Cincy Chili... yuuuuum!

So I did NOT keep to my diet this weekend.

We ate at:

*Skyline Chili

*Graeter's Ice Cream

*Five Guys Burgers and Fries

*Blue Ash Chili

*City BBQ

In the battle of Skyline vs. Blue Ash for Cincinnati's best chili - I'd have to say Skyline wins. However, the food at Blue Ash was also amazing, and they might have the edge when it comes to atmosphere and service.

Good weekend, but now I've got to get back to the diet.

Funniest YouTube Video EVER

Seriously, it doesn't get much better than this.

A Few Websites that Hold My Attention

I know this may be a little random, but here are some lifestyle sites I can't stay away from.

• TheBar.com - Warning! You must be 21 to enter, but this website has great articles and yummy cocktail recipes to browse through for hours. You can even order personalized labels if you so desire.
• TheKnot.com - What girl - single or otherwise - doesn't dream of her wedding day? The Knot, based on a magazine of the same name, has great info on styling and decorating trends as well as a to-do list for brides-to-be.
• TheNest.com - It's supposed to come after theknot.com, but for those who have already moved in with their significant others (a 'la me) The Nest is the place to start. It's got a great community forum, just like the knot, design tips and tricks, home buying and home owning advice, and relationship advice to boot. If you're already past these two and ready to start a family, there's The Bump as well. But I'm no where near there so I'm not as familiar with the site.

Back from Bonnaroo 2010

I've got lots and lots and lots to say about this year's festival over at Bonnaroo Virgin so check that out, but here are some pics I'd like to share here as well.

Photo Processing Lessons

I didn't want to put this in the Lauranette Photography blog because it's my first time trying this and it's not really my style (it's Korin's, she's teaching me how to do it)...

This is only a test, and I'm not saying I did it all that well...

Original

Processed

I don't think this was my best effort, it was kind of a rush and not the greatest photo in the world for this kind of thing, but practice makes perfect, right? And I'll eventually develop my own style from what I learned here.

Bringing it Back to Basics

I can never decide what I want to do as far as blogging goes. I want to blog about Bonnaroo. I want to blog about health. I want to blog about photography. No one's reading all about me, who would want to anyway?

But I realize I miss having an online journal - even if no one reads it - for me. And one day, when I get married and have a family, this will be the place I'll want to post all of my fun news.

So I'm bringing this back, and I've returned to the template I used in the old days. Simple. Brown. Me. If you want to follow, go right ahead. For now, I've still got all my other blogs but this will be the one I post in the most consistently, and where you can find the links to the others if you're interested in reading on. (You can find those other blogs in a feed at the top right of this page.)

Reason for my Weakness

What kind of illness is extra more unfortunate for someone who can't stand to SEE other people touch their necks let alone get her own neck touched??

I'll give you a clue------------------------------->

So over the last few months, as if the onset of bad allergies and a touch of asthma weren't enough, I've had my blood tested for underactive thyroid. My parents thought it was a little weird when they came to my house around 6:30 p.m. and I had already passed out on the couch for the night. My boyfriend was a little curious as to why I go to sleep so much earlier than he does when I only get up an hour and a half before him. I was wondering why I stopped eating McDonald's for several months (after eating large meals about 3 times a week there for a long time) and started a running program and actually gained nearly 20 pounds in 7 months.

The answer? Ding, ding, ding. Underactive thyroid. And yes, my doctor had to take lots of blood and touch my neck a whole bunch before being able to determine that. (I'm still recovering.)

My numbers weren't so low that I have any major health problems, but low enough that this problem is a highly probable cause (at least a contributor) to my fatigue and weight gain at age 26.

The bad news is that this doesn't go away, and I'll have yet another pill to take every night for the rest of my life. The good news is much more exciting. For one, a lot of bad things can happen to people with a similar condition that's not being treated, i.e. heart problems, infertility, etc., and hopefully I've avoided most of that. Secondly, there is a reason that my exercise and lifestyle changes haven't helped my efforts in losing weight - and that reason can be fixed. Starting tomorrow, its onward and upward people, and I'm pumped.

My neck, on the other hand, is not.