FINALLY!

It's official:

I've been claiming it all weekend, so I'm glad it's true this morning. It's just easier to tell someone who hasn't seen you in a while that you've lost 50 pounds instead of 49.5 (which is what the scale said Thursday morning before I left on my trip).

So that's one goal DONE – and if I didn't have confidence that I could lose more, that would be the end of it. But I do think I can lose 15 more by Christmas, so I'm going to keep on paleo-ing. Most likely I'll keep on paleo-ing for the rest of my life. I feel SO DAMNED GOOD!

Eating at the convention this weekend went very well. The hotel's continental breakfast included eggs and fresh fruit, and the closing day's catered breakfast had bacon, as well.

Mmmmm, bacon.

I had to navigate a substantial-hors d'oeuvres reception Friday evening, but it included grilled vegetables and sausage-stuffed mushrooms, so that was fine. The remaining meals each included meat and vegetables and salad. I had no trouble staying away from the rolls and the dessert table was separate from the main buffet, so I just didn't even look at it.

Our speakers were dynamic and inspiring and energetic. This is an off-year as far as elections go, but the campaign cycle is now pretty much 24/7, so we all got to hear how tough it's going to be in 2014 in the West Virginia Senate race for the seat being vacated by Jay Rockefeller.

This state is surely going to miss him, as it still does Sen. Robert Byrd.

I didn't log any food all weekend. GOAL FAIL for September. I also didn't do any kind of workout Saturday, as I fell hard on a sidewalk near the end of my Friday morning run. I hurt my left knee and the heel of my left hand. I'm now doing wall pushups with my fingertips instead of the palms of my hands, and when I tried doing triceps dips using a chair it was just too painful.

I'll try to get some pictures taken this week sometime (hint, hint to Lynne!). I'm excited to update the progress photo file and to show off the new clothes I've been collecting. The photos taken of me during the weekend are mostly tight close-ups and a couple long shots that aren't especially flattering.

And flattering is definitely the look I'm going for!

Here's a teaser, though ...

Future WV Senator Natalie Tennant. And me.
The future's so bright, we had to wear shades!

September 22 - Made me smile

The convention I attended included an installation of officers ceremony. I was
installed as a District Director. Each of us received flowers.

Here I go again

I don't need to leave for this weekend's convention today until early afternoon but, as with most things, the tasks on my to-do list take up all available time.

In other words, I'm not an especially efficient planner. (I am, however, better food-prepared this weekend than I was last.)

Right now, though, my dining room table is piled high with auction items that need to be tagged and messenger bags that need to be cleaned out and consolidated.

We get a new bag at each of these meetings. I've only been going for four years, so I can't imagine how many blue bags are cluttering the closets of some of the old-timers who've been attending West Virginia's Federation of Democratic Women conventions for decades.

Maybe the bags are a new-ish idea.

One of my jobs at this year's event will be helping people sign up for Facebook and Twitter. We're trying to move the group into the 21st century. I hope we get lots of interest in the project. Facebook is one of the most efficient and least costly ways to communicate I've ever found. The advantages for clubs and groups and like-minded individuals are numerous.

If we could just get members to use it.

So I teased you yesterday about glitter spray, remember? Well here's what I did with it:

I'd read online that the nozzle on the can easily become clogged. One woman used FOUR CANS to spray a pair of heels. At eight bucks for a fairly small can, that's a pretty spendy DIY project. Or at least it was spendier than I wanted to make it.

I only bought one can and hoped for the best. My sparkly new shoes ended up costing less than 20 bucks, and I had enough product left to cover five large beads, which I turned into this:

Horrible picture, true, but you get the idea.

And seriously? The only place I will ever wear this OR the shoes is to a Democratic event. Or maybe a Fourth of July parade. But they're fun and different and for once I don't mind drawing attention to myself.

And if you don't know what that means, then welcome to my blog! You must be a Knit. Run. Reap. Eat. virgin!

Not sure how frequently (or if) I'll be updating over the next few days. But I'm quite sure I'll be having a good time. I hope your weekend is as fun as mine's going to be!

Being a Democrat in West Virginia

It's hard, people. Trying to turn this state blue again is a MAJOR effort, probably impossible this election cycle when it comes to the Presidential race. Despite a majority of voters being registered Democrats, by a two-to-one margin, there's a lot of crossover and too many of them stay at home on election day.

Well, except for those who voted for that convicted felon during the primary. I wish they would have stayed home!

The upside to being a Democrat in West Virginia, and in particular being a Democratic woman, is getting to hang out for the weekend with a couple hundred like-minded souls who just can't wear enough blue. Blue shirts, blue hats, blue scarves, blue jewelry, blue, blue, blue, everywhere you looked.

It was fitting that the convention ended on Women's Equality Day, the day the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing a woman's right to vote was ratified. Republicans seem to be hell-bent on sending women back to their kitchens, barefoot and pregnant. Soon they'll be taking our right to vote away, as they are doing with young people, old people, black people and Hispanic people – most of the people who voted for President Obama in 2008. If they can't beat him fairly, they'll pass laws to suppress and disenfranchise and make it harder.

It doesn't matter how hard it is to vote. We have to do it anyway.

In West Virginia, the most important thing to do is give President Obama a couple more Democrats in the House of Representatives. My Congressman is a Democrat, but he's the only one left here. We're so small we only get three. Our Senators are both Dems, as is our Governor (one Senator and the Guv are decidedly moderate, too much so for my taste, but hey! We'll elect them and then pound them into submission!) It would be amazing if our state could help give the President the Congress he needs to really, truly do the job we elected him to do.

Am I fired up? Why, yes, yes I am. That's what happens at Democratic conventions.

I really wish I were headed for Charlotte the first week in September. If I got any more fired up, though, I might explode!

My hand knit bag and its contents brought $65 at the auction – not as much as I'd hoped, but the auctioneer started it way too low, so it's all his fault. Several women bid on it, and there was an exciting little back-and-forth flurry at the end, so that was fun. Now, though, it's time to campaign and make calls and try to convince folks around here that voting for Republicans is voting against their own interests.

Because believe me, we who live in Appalachia need a tax break more than the 1% do.

Thanks for reading … I'll be off the (blue) cloud and back to something resembling normal tomorrow.

Maybe.