy to report that this week I am down 3.8lbs, which is my "chowder weight" plus a little extra.

I can't find anything Scrabble-related that weighs 3.8 lbs, so I'm going to cheat a little this week and use something from the "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought..." feature on Amazon, namely:


All hail the cult! (And clam chowder. Believe me, it was worth the temporary setback.When my cult leader asked me what I did differently this week to rack up such a big loss, I simply replied, "I didn't eat clam chowder." )

Time to Get Back on the Wagon

As I feared, all that New England Clam Chowder and my other culinary indulgences this weekend caught up with me. I gained 3lbs, or one of these:



Hopefully, a week of strict point-counting will put me back on track. Stay tuned...

I Did It!

I reached my 10% weight-loss goal!

Cult Update

Well, today was the last week of my first 17-week session as a member of WeightWatchers at Work and I'm happy to report that I lost another 2.6 lbs since my last weigh-in 2 weeks ago, or, apparently, one of these:


I am, of course, re-upping for the next session, so stay tuned for further updates.

I love my cult!

I Love My Cult!

In a surprising turn of events, I actually lost another pound this week, or one of these:


That's after a very decadent Friday that consisted of High Tea in the afternoon (complete with scones and dessert) and Cacio e Pepe in the evening.

Yay!

Cult Update

Ok, I never posted the update last week, but my combined weight loss for the past 2 weeks is 0.6 lbs, which is one of these:



Continuing to do the happy dance!

I'm Walkin' on Sunshine...

So, after 2 weeks of NOT tracking points, including 8 days of vacation, I am happy to report that I am actually down 1.8 lbs from 2 weeks ago. Or one of these:



In celebration, a little Katrina and the Waves:

Cult Update

First of all, I just realized I never posted last week's update, which was that I had lost 1lb or, in Scrabble terms, this:



This week, I lost nothing, which in Scrabble terms, is this:

(A movie reviewer--in one of my all-time favorites reviews--once called Keanu Reeves "the human equivalent of the blank Scrabble tile.")

Grrrrrr....

Only lost 0.2 lbs, which is one of these (the Scrabble computer game):



Guess I can't really complain, since I went to a DESSERT PARTY on Saturday night. So, from the glass is half full perspective, it's impressive that I lost anything this week.

Doin' the Happy Dance

Still dropping weight...

This week, 1.8 lbs, which is one of these:

Cult Update - Back on the Wagon!

Ok, so secretly I'd hoped this week's loss would be 4 lbs to help offset last week's gain, but I guess I'll have to settle for 2.2 lbs, which is two of these:

Bummer!

Well, I just had my weigh-in and I gained back this (2 lbs):



Not really a surprise, as last weekend was, shall we say, very SOCIAL.

Oh well. One of the many brilliant things about this plan is that every week you get a clean slate. So I'm back on the wagon!

Doing the Happy Dance!

Had my weigh-in today and really expected it to be minimal (<1 lb) to no weight loss due to:
- dinner at Michaelangelo's Saturday night
- dinner at Brasserie 52 Friday night
I didn't actually use all my bonus points, but I certainly used a lot more than last week...

But, happily, I still lost 2.4 lbs, which equals:



Yay!

I Joined the Cult!

Inspired by the success of fellow bloggers ktbuffy and Laughing at the Pieces, as well as my non-blogging (!) friend K., I decided to take the plunge and join WeightWatchers.

It's been 1 week and so today was my first did-I-lose-any-weight weigh-in. And I did. 2.8 pounds, which is the equivalent of 2 Scrabble game sets*:




*A nod to Laughing at the Pieces for the "my weight loss in images" idea, which I have freely stolen.