Las Vegas 2011, The Basics

(Ratings are out of 5 *'s)

New York New York Hotel and Casino:
Check-in- *****
Room- ****
View from the room- *****
Location of room in hotel- *****
Food options inside hotel/casino- ****
Location on Las Vegas Strip- ***

Gallagher's Steakhouse- ***

Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville- ****

The Stratosphere Tower Observation Deck- ****

Riding The Deuce- *****

The Bodies Exhibition- ****

The Titanic Artifacts Exhibition- *****

The Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay- *****

The Habitat at The Flamingo- ****

The Lion Habitat at MGM Grand- **

The Bellagio Fountain- *****

Visit to Gold and Silver Pawn Shop (Pawn Stars)- ****

Sleep

I think I've reached that age where sleep is more important than a lot of other things. I fell asleep during the last few minutes of The Black Hole... Not because I was bored, but because I was that tired. I would ponder whether I feel that old normally, but I'm too tired. Yawn. Good night.

Breastfeeding - My Thoughts and Opinions

Among women, especially those in their childbearing years, breastfeeding can be a very heated topic. Up until my oldest child was born, I hadn't thought I had much of an opinion on it. As it turns out, I do.

With my son, I had just assumed that I would breastfeed exclusively until I went back to work, then pump as needed after that. What actually happened is that I gave up on breastfeeding the day after we came home from the hospital, tried pumping for maybe 2 weeks, and after that went to formula. As it turns out, for physiological and psychological reasons, breastfeeding does not work for me. I am, by necessity, a full-time working-outside-the-home mom. I have limited waking hours with my kids (and for doing housework), and I feel my time is better spent taking care of my whole family and getting quality time with them, than going through the problems I have in breastfeeding and pumping.

I tried breastfeeding again with my daughter, and had the same problems as before. That time, I went to formula by the end of the first week. I plan on 1 more child, and I will be going straight to formula.

I can hear the die-hards telling me any breastfeeding problem can be overcome, that I gave up too soon or didn't try hard enough. That's fine, they are entitled to their opinion. The fact is, I did what was best for me and my family. I firmly believe that, and I will not be made to feel guilty by the die-hards.

I feel that every new mom (medical conditions aside), should at least try breastfeeding. They should be given coaching if wanted, rather than having it forced on them. No mom should be made to feel guilty who has at least tried to breastfeed, regardless of her reasons for switching to formula. Yes, I agree that breastmilk is best, but formula quality has come a long way, and there is no medical proof that formula feeding is, in any way, "child abuse."

I also feel that, while I support moms who choose to breastfeed in public, they need to keep themselves covered while doing so. Personally, I am uncomfortable with a woman exposing her breasts in public. (For any reason!)

Both of my children were exclusively formula-fed after the first 2 weeks, and I have yet to notice any ill effect. I also have no regrets.  I will continue to support moms in whatever decision they make, whatever their reasons, because let's face it- being a mom of an infant is hard enough without the fanatics breathing down your neck.

Confessions About Me, Part 1

1- Bad grammar drives me crazy. The worst one is "I seen" when it should be "I saw." I work with someone who is guilty of this on a daily basis, and I bite my lip every time because it would do no good to speak my mind.

2- I am a food addict. I love to eat, which is apparent by my figure. Sweets are the worst, especially ice cream. I've been known to eat half a container of mint chocolate chip without realizing what I'm doing.

3- I pretend to not care what people think of me, but I really do. I hate thinking that people might not like me, and then trying to figure out why. I'm incredibly insecure.

Why I Don't Like Most Women

Ahh, women. Being one, you'd think I would understand them a little better than I do. The truth is that most women are as mysterious to me as they are to men.

Women complan frequently, for one thing. I hate listening to it. I accept that it happens, but I do not accept that it must be a part of daily life.

Women are clique-ish, no matter what their age. I'll admit I'm different, but I may as well have the bubonic plague for how hard I find it to make friends with a group of women.

Women are unreasonably and unfairly judgemental. I have been the victim of this throughout my life. I try not to be this way myself, believe me, but biology still finds a way.

Women scrapbook. A minor thing, I know, but I just don't get why you can't just put photos in a album and caption them with the date, who's in it, and a brief explanation. Being an LDS woman in Utah, I'm sure it's worse here, in this community and culture.

Women are high-maintenance. More so than men, anyway. I'll never understand why hair coloring and manicures and 10 colors of shoes are so important to some women. I don't color my hair, I've had 2 manicures in my entire life, and my shoes are either black or white. I use one purse at a time, which must be cross-body style. 

Women watch movies that make me gag. It's not like I don't enjoy the ocassional romantic comedy, but I also enjoy James Bond and Monty Python. I actually am proud of not falling into the Twilight trend. Very proud, in fact.

My Thoughts On The Effects of Materialism

Materialism is one of the things that will eventually destroy the world. People think that more stuff equals more happiness, and as this continues, people will get further and further into debt trying to find what they've been told is "happiness." No one ever seems to stop and examine the big picture: are they happier with all this excess stuff?

Not that I'm pointing fingers an individual people. It's in the marketing. Materialism starts with the companies who make you feel like you have to have more stuff. Nicer cars, trendy clothes, a quesadilla maker or a 52-inch television... are these things really necessary for a happy life? Nah.

Imagine for a moment living a less materialistic life. Buying store brands, and only of things you actually need. Acomplishing tasks through your own creativity and effort, rather than having some gadget do most of the work for you. Borrowing books from the library instead of buying them. Entertaining yourself without television, mp3 players, mobile phones, or the internet. To me, it sounds like a more satisfying way to live. We've all become addicted to instant gratification, but it's a temporary thing.

I will freely admit that I am guilty of materialism. I am writing this blog post from my android phone, and I have a store-bought paperback novel in my purse. I keep thinking about it, though, and I find myself taking small steps toward being less materialistic. I like to think of the process as trying to achieve a zen-like state with my posessions. Next step: going through my closet.

Weight Loss, Part 1 - No Excuses

Here's the basics-

I am a 31 year old woman, 5' 4" tall, and I weigh 204 pounds.

I have a few excuses for being overweight, but not good ones. I have 2 kids, the 2nd is 8 months old and was delivered by ceasarian. I have knee and ankle problems, mostly stemming from the 7 years I spent doing community and high school musical theater. I am extremely well-endowed in the chest region, limiting my choices for cardio exercise. I'm also on hormonal birth-control, which causes, among other things, a bigger than normal appetite.

All that said, I still have no good excuse for being overweight. Well, technically, probably obese. I've half-heartedly trying to diet for a long time, and I have of course made very little progress.

That's why I'll be including my weight-loss adventures in my blog. I will be accountable to anyone who might read my blog. I find that to be good motivation, personally.

My ultimate goal is 140#. My first intermediate goal is 200#, and I intend to reach it by Wednesday, April 20.

Wish me luck!