Weighty Wednesday -- Frustrations

Though I was really a slacker with my tracking last week, I managed to lose 0.6 lbs--and that was with yoga pants on and not shorts.

--and I have no idea how that happened. It was probably a fluke.

I never bothered to weigh myself at home trying on one set of clothes and then the other, I just went with the yoga pants because it's been a little chilly here in the morning.

Six more pounds to go to get back to my goal weight.

Yeah, it's just as frustrating as it was to lose-plateau-lose-plateau-gain the second time around as much as it was the first time.

It doesn't help that the candy making process has been severely frustrating this week.

I thought I'd knock out 5 1-pound boxes of sea salt caramels and then all I'd have to do to fill the 15 varieties of truffles for the next 5 1-pound boxes.

Well, nothing goes astray like a well-laid plan.

I did manage to get the milk chocolate parts of three boxes finished, but then things didn't go my way.

Sea Salt Caramels (what they should look like!)

--the chocolate was slightly too warm causing the fork to stick to the caramel

-- AND the entire caramel to collapse when it dried.

--I made the sizes for the caramels too small

--I made the sizes for the caramels too large

--I made two fresh batches of caramel, but they managed to be too soft, which means they started melting under the heat of the lights.

Frustrations of standing and working the candy for three hours only to end up with about three pounds of Sea Salt Caramels that I can't use because they won't fit in the candy forms in the boxes.

*sigh*

Back to square one.

Make a batch of caramel AND when it's firm, I'm putting it in the freezer for a day or two BEFORE I go through the process of dipping the chocolates.

Repeat this process three times.

I know I'll be using these caramels, so making extra won't be a killer.

It's simply frustrating.

Just like losing weight. Sometimes you have to wipe the mental slate clean and start back at square one. This can happen anytime on your journey. The key is to heave a great sigh, forgive yourself, and start the next day with a brand new well-laid plan.

Later, Peeps!

Weighty Wednesday -- Frustrations are Elevated

I've been tracking everything I've been putting in my mouth, counting points, measuring stuff, etc. Though this weekend we did take a trip to Silver Dollar City and ate Krispy Kreme donuts and Andy's Custard. I'm sure that didn't help! 

I've been walking twice a day for three days a week (earning 10 activity points on these days), once a day the rest of the time (6-7 activity points), plus doing yoga (no points worth mentioning) once a week.

And I still can't seem to get my weight below my goal weight maximum line! Grrrrr! Yes, it's only a pound or two, but they have a funny way of multiplying like bunnies in the wild! You have to get a handle on it immediately.

No, I haven't made it to a meeting in April because of this issue. When you go to the first meeting of the month, you have to officially weigh-in. I would have to pay for the meeting if I'm over my goal weight upper range, and I'm cheap. I don't want to pay this until I am forced to do so.

I have two more weeks to get my act together. I have to focus to get this two extra pounds of padding off my body!  I will attend the first meeting in May because I need the group support.

My hormones have been playing havoc with me for the last six weeks--It's no excuse, just an observation--and I wonder how much of this is causing my carb cravings.  

That's it. Rant over. Time to focus.

Later, Peeps!

TROLL Cover! . . . Delayed AGAIN!!

I've lost track of how many times my cover artist has flaked out on me. Fifth? Tenth? She has consistently missed deadlines for this book since August 2011. Yesterday was supposed to be a "firm" deadline.

Yeah, right.

I love the work she's done for me, but honestly, I'm tired of this. As of May, she's quiting the cover art biz. She's over-obligated herself for a variety of projects and she just can't fit anything else on her plate.

Not surprising. But all I want is this one last cover from her.

Up until two weeks ago, I seriously wasn't happy with the cover. It was weird-looking with the character's face all lopsided. I found a picture that I LOVED and emailed it to her to give her something to go on.

A couple days later she sends me a rough draft of the new character--LOVE IT.

Details are still needed. Layering is still needed. But she finally got the basic picture that I want.

And then she injures her thumb and can't work on it.

Really? Are you serious?

Am I mad? Heck, yeah! I want this over and freakin' done with. I'm tired of it.

And you know something scary? I'm thinking about book four in the Goblin's Apprentice series. No title yet, but I know it will have a dragon in it.

I can already envision the cover art . . . now all I need to do is to find a new cover artist and write the book.

Who is the puppeteer?

I'm driving myself crazy trying to figure this out. I have my bad character and know what they do and what they gain by perpetrating this evil. . .
BUT I don't know who is playing with the puppet's strings!
Two chapters are written, but I've been stopped cold by this. True, my character doesn't find out who is behind all this until the end of the book, BUT I NEED TO KNOW IT NOW!
Argh! talk about frustrating...
Oh, cool. . . I just had a thought about who could be behind all of the hideous happenings.
Hm, let me re-read my first two chapters and see if this inkling of an idea has merit.
BWAHAHAHAHA--
By Jove, I think I got it! Yay!